Anybody know if...

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wienerdog

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...there's a hardware "hack" that would enable one to use the nice flat panel displays of the G4 or the new G5 imacs as stand-alone monitors (ie. with another computer or as an LCD TV)? As we all know, they'll be boat anchors as computers one day - I'm thinking ahead to the day my heart breaks as I turf a perfectly good flat panel...

Also makes investing in one of these a little more interesting.

Thanks in advance for any input :p
 
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I posted this a couple of times I guess:
If you're looking for a considerably upgradable system, don't by an All-in-one or laptop. It simply isn't the purpose of such a computer!

It is not possible, without some serious and expensive hardware manipulation, to use the screen of an All-in-one computer with an other computer, PC or Mac.
 
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wienerdog said:
As we all know, they'll be boat anchors as computers one day - I'm thinking ahead to the day my heart breaks as I turf a perfectly good flat panel...

By the time a G5 iMac is functionally obsolete, its flat panel LCD will most likely no longer be as appealing as it seems now. That's similar to someone inquiring 6 years ago how to use the CRT in his new iMac as a stand-alone monitor (although even the original iMac's are still far from "boat anchors" and are perfectly functional machines). I guess my point is that the iMac will have to be extremely old to justify relegating it to display use, and by then, it won't probably won't make an exceptional display by the standards of the time.
 
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Padawan said:
...the iMac will have to be extremely old to justify relegating it to display use, and by then, it won't probably won't make an exceptional display by the standards of the time.

Exactly. I've never heard of anyone actually having to "throw out" an old all-in-one Mac. For the most part, the display and the computer have about the same useful lifespan.

Most people buy a new monitor with every computer. Their old monitors and their old computers stay together, or get passed on to someone else together.

I suppose if you're the kind of person who has to have the latest, fastest computer there is, then you may go through computers more often than monitors. But in that case, an iMac is probably not the best computer for you, anyway.
 
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wienerdog

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It's not that - I'm not a gadget freak - but I do run a small post production outfit and we simply find it helps to keep machines really current is all. I was thinking of buying the imac as more of an office machine, but it might get used for tertiary graphics work too, right? Won't last too long around here once it's viewed as "slow". It's gross, but we just don't tend to keep machines around for more than 2 1/2 years or so. We're primarily Windoze for the workhorses anyway, but I'm working on my partner to change that ;)

As for MY personal computer, my mac only from my COLD DEAD FINGERS, dig?

Anyway, I'm more likely to just flip it than try and bust it apart. I guess I asked more out of curiosity. :rolleyes:

BTW, does anybody else find the new G5's terribly uninspired compared to the dome shaped G4's? Bring back the dome, I say !!! :)
 
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wienerdog said:
BTW, does anybody else find the new G5's terribly uninspired compared to the dome shaped G4's? Bring back the dome, I say !!! :)

Well, allthough I never was a real fan of the dome (I'm more a Cube fan ;) ), it's design was at least very original.
The new iMac is, well, not really ugly, but it lacks of inspiration and originallity. The same goes with the new aluminium displays...they look pretty cool, but not really original...
What happened to Jonathan Ives' originality (Apple's design director)?!? Maybe he's getting to old... :p
 
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adiliegro

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Actually, I think sometimes less is more. The dome, to me, was ugly. This new iMac has great lines and simply looks awesome sitting on my desk. Not a bunch of wires to fool with and it is very sleek. to each his own, i guess.
 

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The G4 iMac looks good in a home, whereas the G5 iMac looks good in an office.
 
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missyvortex

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Well since Imac has mac os x which has unix under the hood then i'd have thought you could remote login to another pc/mac - seeing what you would see if the other pc had got a monitor (but doesn't have to ofcourse).

Not sure how you could automate it so that turning on other pc and mac it would do it always but probably some way - you'd be best asking advice about it on linux/unix forum. But I bet there's a way you could do it. Though the networking between computers could at some points cause stuttering video on the imac screen maybe. You'd just have to try it and see if it would work.
 

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