PowerBook DVI G4 vs PowerBook 12"

Hi there,
well i have one qestion..
Should I trade my PowerBook G4 DVI model (667mhz, 1gb ram, 40gb, L3 cashe, 32vram, 15.4", gigabit ethernet, new battery) into newer PowerBook G4 12" (864mhz, 640mb ram, 32 video ram, wireless, 40gb, 12")?
You can compare those models here:
my pb: http://www.apple-history.com/?page=gallery&model=pg4_dvi&performa=off&sort=date& order=ASC
trade into this: http://www.apple-history.com/body.php?page=gallery&model=pg4_12&performa=off&sor t=date&order=ASC
I'm confused, because I think the matrix on 12" is a bit to small. Well I like sometimes work with computer graphics, bet I havent done that in ~ half a year.. So now my main tasks is word, excel, safari, itunes and movies.. So i think i would be better smoller PowerBook.
What do you think? C & C are wellcome!
ps.: sorry for my bad english...

You'd be giving up PCMCIA slot, larger monitor, DVI out, less RAM, for a little more speed and possibly a faster graphics card but with the same amount of memory.
If you really wanted something more portable and were looking to trade up to the newest 12" Powerbook that at least has DVI out then that might be worth it, because it's a larger speed bump. It's still not very suitable for working with graphics due to the smaller screen but it at least supports better quality output to an external monitor which would make it more than capable for this use.
I don't understand why your current machine isn't capable of doing everything you listed, and actually better because of the larger screen.

Similar Messages

Wrong 'mini dvi to video' adapter for my 12" Powerbook 1.33

I recently bought the M9319 mini dvi - video adapter for my 12" Powerbook 1.33 to find that the mini dvi on the adapter is a different size to the one on the computer and the adapters supplied with the computer.
I've been doing a bit of research into this and it seems a bit of a grey area. Apple have not made it clear in advertising this product that it is only suitable for the newest 12" Powerbooks and even state that it will work with a 1.33 machine in their following article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86507
Has anyone had a similar experience, or suggest an alternative product that will work? Did Apple make an older version that works with the 1.33?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Graeme.

Just took the adapter to my local Apple store and they identified it as a mini VGA to video adapter - not what it said on the packaging!
I've noticed a few posts with this problem, so just double check before you leave the store that the packaging matches the product.

Mini DVI to VGA cable won't fit. Too big for slot on 12 PowerBook G4

Are there more than one type of cable?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2369 shows only one kind of mini-DVI port for the 12" Powerbook. Sounds like you got something that is not an mini-DVI port based cable. Mini-VGA cables look very similar, and can be misidentified. What are you connecting to from the Powerbook G4? Make, model # is important. Often DVI-HDMI adapters are better than DVI to VGA if there is an option. Cause DVI-VGA you need a proper digital/analog converter in the cable in question.

Mini-DVI to VGA supports PowerBook G4 only?

Hello everyone,
I just bought an LCD TV with a VGA port which allows you to use it as a computer monitor. I lost my mini-DVI to VGA that came with my computer, (iBook G4), and I was planning on buying one. However, when look at the specs on the website, it said it supported MacBooks, iMacs, and PowerBooks. However, the iBook is not mentioned. Does this mean that my iBook will have trouble using this adapter? If no problems, then will I be able to find it at CompUSA, because I didn't see it on the CompUSA website.
Awaiting replies,
iGabe

The iBook does not have the DVI output needed for that adapter. Your iBook should have come with an Apple VGA Display Adapter, part M8639G/A.
I don't see it on the Apple web-site but you might be able to get it here:
<http://www.apple.com/support/diy/>

DVI to ADC adapter forcing powerbook to shut down on connection

Hi there,
I have been using my powerbook 1.25GHz for about 8 months with my DVI to ADC adapter to connect to my 22" cinema display with no troubles whatsoever. Yesterday evening when I came home as soon as connected the adapter to my powerbook- it shut down my powerbook within a couple of seconds. Not only that I was blasted with a 3-5 second low tone from my powerbook as it attempted to restart. At the same time the sleep light (one that purrs softly in sleep mode on the powerbook) flashed in quick succession for the length of time that my powerbook made the the long beep noise.
Following this the computer then makes the usual start up noise but nothing happens on either my powerbook display or the 22" display. I am then required to take out the adapter connection from my powerbook and my computer restarts normally after holding down the start button again.
I have tried a few times now to connect the adapter with the same problem. Has anyone else experienced this or have any idea what the sound being emitted is all about and the disco light display from my powerbook?
Would be grateful for some hints... Thanks!
1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 Powerbook Mac OS X (10.3.9)

