Macbook [Pro] External monitor question

[scootermaster]

Scenario:

Want to hook up a Macbook Pro to an external monitor, but with the case closed. So you'd probably have to disable sleep when the case is closed. But you'd want that enabled when you unplugged from the monitor and took the laptop someplace.

Question:

Does a Macbook do this automatically? Is there an app for that? Or do you have to fiddle with the power settings every time you use an external monitor? Or do you just have to keep the thing open, otherwise?

(Could a script be made that detects the presence of an external monitor and turns off just the lid-sleep?)

 

[Emulex]

clamshell mode is what it is called.

 

[Kmax82]

Scenario:

Want to hook up a Macbook Pro to an external monitor, but with the case closed. So you'd probably have to disable sleep when the case is closed. But you'd want that enabled when you unplugged from the monitor and took the laptop someplace.

Question:

Does a Macbook do this automatically? Is there an app for that? Or do you have to fiddle with the power settings every time you use an external monitor? Or do you just have to keep the thing open, otherwise?

(Could a script be made that detects the presence of an external monitor and turns off just the lid-sleep?)

If you have an external monitor/keyboard/mouse hooked up. Simply close the MBP, and then once it's gone to sleep.. hit a key on your keyboard. It'll wake up in clamshell mode.

 

[mshan]

Can heat generated in "closed" enclosure potentially damage the LCD over time, or will case fan just spin up and LCD damage from rising heat not an issue?

 

[AnyMal]

Can heat generated in "closed" enclosure potentially damage the LCD over time, or will case fan just spin up and LCD damage from rising heat not an issue?

I've heard about this "issue" but never experienced it with my 13" MBP, which stayed with lid closed most of the time.

 

[TheStu]

Heat shouldn't be too much of an issue, no.

 

[scootermaster]

If you have an external monitor/keyboard/mouse hooked up. Simply close the MBP, and then once it's gone to sleep.. hit a key on your keyboard. It'll wake up in clamshell mode.

It would, at least theoretically, be connected to a BT keyboard and mouse pair. Hopefully it will auto re-pair with them if I take the MBP away for awhile and then bring it back.

But thanks for the tip. That seems like a decent solution. It'd be even better if, as I said, it auto re-pairs with the keyboard, so I can just put it on my desk, plug in the monitor, and hit a key/move the mouse without having to open it up.

You'd still think some sort of detection would work best though...any other ideas?

 

[Ka0t1x]

Just a simple test with my iMac, I was able to sleep it, turn off my magic mouse, turn it back on and wake the iMac from sleep a few seconds later.. so I'm assuming it works... But you know what happens when you assume.

I remember a similar thing would happen when I used the wireless keyboard with my MBP.

 

[sourceninja]

I used to do that all the time (bluetooth mouse wakeup). Now I keep the notebook open and just use it as a second display.

 

[Kadarin]

FYI IIRC "clamshell" mode works only if the MBP is connected via AC.

 

[scootermaster]

FYI IIRC "clamshell" mode works only if the MBP is connected via AC.

So that's another idea, I guess. Don't sleep if the AC is plugged in, even if the lid is closed.

My biggest point here is that I don't want to have to mess with the energy saver settings. I'd like to be able to have it open -- and presumably unplugged -- and sleep to save energy after a time. I'd like to be closed, and sleep, when it's unplugged, because presumably I'm not using it. But I'd like it to be closed and stay away when there's an external monitor connected (and/or AC?) because presumably I'm doing something.

It would be awesome, then, if in clamshell mode, and the monitor/ac was unplugged, it still went to sleep after the timeout period. But I'd settle for sleeping it manually, before unplugging the monitor, and then if I went and used it portably, it again enabling sleep-on-close after I opened it up to use it.

Any of this make sense? Seems doable, and I can't believe I'm the only person who's brought this up. Just trying to see what actually happens.


Secondarily: While we're on the subject (not really), can you configure the "order" of monitors with an external one plugged in, or is the external one always secondary? It'd be nice to have my main desktop on the external by default, and then use the laptop as a secondary, if I kept the machine open (this saves having to drag apps to the external screen, etc).

 

[sourceninja]

My external is the default. It is very easy to configure.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

If you really wanted to after waking the MBP with the lid closed, you can reopen it to help with cooling and still have everything on your external monitor.

 

[rdp6]

If you really wanted to after waking the MBP with the lid closed, you can reopen it to help with cooling and still have everything on your external monitor.

This is what I do for the most part. I sit too far from the laptop for its screen to be useful for the most part so if I let the computer sleep I close the lid, wake with a key press on the BT keyboard, and then re-open it after a moment to keep the laptop display disabled.

I suppose I might reduce the laptop display resolution to better match the pixel size of the HTDV used as the external monitor, but I really don't need the second screen for living room usage.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

This is what I do for the most part. I sit too far from the laptop for its screen to be useful for the most part so if I let the computer sleep I close the lid, wake with a key press on the BT keyboard, and then re-open it after a moment to keep the laptop display disabled.

I suppose I might reduce the laptop display resolution to better match the pixel size of the HTDV used as the external monitor, but I really don't need the second screen for living room usage.

When I tried to play Starcraft 2 with it in Clamshell mode frame rates were dropping like crazy, but when I opened it, all better 😀