Questions about 2nd Monitor

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Your Mac's Specs
Unibody MacBook Pro 2.26, 4gb RAM, 500gb HD
I have a 2.2 MB w/ 2gb RAM. I have a couple questions about adding a second monitor. Online searches seem to reveal sometimes conflicting info.

1. Can I add a second monitor to my MB in extended mode (not mirrored)?

2. How is the desktop background displayed? Can I just display the same desktop background on both monitors, or do I need a special extra wide desktop which shows half on each monitor?

3. My built-in display runs at 1280 x 800. How large a second monitor would that support? Can I increase the resolution further? I guess my real question is what is the largest size monitor that would be recommended for a MB running in extended mode?
 
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New Orleans, LA, USA
Your Mac's Specs
13" Macbook Pro 2.26Ghz Unibody 4G RAM 160G HDD Superdrive
I have a 2.2 MB w/ 2gb RAM. I have a couple questions about adding a second monitor. Online searches seem to reveal sometimes conflicting info.

1. Can I add a second monitor to my MB in extended mode (not mirrored)?

Yes. You need a $20 Mini-DVI to DVI or Mini-DVI to VGA adapter, but other than that no problem.

2. How is the desktop background displayed? Can I just display the same desktop background on both monitors, or do I need a special extra wide desktop which shows half on each monitor?

However you want it. Mine is arranged vertically but if I had the desk space I could do it side by side, at an angle, wherever. The display preferences show a virtual representation of how you want the monitor configured and you drag each one to where you'd like it to be. In my case the Menu is at the top of the external, and the Dock is at the bottom of the Macbook display. The mouse cursor traverses as though it were one big monitor. When I disconnect the external all windows gather 'down' into the Macbook screen. When I get back and reconnect it remembers my configuration and obediently sets it instantly. Small pet peeve, with Tiger it also remembered where I wanted my open windows to live, but with Leopard it seems to have forgotten to do that. No biggee, I just drag the windows 'up' into the external. EDIT: oh, forgot the background thing. Each display gets it's own background. You can set each to be a different one, the same one, or you can edit one big one into two halves to display on each. Either way you set the background on each display independently.

3. My built-in display runs at 1280 x 800. How large a second monitor would that support? Can I increase the resolution further? I guess my real question is what is the largest size monitor that would be recommended for a MB running in extended mode?

Pretty large. Mine is a 23" Samsung Syncmaster run at 1680x1050, which is the monitor's native resolution. IIRC the Macbook will drive up to an Apple 23" Cinema or something of that, but pretty much anything widescreen with DVI/VGA connectors that you'd buy at any Costco or the like will work just fine.
 
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Jaygray
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Unibody MacBook Pro 2.26, 4gb RAM, 500gb HD
Thanks for the info!
 
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MBP 2.4/2GB/200HD/256 8600gt
also the macbook can only push a 1920x1200 display that is "single-link"

the 30" apple displays are dual-link, which only the MBP can handle.

just some more info.
 

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