The exact same things (low tone, furiously flashing sleep light) has happened to me on several occasions, and it happened again today. I just googled up the symptoms and this is where I landed. The only thing I can correlate among our experiences is that the DVI connection on the powerbook is involved (the problem may or may not have anything to do with the ADC adapter).
For my problem, it's usually occurred after I've either just connected or disconnected a second display using an Apple dvi-->adc powered adapter or a small unpowered dongle (dvi -->vga) for an lcd projector. The restart after either one fails can take quite awhile.
Twice in the past six months, I've been at the "two minute warning" before a presentation, and the book has crapped out just as I connect it to the projector and then it's gone into the psycho light and sound mode you described. Today's failure occurred after unhooking from the powered Apple DVI-->ADC adapter at my desk to go down the hall for a meeting. The computer went into blue screen and stayed there after it was disconnected from the Studio Display and DVI-->ADC adapter. Attempting to hard reset/powerdown by holding down the power button initiated the tone/light flashing.
These few cases may seem pretty isolated, but perhaps a pattern will emerge if people keep adding their experiences.
15" G4 1.67gHz powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.6)

DVI to ADC Adapter a 12" Powerbook and an Apple Studio Display 15"

hello,
i am trying to hook up a 12" powerbook with a DVI to ADC adapter to an Apple Studio Display 15".
i´m just about to buy a used 15" display on ebay.
i was wondering if this is working out together. in the apple store there are two DVI to ADC adapters at different prices and displays supported?
so if anybody could help me out please let me know!!!!
thank you very much
regards, g.

Hi
unfortunately I think the Apple store have sold you the wrong item.
I'm almost certain the DVI to ADC adapter only works with ADC based flat panel displays. DVI ports can output digital or analogue signals (or a combination of the two). The adapter seems to provide digital, which is why it works with the LCD displays, but not analogue, which is why it doesn't work with the CRT displays.
Confusingly Apple did a 17" Studio display both as a CRT and LCD.
Dr. Bott do a similar adapter but they explicitly state it's not compatible with the 17" CRT.
Unfortunately I'm not sure there's a solution, as the display has an ADC connector yet I'm not aware of any adapters available that will work.

PowerBook G4 12" mini-DVI strange behavior

Greetings everyone,
I'm turning to you guys in these forums as a mean of last resort. My issue being a connector, which is not functioning as it should. The problem will be described in the following part.
The Issue:
I bought a mini-DVI, refurbished, though there were and are no problems with the piece and I'll explain why in a second.
Upon plugging the mini-DVI to VGA dongle into the PowerBook G4 12" mini-DVI port the external 22" LG Flatron display does nothing. I go into System Preferences>Display and hit the 'Detect Displays' as that seems to me to be the obvious solution in how to detect an external monitor/display in Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8. Still, no evidence of anything happening on the external display. Tough, the machine appears to lag for 2 second when the button is pressed, though the monitor remains undetected.
However, when I restart the PowerBook the display gets detected on boot when the Apple logo appears on the main display, being the laptop's. That, reassures me that the Logic Board and the mini-DVI to VGA adapter are all right. After the system is running and I'm in the GUI, everything runs as it should. Mirroring, Extended Desktop everything, you name it.
BUT, when I put the machine to sleep the external monitor goes to sleep with it, which is fine, but after I wake the machine up, the external display remains undetected and no 'Detect Displays' helps or either putting it to sleep again. If you think that I should, boot up the machine, put it to sleep connect the display and wake it up using an USB peripheral, think again, no luck there buddy.
What is curious though, is that the same thing happens with a projector at my University, but over there the trick with starting it up already connected does not work.
That leaves me with a puzzling situation and an unsolved mystery.
Please, I beg you, O, great wisdom of the Apple forums come and show me what am I supposed to do, to get rid of this terrible extended display peril. I'll be forever in your debt.
Thank you, so very much!
Tom.

