VGA adapter splitter? 1 external monitor for desktop and macbook

I recently bought the Apple VGA adapter and it works great with my macbook and external monitor. However I use that same external monitor with my desktop PC. It's becoming a pain to constantly unscrew and plug out the VGA cable. So I'm trying to find a VGA splitter that has 2 male ends and 1 female end, but I'm not sure if something like that even exists. Basically I want to be able to use my external monitor with my macbook and pc without having to unplug the monitor's vga cable from my desktop. If anyone can give any suggestions that'd be great. Thanks!

You shouldn't try a splitter cable as you would have interference from the two signals. You need a VGA switch box like one of these.
http://www.cablestogo.com/productlist.asp?cat%5Fid=517&cm_mmc=AdWords-_-07-ALWAYSON-_-vga+switch2_890304021-_-vga+switchbox_Exact%7C-%7C100000000000000134556&gclid=COaNhtKdoZECFReQGgod6HWsNw

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Is it possible to use the old iMac 2010 21inch as an external monitor for my 15inch Macbook retina?

Is it possible to use the old iMac 2010 21inch as an external monitor for my 15inch Macbook retina? E.g. Using a mini-display cable to connect from the imac mini display port to thunderbolt port on my macbook.

Apple shows only the 27" version supporting Target Display Mode.
<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924>

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External Monitor for 13 inch Macbook

Hi, I am thinking to buy an external monitor for my Macbook. Can anybody suggest me what should be the right size monitor for my laptop? What other properties should I consider? I want a smooth display like my Macbook.
Thanks in advance....

I use the Hanns-G 22" widescreen monitor with the mini-dvi -> VGA. It looks pretty good as an external monitor, not great, but pretty good.
The upside to this monitor, besides being totally huge and satisfying, is that it comes with HDMI input. So we got a DVD player with HDMI and now we have upconverted 1080p movies for $400 total investment, plus a nice external monitor that works perfectly with both macbook and macbook pro.
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254024
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Advice to external monitor for desktop usage of my MacBook (early 2008)

Hi,
I've a MacBook early 2008, and I'd like to use it at home "as a desktop". My idea is to close the macbook when I'm at home, plug an external monitor and use bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
What about external monitor? I don't want to extend desktop, but I want to replace, at home, macbook display with monitor.
Do you have any advice to give me?
Bye

You can use basically any monitor (short of a 30" LCD) with your MacBook. Common connectors are DVI, VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Check what you have on your MacBook and buy a monitor that has that connector. (Most MacBooks came with a VGA or DVI adapter, I don't remember which.)
As for your computer going to sleep, it's not a bug, it's a feature. Press any key on an external keyboard while your computer is hooked up to an external monitor, and the laptop should wake back up, recognize the display, and be ready to use.

