MBP as external monitor for desktop?

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Hi all,

I'm not really sure if this is at all possible. Is there a way to use my macbook pro as an external monitor for my desktop pc? I heard Windows has software you can download to do so (Maxivista)?
 

chscag

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No. Your MacBook Pro only has a video out port. The only Mac beside the Mac Pro which can accept input video is the 27" iMac which contains both video in and video out ports.
 

Slydude

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It might be possible by setting up a VNC connection for screen sharing between the Mac and PC. Without good network speed it will be dog slow though. I'll have to think about that a bit.
 
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It might be possible by setting up a VNC connection for screen sharing between the Mac and PC. Without good network speed it will be dog slow though. I'll have to think about that a bit.

VNC is used to simulate standard input/output though. I don't think it can extend the the desktop since resolution isn't really a key factor here and so on. And yes, it's terribly slow even over local network :-D
 

Slydude

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VNC is used to simulate standard input/output though. I don't think it can extend the the desktop since resolution isn't really a key factor here and so on. And yes, it's terribly slow even over local network :-D

Check out this video which demos Screen Recycler and appears to be in extended desktop mode. video. Although the demo uses two Macs it mentions use with Windows as well. This assumes the Mac will be the "server" but it should work as well the other way.

I am not sure which VNC client would work best for Windows. The page for the older version used to list several.

I was using the extra screen space for tool palates in programs like Photoshop and it was horribly slow. But in fairness I was using a clamshell iBook SE over wireless network.
 
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Great video, but that's Mac-only. I imagine it would be slow even on newer hardware.

You would have to use cross-platform VNC software, I've never used it in such a way, but good luck with your search :)

As you can see, Screen Recycler is further development using the VNC technology, so maybe there are other developers playing around with the same thing across platforms ...
 

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The earlier version that I used mary have in fact done the opposite of that the OP wants to do now that I think about it a bit more. The ScreenRecycler page mentions using the PC as a screen for the Mac. It should be possible to put a VNC "server" program on the PC and a "client" on the PC.
 

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