Tips, warnings re iBook and VGA monitor?

Hello,
Sometime soon we are going to buy an inexpensive VGA CRT monitor to hook up to our 12" G4 iBook. Why bother? Trauma to the iBook's screen leading to a still usable but very odd display with a back splotch and radiating lines of varying thicknesses.
Anyway, we found the VGA connector. Have any of you had bad experiences or problems with this type of connection? Advice?
Thanks,
dick glendon

I used the VGA cable from my G3 ibook to an external LCD monitor, since the ibook doesn't have the resolution that the monitor recommend (1280x1024), the image was displayed at wrong proportion. Also I have problem to match the color, contrast and brightness.
I wonder an apple cinema would be a better choice?
Tony Wang

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using DVI and VGA monitor simultaneously on MacPro!
2008 MacPro - running the latest Yosemite
for the last few years, I've had two monitors attached - both DVI monitors in the DVI port.
today, one of the two monitors died on me! Just wouldn't turn on.
As it happens, I also have an older VGA monitor. So, this evening I bought a VGA-to-DVI adaptor.
when I plugged it in, something buggy happened ... the image was fine at the first, but then for a while, the active application started flashing off & on, it flashed between the image of the APP and a white panel... just the active APP. the background apps looked fine.
now it seems to have stopped .. .but I fear it may come back?
no idea what may be causing it! is it NOT a good idea to use DVI and VGA monitors simultaneously on a 2008 MacPro?
Hope it doesn't come back. right now I'm in safe start-up mode, I'll see what happens when I run normal start-up mode tom'w morning.
thanks for any feedback / insight!
will

this is all the info from ABOUT THIS MAC
I believe the video card is the original from 2008 - I don't think I've changed that since the machine was new :
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT:
Chipset Model: ATI Radeon HD 2600
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
Slot: Slot-1
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 256 MB
Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
Device ID: 0x9588
Revision ID: 0x0000
ROM Revision: 113-B1480A-252
EFI Driver Version: 01.00.252
Displays:
SyncMaster:
Resolution: 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Display Serial Number: HCJX844788
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
LCD19D(TMDS):
Resolution: 1280 x 1024
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Display Serial Number: WCCE5100535
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
thanks again!
minor update: I went back to the DVI monitor, using another 12V AC cable, and it seemed to work, but then that one just started flickering (after being on for an hour or so...) the flickering stopped after a few minutes, but something tells me that I'm not out of the woods yet...
w

Ibook remote vga monitors switching off after 30 seconds. (EMERGENCY)

Hi,
I run teleprompter for a major band. I use two white dual usb ibooks as they will run OS9. The only real pro prompter application for the mac never made it successfully to os X (accuprompt). I use two mini VGA to VGA adapters and run 100 ft of VGA cable to two VGA monitors. For no reason I can think of one day the monitors started going blank after 30 seconds as if they were going to sleep. The machines are set to NEVER sleep as are the displays, for battery AND power adapter use. I get a message on the monitors saying "not in optimum mode" and I usually just pressed the auto adjust button on the samsung (syncmaster 730B) flat screen and it would work fine. Now they both shut off after 30 seconds with no indication on the laptop displays. I swapped out the monitor and it was the same. I swapped out the computers with (sick) older ones and they worked. Apparently something changed on the computers........ at the same time. Puzzling......
I deleted the entire preferences folder. Rebuilt desktop, reset nvram and such in open firmware. It is not application based as the desktop disappears from the remote samsungs as well. What could be causing this.... what am I overlooking.... I'm wracking my brain..
many Mac OS X (10.4.3)

How would one check this Dave?
Just flex the connections; it would probably be pretty obvious if something's starting to break. There might also be corrosion or dirt in the iBook's video connector that could cause a problem, though I wouldn't think the symptoms would be the monitors going to sleep, but it's possible; different monitors react differently to signal loss.
Dave, I filter power through a "Monster Power Conditioner"
(http://www.monstercable.com/power/)
Even with those power conditioners, it might still be possible to be picking up ground loops in the video feed unless you're tying the entire electrical system, stage and offstage, into a single high-quality ground point. Using a passive hum suppressor transformer or wideband isolation transformer on the VGA feeds might be helpful. The Gefen units I mentioned should also break any ground loops that might be present. For additional information on video ground loops, this site may be helpful (though you may already know all this already).
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This topic seems to re-appear every so often.
<img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool">
The UPA framebuffer will be more capable that the onboard ATI Rage chipset,
which only has 4mb of video RAM and you will not get 24bit color if you set its resolution higher than 1152x900.
You could also consider reconfiguring the system to run dual monitors.
Search these hardware forums, keyword "xservers" (plural)
I just saw about 35 hits.
Then when you're ready, review the complete contents of the following file (case sensitive):
<b>/usr/dt/config/Xservers</b>
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( see the man page for Xinerama )
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Thanks I tried that and was able to get to safe mode. I still couldn't get a display. I dug out an old multi-sync monitor and was able to get it to work. The LCD monitor apparently didn't like the refresh rate. I'll see what it takes to get the LCD to work, I'm "off-the-grid" and can't afford to use all the juice the multi-sync monitor takes.
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Hello,
I have a Macbook Pro with the HDMI port, and 2 display ports.
I currently have the HDMI port plugged into an HDMI monitor, and I'm using a display port with a VGA adaper, to go into a VGA monitor.
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[ 13.093] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 13.093] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 13.093] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
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Hi,
I got my new mac mini and i have 2 display. One is with HDMI, other is VGA.
I will use normal HDMI port and thunderbolt port with Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter from Apple to use them both, and i want to "Extend" my screen but the Apple guy on the store told me that "you only can duplicate the screen, can not extend it; both your HDMI and VGA monitors screen the same thing."
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Regards.

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Opinions about if Mac Mini 2011 works ok with VGA monitors

Hi Community,
I have a old HP PC, I want to buy my first Mac Mini and used the keyboard, mouse and VGA monitor (Mod. HP Pavillion mx50) that I have.
Before I purchase the new Mac Mini 2011 and Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, I would like to know if it works ok with my old components, specially with the VGA monitor? I've read on this Community there some persons have monitors problems.
I don't want spend my money and then have problems with the Mac Mini.
Thanks in advance,

MiniDisplayPort-VGA adapters. Available in the online store, at Apple stores, or at BestBuy/MicroCenter/Fry's. Plugs into the Thunderbolt port.
Usually works without issue. But then I use monitors made by LG and Samsung. Others use lesser known brands or models know to have quirks and encounter issues.
Some things to watch for:
Soem adapters have too much plastic coveing the "connection plate", and the cable cannot seat fully. If you just look at one that has too much plastic, you will know what I am talking about.
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If you plan to run Windows under BootCamp, the Windows driver for the Tunderbolt port does NOT output snalog (VGA), just digital (DVI, HDMI). So if you plan to use VGA to display Windows output, run Windws under "VM software" (Parallels or VM Fusion) so that OSX can make the VGA signal for you.

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Forget the HDMI port. There's the Mini DisplayPort available, and all it takes is the right adapter:
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Sorry I misread your post.
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Tips, warnings re iBook and VGA monitor?

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