New External Monitor for Logic on MacBook Pro - Suggestions

I'm in the painful process of updating my studio and now my large screen external monitor has started failing.
I know if this a pretty general question more suited to the MacBook Pro forum but I'd like some input from folks used to working with an application like Logic in a home studio environment.
I guess the issue for me is that I'm not getting any younger and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. One of the things specific to Logic and music software in general is that there are LOTS of very detailed dialog boxes with text that is not always height adjustable (yes I know about zooming and indeed I do lots of that but it gets quite distracting). The other factor is that I'm often recording and engineering myself which means I'll be sitting with a guitar in my lap or at a keyboard and can't always lean in too close to the monitor.
I solved this by buying a large 26" Acer which sits on my desk behind the Mackie MCU. To my left I've got the MacBook 15.4" Pro on a keyboard stand above my MIDI controller at a 45 degree angle to the desk.
It's worked quite well until the Acer seems to have become haunted. It will mysteriously reboot itself intermittently, going blank for a second, then showing the Acer logo and going back to picture. It will also turn itself on spontaneously when the computer is off (the status light is off and then turns itself on). It seems to detect when I'm in the middle of a really good session and starts resetting itself every 30 seconds or so. Then it will work fine sometimes for days or weeks at a time. I've checked it on 4 different computers, it malfunctions on all. I believe in may be a problem with one of the capacitors or the inverter, I'm not sure, but it's driving CRAZY at this point.
And of course now it's 3 months out of warranty and may be more expensive to fix than buying a new one.
So my issue is what monitor to replace it with. I've considered buying an Apple monitor, since the display is lovely to look at but there are a couple things that are deal breakers.
It's expensive. Very expensive.
Oddly you have to choose between a 24" and a 30", with nothing in between. Don't want to sound like Goldilocks here, but the 24 is tooooo small and the 30 is tooooo big.
Yeah I know bigger is usually better but since they bumped the native resolution of the 30" up to 2560x1600 it's really sharp but things like the menu text get really quite small. Yes you can reset to a lower non native resolution, but then you loose the sharpness. I tested Logic in the store on the 30" and it did look great but I found I actually had to move my whole body around to see things at the top and bottom of the screen.
Oh and did I mention that it's expensive? Jeez.
The 24" now seems to look a bit small to me after using the same resolution (1920x1200) on the Acer's 26" screen. (Ok, I think it's actually 25.5 but hey that half an inch can make a big difference and I will avoid making any bad jokes here).
And did I mention the Apple monitors are expensive? The 24" is almost 3 times as expensive as a cheaper alternative.
I also still have a PC here that I use (sorry) and the Apple monitors have very limited connectivity. So I think unfortunately the Apple monitors are out for me.
So I;m down to a couple other non Apple options. I will not buy an Acer again since I believe now that their quality control is not good and their support is absolutely atrocious. Shame I used to be a big fan of Acer PC's, but after owning a couple I'm steering clear.
My biggest issue right now is that most of the new budget monitors are geared toward 1080p HD uses so they are they are maxing out at 1920x1080 (16:9 aspect ratio instead of 1920x1200's 16:10). So the tradeoff here is that HD movies will look better in 16:9, but 16:10 gives you "squarer" pixels and more vertical resolution for screen hungry apps like Logic.
Any opinions on this? I'm a bit new to the Mac so I don't know if I'm really better off going with a 1920x1200 screen like the Apple monitors.
Also, I know this may just be a bug in the Acer's scaling, but if I switch to 1920x1080, I lose the menus off the top of the screen or if I adjust the vpos I lose the dock at the bottom. Downscaling to 1600x1050 or even 1024x768 works fine. If I get a 1080 screen and set the resolution appropriately will it work correctly and without too much distortion?
I'm also curious what is the best way to hook up the monitor? I'm currently using the DVI to VGA adapter that came with the MacBook. My Pro is the slighter older silver keyboard model so it has the standard DVI out. Will I see any real improvement by going over to using DVI directly?
Also I'm wondering how people feel about glossy vs matte for music. My current displays are the non-glossy and I do think I prefer them for detail work.
The candidates right now are
Hanns-G HH-281HPB 28" @300$. It's one of the only budget monitors that uses 1920x1200. All the right inputs (DVI, VGA). I'm just afraid this might be a bit too good to be true. It's really cheap and after having problems with a "cheap" Acer (although it wasn't so cheap 3 years ago!) I don't want similar problems. Stand has no swivel or tilt (a big problem for my use). Also that resolution on such a big screen might be good for me or it might look grainy I don't know I haven't seen it. Anybody have any experience with these?
Samsung P2770H 27" @339 Looks nice, good color. Sadly only 1080 native resolution. Stand doesn't swivel, but does tilt. No VGA input, so won't work with my old PC (although strangely it says it comes with a VGA cable). They get generally good reviews and I know Samsung makes very good flat panel TV's.
ViewSonic X Series VX2739WM 27" @350. Once again maxes out at 1080. It's fast (1ms), has VGA input. I've never been a big fan of ViewSonic but they do seem to have gotten better color-wise. Tilt no swivel and it's anti-glare (not sure this is a plus).
There are also similar options from HP, Asus, LG and Sceptre but they are all 1080. In fact outside of the Apples, the Hanns-G and a few expensive monitors from NEC they all seem to be 1080. So if I really want the 1200 the Hanns-G seems like the only way to go.
Any input here would be greatly appreciated.