Thanks a bunch, but that did not help. I've tried to do that before, except vacuuming the connectors. That did not help either.
The monitor I'm testing it with has only a VGA output. Unfortunately, I thought that this has been just because of the monitor's lack of DVI, but I was wrong. As I was saying, I attempted to use it with a projector over at school, it had a VGA output as well, but the projector didn't even pick up the PowerBook on restart. It just showed that it was detecting it for a couple of seconds and then it showed 'No Device Plugged In'. So, there you go. This is what I call a predicament.
I've read on a different forum that this issue may be due to a protocol transfer between the mini-DVI and VGA input of the device that I want to plug into. I am in an environment, which is predominantly dominated by machines, which need either a VGA input or output.
Isn't there a software patch for this problem somewhere?

Concerning: VGA monitors using an Aluminum Powerbook G4 PowerPC 2004 15"-screen 1.5Ghz The DVI (converted to VGA) video output stopped working on this computer after 9 years of service. This raises question 1: Is there any way of fixing this? I've tried

Concerning: VGA monitors using an Aluminum Powerbook G4 PowerPC 2004 15"-screen 1.5Ghz
The DVI (converted to VGA) video output stopped working on this computer after 9 years of service. This raises question 1:
Is there any way of fixing this? I've tried the usual: triple checked all vga cables & devices through trial & error. Bought a new DVI-VGA adapter. Reset PRAM, PMU, etc. Nothing works. Something is probably damaged, because my KVM switch was not working unless I hot-reseated the vga cable into it, leading to this DVI port, and that is pretty rough stuff.
Question 2 (related):
This dovetails into this: Can I drive a VGA monitor with the s-video output port on this computer. It would take an s-video (male)-to-15-pin-VGA adapter. Has anyone does this? So far, I haven't even found the adapter mentioned anywhere.
Thanks for reading this.
el7

Thanks for the useful feedback, Knucklesmac. I agree. I must have blown something on the logic board -- because I had a faulty old KVM switch that would not switch between computers without some nasty hot-plugging/unplugging the VGA video cables. (wince!). It's like when Dizzy Dean ruined his arm because a line drive hit him in the foot and he readjusted his mechanics around the injury. I take the blame because this has been a great computer, and does not deserve any blame.
If it will help anyone else reading this thread, C2G (née Cables to Go) has some interesting ideas for still getting external video out of this computer:
-USB-to-VGA
http://www.cablestogo.com/product/30545
-Convert s-video or composite video signals to high resolution VGA
http://www.cablestogo.com/product/40971
The price range is $75-$85, which doesn't make horse sense to me for such an old computer -- which has a lot of life in it anyway, because its own 15" monitor is not chopped liver.
el7

PowerBook G4 to Sony Bravia DVI-to-HDMI

I would like to us a Sony Bravia LCD HDTV as a primary monitor for a PowerBook G4 with a defective display. I have a DVI-to-HDMI cable. I hooked it all up and turned everything on. The Bravia displays this message: "Invalid Format". I've tried changing the resolution and other options in the display preferences, but nothing seems to please the Bravia. The Bravia has a 120 Hz refresh rate, but the PowerBook will not let me adjust the refresh rate above 60Hz. Is there a way to get the PowerBook to send the Sony Bravia correctly formatted input over the DVI-to-HDMI cable?

I am mad 'cause I have been a big fan of apple and now this. I got the last version of the cinema display and now I hear althought there arem so called standards that even with apple products there are lots of issues. I have a TV box (Swiss) and just tried to get my display running.
In vain. No knows to solve the problem. OK.. But I haven't even got an answer what the problem is. It sounds easy. Take a converter from HDMI to DVI (which should be compatible according to Apple/swisscom/connector producers a.s.o) Nothing not even something is coming out.
I bet you don't have a solution...
KR
Christian

Voltage of Backlight tube on G4 Powerbook DVI

Hi,
I have a G4 Powerbook DVI and as expected, the display hinges broke a while back..... I simply took the display off and still use the laptop with an external display.
Recently I took the lcd display apart (it has sat gathering dust for 2 years now) and was wanting to use the flourescent backlight tube as part of another electronics project.....
Can anyone tell me the the voltage/amps it requires ?
Thanks !

look here http://www.fonerbooks.com/laptop14.htm
and here http://www.lcdpart.com/Products/ms26361.html
so, I guess, you'll need to play also with your inverter board in your project ))
hmmm bright white light what it could be useful for? growing some plants maybe.
well, good luck with your project. hope you'll not abandon it, as I did ))

