How to Use a Monitor With a PowerBook

You can connect an external monitor to Apple’s PowerBook for video mirroring, extended display or simply because the external monitor is larger and has better resolution. Video mirroring allows you to view the desktop on both the monitors: the laptop’s internal monitor as well as the external monitor. PowerBook also offers an extended desktop mode that stretches the desktop screen across both the monitors–PowerBook’s internal monitor and the attached external monitor. You can also use only the external monitor. Here’s how you can use an external monitor with a PowerBook.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Ethernet cable (or VGA cable)
• USB keyboard and mouse

Using the Internal and External Monitor

1. Switch off the PowerBook.
2. Hook up the monitor cable to your PowerBook through the PowerBook’s ethernet monitor port. To do so, you need a standard ethernet cable.
3. Plug in the external monitor's power cord. Switch on the external monitor. Switch on the PowerBook. It should be able to detect the external monitor automatically.
4. Make use of display resolution keys to change the resolution on external monitor. PowerBook will start up in extended desktop mode by default. Click on the video mirroring button shown on the display to switch to the video mirroring mode.

Using Only the External Monitor

5. Attach a USB keyboard and mouse to your PowerBook. These devices can be attached to the USB ports of the laptop.
6. Put your computer to sleep by shutting down the display of your PowerBook.
7. Hook the monitor cable up to your PowerBook through the PowerBook’s ethernet monitor port. Plug in the external monitor's power cord. Switch on the external monitor. The PowerBook detects the external monitor automatically.
8. Wait for few seconds and press any key on the external keyboard or roll the mouse over to activate the PowerBook back from the sleep mode. You can now use the external monitor.

Tips & Warnings

• To disconnect the external monitor properly, turn the computer to sleep and unplug the display cable from the computer.

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