No doubt, the Apple displays are gorgeous. The first time I saw the 30" display wow, I wanted one BAD and it's actually what prompted me to buy a "big" monitor. The colors are great with a rich wonderful saturation level and as usual for Apple the form factor design is stunning. You know for that picture quality I could even get over the sticker shock and save up for one.
Which is why I was so disappointed when I actually sat down in the store and started to use Logic on one. I imagine for doing video work, graphic design or darn near anything else, it would be great. But for Logic I just found myself bending and twisting trying to look at toolbar at the bottom and then up to look at the menus. And instrument or plugin displays that were hard coded to look OK at lower resolutions looked really, really tiny to me. For me and particularly using Logic having 2 slightly smaller displays at a 45 degree angle makes more sense.
And once again the 24 seems just a bit small. I don't understand why they have a 27" iMac but you can't buy a 27" display. So iMac 27" starting at 1699, subtract out the cost of the CPU and drive ie the Mini and I'd really buy one. Strangely you can buy a 21.5" or a 27" iMac. Or you can buy a 24" or 30" display. Hmmmm.
So don't get me wrong I'm not bashing Apple for being expensive. They put a lot of money into R&D and into really thinking about the form and the function of their products. As a recent convert from being a PC developer for 25+ years, hey I've more than sipped the Kool-Aid here, I've guzzled it. They make great products and yeah they're more expensive, because they ARE better! I've now got 2 MBP's, 2 iPods, I'm about to get an iPhone (silly "death grip" or not) and I really want an iPad. Heck I'd really love an 8 core MacPro if I could afford one (alas I can't).
I guess my only gripe here is that there always seems to be a little less choice in the Apple world. Yeah, I know they do a lot less volume than the PC clone world I just think that they always seem to have a big gap between the high end and low end with not enough in between. So you can choose between the lower end and one piece units with no expansion boards (the mini or the iMac) or go straight to monster tower MacPro (way over 3K with display). You can get a MacBook but then you have to put up with a small screen or go with MacBook Pro, which let's face it is a lot of computing power for someone who just wants to web surf and write some email without squinting.
So here I am stuck in the middle. I don't want to buy a HannspreeQG or another piece of junk that's going to last 3 years and 3 months because of a crappy $2 capacitor that no seems to able to fix or care about fixing. I'd like to buy a really nice Apple monitor, I just want a big monitor, not a huge one and not a "medium" one (I know I'm spoiled but 24" seems "medium" these days).
Sorry about the rant here but my monitor is shutting down every 30 seconds and I'm about to go completely insane and toss it out the window!!!
Really glad to hear about that 84' VGA cable. I never imagined such a thing existed or would work without some sort of signal boost on the way. Very cool for me. My electronic drum kit is in another room and I would love to have a small cheap monitor next to it for sequencing. I had my laptop on a stand next to it for a while but I began to get terrified that I'd let a drumstick slip and destroy my laptop screen. That would be a very bad thing. Thanks for the tip.

External Monitor for MacBook Pro 13"

Hello, I know there has been a number of threads on this topic, but I haven't found my answer yet.
I am looking for a third party external monitor for my 13" MacBook Pro. I read a lot of text on my computer so it is important that the text is sharp. I have tried a couple Samsung monitors so far and the text is far from sharp and in fact it is outright hard on the eyes.
Currently, I am using a 23" Samsung SyncMaster SA550 with a HDMI/MiniDisplay 6" cable, I am using it as the primary display with my laptop closed and the resolution is set to 1080p. It's almost as though the video card is not powerful enough to drive this monitor - is that possible?
I have two questions:
1) Is there anything I can do to get this monitor to display clearer text?
2) Can anyone recommend a monitor that would display clearer text?
Thanks! Any info would be appreciated!

The only reason I thought of suggesting 1920x1080 was becaue I looked up the specs on your 23" Samsung SyncMaster SA550 and see it only has vga and hdmi input. I suspect that because it's hdmi input the EDID info tells Displays to add 1080i and 1080p to the resolutions and suppresses the 1920x1080. It's why I wasn't sure it would be there in the first place.
So have you tried 1080i just to see what kind of results you get? And to cover all possibilities have you tried using the VGA connection?
It may just be that what you see on this particular monitor is as good as it gets.

Can i use my 21.5" imac as an external monitor for my macbook pro?

I have a 21.5" iMac (with Intel processor) that I'm trying to use an external monitor for a new Macbook Pro. Both machines have a thunderbolt input. I bought a Belkin mini displayport to mini displayport connector, but my macbook is not displaying on the iMac. I saw videos online showing this done with the 27" iMac, saying you just needed to press Command+F2, but that is not working for me. I can't seem to find any posts confiming if I can use my 21.5" iMac this way though.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4082303?start=0&tstart=0

I've got a MacBook pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work running Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing.

I've got a MacBook Pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work using Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing. I also tried a Mini Display to VGA lead and that wasn't much better. I tried all variations of resolutions in System prefs - Displays but nothing helped. Am I getting something wrong? Thanks all.