External LCD monitors with DVI PowerBook: Banding Issues

I have a DVI PB and would like to attach an external LCD monitor. I've looked at both Samsung 20 inch and ViewSonic 19 inch versions but whenever I attach them, I get "banding" around the edges of the external monitor. Tonight, I went to CompUSA to look at the Samsung 204B 20 inch. Taking my PB with me, I hooked up and set the resolution to 1600 x 1200 and the Samsung had huge, fat black banding all around the monitor. If you don't know - banding looks like a large, black border going around the screen. The sales guy pushed some auto-set buttons (which is said always work to remove the banding) but it didn't fix the issue. Any suggestions? Is there some secret that I'm not aware of on how to attach and use an external LCD monitor with the PB? One note: I did set the resolution down to 1280 x 1024, which worked fine to remove the banding but it monitor looked horrible. Not the best resolution for a large monitor.
Thanks,
B. Rose
TiBook 800 & iBook SE Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hi, Bill. I can't speak to whatever happened with the Viewsonic monitor, since you didn't tell us about that, but it sounds as though the Samsung was in display mirroring mode rather than extended-desktop mode. The F7 key on your Powerbook's keyboard toggles an external monitor between the two modes. In mirror mode, the external monitor displays exactly the same thing as the built-in display. In extended-desktop mode, it functions as a separate portion of your desktop, and you can drag things (windows, icons) from one monitor onto the other. If you're going to use both displays, extended-desktop mode is probably what you'll want: why keep two copies of the same thing in front of you?
In mirrored mode, the fact that your Powerbook's display has a maximum resolution of 1280 x 854 means that only 1280 x 854 pixels of the external monitor can be used — leaving wide black borders of untapped pixels around the copy of your PB's display that's centered on the external monitor. In extended-desktop mode, the external display's native resolution of 1600 x 1200 can all be used, provided that your 32MB of VRAM is sufficient to drive the total of (1280 x 854) + (1600 x 1200) = 3,013,120 pixels, at the bit depth you've selected. (You might have to use the extended-desktop mode in Thousands of colors, rather than Millions.)
Another issue that comes into play with display mirroring is that the 4:3 aspect ratio of the 1600 x 1200 Samsung is different from the 3:2 aspect ratio of the Powerbook's display. If you set the Samsung's resolution to 1280 x 1024 to match the pixel width of the PB display, the top and bottom of the Samsung will be black bands, because the PB isn't manufacturing any pixels to fill those bands. And it will be blurry, because the Samsung has to interpolate to make 1600 pixels look (sort of) like 1280 pixels. Unlike a CRT display, the actual number of pixels in an LCD is fixed. When you change resolution settings on an LCD from its native (maximum) resolution to anything less, the image is always blurred. Only the native resolution can be really sharp.

Anyone connected an Apple ADC CRT to Powerbook DVI, how??

I have my older 17" Apple Studio Display ADC CRT which I would like to use at home for extra screen space with my Titanium Powerbook which has a DVI port.
I bought the DVI to ADC adapter but have found out it ONLY works on the ADC LCDs and NOT CRTs. Crazy. So what connects these two together. I have seen many others in the Apple Display Forums with the same frustration but no solutions.
What gives? Apple abandoned connecting two of their own products which did overlap in time when sold.
Anyone else trying to do the same or are successfuly using these together?

I know your post is a bit old, but I'll contribute what I know anyway - You cannot use a DVI-ADC adapter with the ADC CRT because it is an analog display, and DVI by definition requires a digital signal. Therefore, neither the Apple adapter nor any other adapter can convert the signal from the CRT. It's outside of Apple's control. All of the LCD displays that are ADC use a digital signal, so they work just fine.
Apple only ever manufactured the one 17-inch ADC CRT, and only for about six months, so they're not affecting too many people... Unfortunately, you're one of them - and I have a beautiful, retired 17-inch CRT that I can't use with my PowerBook (Aluminum).
I got a 20-inch Cinema, and I love it.

