MB w/External Dell Display

Just bought a brand new White Macbook. Everything is great and I'm loving this computer with one caveat: I'm using it with an external Dell DVI display. This external display, however, is DIM when I connect it to the Macbook. It looks great when I connect it to my Powerbook G4....
I'm using the mini-DVI to DVI cable I bought from the Apple Store. Anyone have this problem yet?

Mine is just fine (dell 2405)
Here is how you can probably fix yours
Click on monitors under system preferences
Set up the color profile for the external monitor
Do a manual color profile set up
This can brighten things significantly
Also make sure the brightness is turned up as the DVI input usually has a seperate brightness meter for the DVI input over the VGA etc.
Let me know if this does not work, or you gave any other questions.
Kalel

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My MBPr LCD display is great: crisp and clear.
However, when I connect my desktop Dell display, the result is washed out and difficult to read fonts.
I've tried with both mini-DVI and mini-VGA. The mini-VGA is perhaps marginally better, but in both
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I've a 2011 MBA, 2008 MBP and a Dell U2410 24" 1920x1200-native setup with zero problems, until I replace the aging MBP with rMBP. Now I get the same issue as the OP.
I've searched extensively, but "blurry images, washed-out colors, smudgy text" isn't very scientific/concrete so it's not easy to have a clear-cut case. On this same issue (I believe), I've found the following threads:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4119545
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15565120
I'm trying to document the issue as much as possible, with photos taken off the display. (I've found screen capture doesn't work). They're posted at http://goo.gl/XLdMf
Further background
The same mini-DP to DP cable is used to connect MBA, rMBP (and my previous 2008 MBP) and have been in service since I've the Dell. No issues at all, except the rMBP.
I've tried HDMI-HDMI from rMBP to Dell. Same lousy display quality.
The Dell U2410 accepts DP, HDMI, DVI and VGA inputs.
On the monitor itself, I can press a few buttons to ask for display info. In both cases, the Dell reports it is displaying in 1920x1200 @ 60Hz. (So this rules out the problem of trying to display 1920x1080 on a 1920x1200 native display).
I've done a Factory Reset on the Dell, to no avail.
When the MacBookAir4,2 (2011 MBA) is connected, a range of resolutions is available:1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 1920x1200x 1600x1200, 1600x1000, 1344x1008, 1344x840, 1280x1024, 1280x960, 1280x800, 1024x768, 1024x640, 960x600, 800x600, 800x500, 720x576, 640x480
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I have a brand new 2011 MacBook Pro, 17" that I use with a 24" Dell E248WFP monitor. I purchased a Moshi HDMI to DVI adapter, and at first everything worked fine--I would use the MBP with the lid closed, everything would show up on the display, and everyone was happy. Then I disconnected my MBP one day and took it somewhere, and when I came back I couldn't get the external display to connect. But then I tried some things and it did. The next time I disconnected my MBP from the display I had problem again, but after 10 minutes of fiddling around it finally worked again.
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This week, I went somewhere with my MBP, and when I came home I couldn't get it to connect. I have now been trying to fix this for two days and although I have tried hundreds of things I can't get the monitor to connect. Yes, the monitor is on. Yes, the monitor works otherwise and appears to be in fine functioning order.
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I've examined many other threads from people seeming to have this problem, except none of them seem to have run into such a dead end as I have. And while I would love to have an excuse to buy a 27" Mac display for $1,000, I'd also love to have an excuse not to. If anyone has more things I can try to fix this, please let me know.

Hi, I'm having the same problem, tried to connect both a Viewsonic and a Hanspree. Was happy to find your response here, but I just got the Moshi adapter with the macbook pro so it seems silly it would have gone bad. :/
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^_^

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cheers
S

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I am having the same issue. Hope Apple can fix this soon!!!

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Regards,
Sam

Hello there, Sam.
The following Knowledge Base article provides some great steps for troubleshooting your issue:
Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1573
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro.

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Hi All
I need to connect an external LCD display to my iMac G5 1st Gen computer.
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http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=6C04E099&nplm=M 8639
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G'day mate
Thanks for the reply from Oz.
Just had another good look at the back of the external LCD and it has got both VGA and DVI ports on it. Which will get the best results do you think?
Also here is a dump re the graphics card in my iMac -
GeForce FX 5200:
Chipset Model: GeForce FX 5200
Type: Display
Bus: AGP
Slot: AGP
VRAM (Total): 64 MB
Vendor: nVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0329
Revision ID: 0x00b1
ROM Revision: 2103
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iMac:
Display Type: LCD
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Depth: 32-bit Color
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Online: Yes
Quartz Extreme: Supported
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MB w/External Dell Display

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