In addition to pixel density, you are up against the translation driver card in the TV.
If you read the fine print of computer-resolution-capability in the TV user guide, you will see a chart as tall as the manual page. At the top is the smallest resolution capable, at the bottom is the full use of the 1080p in the TV.
Mac falls into the top 25% of the page, maxing out at 1366x768 often. This is because the TV control card is expected to do too much of the work, but is not designed for computer-monitor processing.
I looked at the resolution charts on 2 TVs before deciding to buy a 1080p LCD monitor that has a TV interface/connector. Computer monitor first, TV second. But the thing is only 27 in. Good thing TV is not as important to me as it is to others.

What resolution do I need in an external monitor for my 15" G4 Powerbook?

Hello mac friends this is my first post I really hope someone can help me out. I need to get an external monitor for my 15 powerbook g4 1.67 w/ 64 mb graphics card. I can not find any monitor on the market whos' native resolution matches that of my g4 (1280x854). Do I need to match the native res? I ideally would like a widescreen b/w 20 and 23", though I am not crazy about the apple displays (mainly the $). I am trying to figure out what native res I need to be looking for in an external monitor, etc. Anyone who can advise would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks- Jon
PowerBook G4 15inch 1.67ghz Mac OS X (10.4.9) low res, 1.5gb ram

The fact that you don't need to match the native resolution disguises a great and valuable feature: Your PowerBook can drive monitors higher than its native resolution. Check the specifications for your PowerBook to see how high it can go. (There's a Specifications link at the top of this page.)
For example, my PowerBook G4 native resolution is also 1280x854 like yours. I bought a 20" Apple Cinema Display which is 1680x1050. Is that a problem? No, it's GREAT. Because I didn't just double my screen space, the external more than doubled it thanks to the ability of the PowerBook video card to go beyond the native resolution. My PowerBook's specs say I could run a monitor up to 2048 by 1536 pixels. (Many Windows laptops have the same capability.)
You can go to any computer store and buy just about any monitor that has a DVI or VGA port on it, that is within the resolution range for your PowerBook, and it will work. Dell, Samsung, NEC, etc. should all be OK if you want to save money. DVI is better and plugs in directly, but if you buy VGA, you will need to use the VGA-DVI adapter that came with your PowerBook.

External monitor for Retina Macbook Pro

Hello,i want to buy an external monitor for my late 2013 rMBP.I tried two models (Dell U2414H and LG 23MPQ65-P),none of them worked perfectly.On both monitors colors were washed, without contrast, the font was blurry.So i decided to return the monitors and also I sent the laptop in service for several diagnoses to see if there's something wrong with my Macbook.
I see that there are many models of external monitors that do not work correctly with rMBP.
I want an 23-27", FullHD, IPS monitor that would cost around 400$.
Can you tell me some suggestions?
Thanks.

Jenn.Y wrote:
So which input ports are best to use? I know there's ones like HDMI and DVI, so which is better to use?
Modern monitors will likely have HDMI, DVI, and/or Display Port inputs. If you use HDMI then you will not need an adapter since your computer will have a HDMI port out. You will just need a HDMI cable. If you use DVI you will need a mini display port to DVI adapter and a DVI cable. Dual Link DVI is best but you will need a mini display port to Dual Link DVI adapter and a Dual Link DVI cable. If your monitor has a Display Port input you could use that. vga will produce bad results compared to all the digital ports.
Your selection depends on the monitor you get. To get the best display resolution use what provides the monitor with video at the monitor's native resolution.
Use Google to compare the specifications of the different ports https://www.google.com/search?q=display+port+comparison+dvi+hdmi+dual+link

External monitor for MBP retina 13 inch

hi,
i am an undergrad student and i bought mbp retina 13 inch in dec'13.
now i want to use an external monitor for my work which is mostly coding and stuff .i dont know much about display monitors and their ports or pins : vga ,dvi or displayport.
please help me with suggestions as which one is better monitor to have and some info about the ports or pins is also needed ( as i already have apple's mini displayport to vga adapter ,which i bought to connect my mac to projector although its done rarely )
i do have a budget for this , its about $ 150 to 200 .
thanks.