Really strange: plugging in DVI cable turns off powerbook

So I just bought a new KVM: an Avocent Switchview DVI. 4-port DVI/USB switchbox, very nice.
Problem is, if I plug the (known good) ADC 23" Cinema Display (with ADC->DVI converter) into it, and then plug it into my Powerbook, and then turn on the Powerbook, as soon as the Powerbook detects the external display and starts using it, it (the Powerbook) shuts itself off. If I hot-plug it while the powerbook is on, it detects the display, starts to use it, SHOWS THE 'Are you sure you want to shut down?' DIALOG BOX ON THE CINEMA DISPLAY, and THEN turns off.
It's like the DVI connector has a sensor for the power switch in it, and somehow this KVM is triggering it. (I note that the power button is directly on top of the DVI connector... could this be interference?) It's driving me totally nuts.
And then there's my G4 Cube, which works fine with the cinema display, but just doesn't detect it at all when it's plugged into the KVM. It's like they're trying to drive me crazy or something.

Just in case someone is curious, it appears Apple uses the 'hot swap detect' pin on DVI in a non-standard way, at least according to the admittedly biased manufacturers of my DVI switchbox. If I pull the pin out of the cable, it no longer detects hot swaps, but also doesn't turn off my computer when I hook it up.
Of course, my G4 Cube still doesn't work properly with it, so it's basically a worthless piece of junk to me, but hey, that's what you get when you believe the spec sheets, I guess, right?

PowerBook G4 DVI w/Dead Internal Primary Fan, Replacement Parts Questions

Hey Everyone,
I'm preparing to replace the primary fan on a PowerBook G4 DVI. I have a spare, used primary fan, but lack the rubber pins.
Does anyone know where these little things can be purchased online separate from the fan kit itself? I did some searching on Google with no luck.
Thanks for any leads/suggestions!

Rather doubt they are available separately, but you may want to try these places:
Parts/Repair Sites
ifixit.com
pbparts.com
powerbookmedic.com
dttservice.com
powerbooktech.com
powerbookresq.com
powerbookguy.com
powerbookrepairshop.com

Installing an extreem card into G4 12 DVI powerbook 1ghz

I have just installed an extreem card into 12 dvi powerbook and upon startup I get arepeated message that I must restart. startup halts and after repeated attempts still cannot start up
any help would be welcome
Thanks

Either the card is bad or not seated properly. Pull it out and make sure you can still boot and haven't damaged anything. Then shut down and try again making sure it is firmly pushed all the way into the connector and not upside down either!

Powerbook to Dell 24" DVI problem

Just got a Dell 2405FPW, which works fine outputting my Titanium 15" Powerbook via the DVI to VGA adaptor. However if I plug straight into the DVI input of the Dell with Dell's cable, my Powerbook doesn't sense any external monitors.
Maybe the cable is faulty, but the Dell seems to recognize that something is connected (i.e. it goes into sleep mode rather than self-test mode). I guess I can only get the 1900 x 1200 resolution through DVI? Are there any drivers I need (nothing came with the Dell)?
Any ideas?
Any help is much appreciated...
Martin

Hi, fernando, and welcome to Apple Discusssions.
The Discussions are organized by subject area: either hardware there's a board for each computer model or group of similar models or software. The main Discussions page lists all the major subject headings; clicking on one of the links there will present a breakdown of the subheadings under that heading. To find the right board for an iMac G5-related posting, go to the Main page, look under Computing Hardware, and click the iMac link. Then click the iMac G5 link on the page that appears next.
On the iMac G5 page are links to a description of a repair extension program that may or may not apply to your iMac. Read that and see whether it helps to explain your situation. If it doesn't, see the link below it, "Chat with a support agent" a special service available to iMac G5 users.
Since your post here in the Powerbook G4 area does not concern a technical problem with your iMac, but is instead a complaint about the service you got from a retailer, it isn't in keeping with the rules laid out in the Discussions Terms of Use. You can read those by clicking "Help and Terms of Use" in the right sidebar on the main page. The Discussions are user-to-user forums where Mac users help each other with technical problems. None of us here can help you with a customer-service complaint. We can sympathize, and I do. Six weeks is too long to wait for repairs on a brand new computer. But neither I nor anyone else here can do or say anything to give you satisfaction; that's between you and the retailer and/or Applecare, and I suspect that "Chat with a Support Agent" may offer you the best chance of reaching someone at Apple to whom you can communicate your unhappiness directly.
Just so you know, Apple has never been in the habit of throwing away Macs that are returned with defects under warranty: instead, it tries to repair them under warranty. This is a pretty common practice with items that are too expensive to be discarded because of some minor problem. If your new car needed a little corrective work under warranty, you wouldn't (I hope) expect it to be replaced immediately with an identical new one.

PowerBook DVI G4 vs PowerBook 12"

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