Here's - http://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VA2446M-LED-24-Inch-LED-Lit-Speakers/dp/B00D601U C8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393758755&sr=8-1&keywords=24+inch+lcd+computer+monito r - a 24" ViewSonic monitor with DVI input (much better than VGA). It's within your budget and you could still afford a good adapter for it (such as this one from Monoprice).
Good luck,
Clinton

Imac as external monitor for windows Notebook

Hi,
I want to switch from my Windows Pc to a mac for private use.
I prefer the new iMac (2011) 21,5" but I could not get an definite answer (not even in my local apple store) if it is possible to connect an existing Notebook (with VGA Mini-d-sub or DVI connector) to the new iMac in order to use the iMac as an external monitor for the Notebook.
I definitely need this for my business work in my home-office so this information is vital.
If ist is not possible I have to take the macMini and stay with my standard monitor.
Can please someone tell me if it is possible at all and if so, how it can be done.
I searched the internet and only found out that it was possible with the older 27" model but no information for the 2011 21,5" so please help!
Thank you in advance for your Support.
Celindir

Hi,
Sorry to say, but ...
The 2011 iMacs (21.5" and 27") can only be used as a second display via a Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt cable.
The 2009 and 2010 27" iMacs can be used as a second display via a DisplayPort connection.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3775 andhttp://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Thunderbolt/10.6/en/30822.html
Stefan

External monitor for MacBook 4,1

Hello all,
I am wanting to run an external monitor for my old 2008 MacBook 4,1 13"
I understand that I can run a 1920 x 1080 monitor via my machine.
However, I don't know the upper size of monitor that goes to.
I have plugged it into a 40" screen, and the image was not sharp.
I plugged it into a 23" screen, and the image was sharp.
I am wanting to know the largest screen I can run, and still have a sharp image
Thank you for all time, and Merry Christmas everyone.
Sincerely, Xiao Ping Guo

The inch dimensions of the screen don't matter. The pixel dimensions, 1920 x 1080, can be sharp enough depending on the viewing distance. What matters is if the number of pixels and screen size are properly coordinated with the viewing distance.
On a 23" diagonal screen, 1920 x 1080 is about 96 ppi. On a 40" screen, 1920 x 1080 is about 48 ppi, or about half the resolution. The 40 inch screen should look half as sharp as the 23 inch screen, because the same number of pixels (1920 x 1080) is being spread over twice the area.
If the 23 inch is a desktop monitor, it is meant to be viewed at about desk distance, or about 2 feet. If the 40 inch is a TV, it is meant to be viewed at sofa distance, or about 10-12 feet. If you are viewing a 40-inch TV only a couple feet away, it will seem unsharp because it is not intended to be seen so close. At a normal TV viewing distance, 1920 x 1080 at 10 feet should look sharp enough.
If you want the 40 inch to be as sharp as the 23 inch than the 40 inch must display more pixels. That's why 4K screens are becoming popular. But the MacBook is at its limit already.
The reason I originally said the inch dimensions don't matter is that a screen of any screen will look sharp at its intended distance. Your MacBook could drive a 100-foot screen at a stadium at 1920 x 1080 pixels and it would look sharp enough, from the seats. If you're 2 feet from that stadium screen every dot will look coarse and huge, but that's not how close you're supposed to view it.

External monitor for 2013 Macbook Pro Retina 13"?

I'm going to get a 13" Macbook Pro Retina 2013 model soon, and I was wondering if anybody knew of any good external displays that are under $300 I could use with the laptop? Preferably in the $100-200 range. I've been doing a little research, and it seems that a lot of people have problems with blurry text while using an external monitor with the retina macbook? I don't know much about external monitors, so I'd also like to know about the ports/adaptors I should use.

Jenn.Y wrote:
So which input ports are best to use? I know there's ones like HDMI and DVI, so which is better to use?
Modern monitors will likely have HDMI, DVI, and/or Display Port inputs. If you use HDMI then you will not need an adapter since your computer will have a HDMI port out. You will just need a HDMI cable. If you use DVI you will need a mini display port to DVI adapter and a DVI cable. Dual Link DVI is best but you will need a mini display port to Dual Link DVI adapter and a Dual Link DVI cable. If your monitor has a Display Port input you could use that. vga will produce bad results compared to all the digital ports.
Your selection depends on the monitor you get. To get the best display resolution use what provides the monitor with video at the monitor's native resolution.
Use Google to compare the specifications of the different ports https://www.google.com/search?q=display+port+comparison+dvi+hdmi+dual+link

VGA adapter splitter? 1 external monitor for desktop and macbook

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