Mac G4 Sawtooth Upgraded

[Cory5412]

The ADC adapter in that auction will let you use an ADC-based monitor (except for the 17-inch CRT) on a computer with DVI video output.

You must have digital DVI output to send to the ADC monitor. The VGA adapter in that kit is not in any way at all related. It doesn't go with this set at all, and will not work with anything else shown in that auction.

The VGA adapter might be good if you have a DVI output port and want to use a VGA monitor. (That adapter also shipped with PowerBook G4s, for example.) (In fact, it's probably in with everything else because all this was used by a PowerBook G4 owner who put this adapter in with their PowerBook stuff, so this is just two separate adapters to use different kinds of monitors with one PowerBook.)

EDIT: Just to be clear, you should not need this adapter. It's clear your system is either a gigabit ethernet or digital audio power mac g4, and you've obviously already got a video card that outputs to ADC. I'm kind of still onboard with the idea that maybe the behavior you're seeing is because your system doesn't have the correct drivers or other support files on it.

 

[Rick Dangerous]

I have read that the G4 Sawtooths just don't play well with the ADC monitors.  I'm convinced if i can power it and get VGA out of it; it will work fine.   Especially since any of the VGA PC monitors i've tried will do many resolutions in OS9.

Is there any way to power my 17" Studio Monitor and get VGA out of it; or is it just not possible?

Thanks and i promise to "Let it Go" after this! 

 

[Cory5412]

That would be because it's not a sawtooth. ADC was introduced with the gigabit ethernet models. The Sawtooth motherboard doesn't supply the power necessary to run the AGP graphics cards that have ADC output. So if your system has that graphics card, is running it, and has ADC output working, then it's pretty much not a Sawtooth.

I'm not aware of any way around that.

or is it just not possible?

Someone'll show up with some nonsense about active converters but to be honest, it's not possible in any economical sense. Granted, you could put a video card that has a normal DVI connector in your system and use that along with the adapter you linked above. However, whether or not that's economical or whether or not you care about that economy compared to just using a better monitor is really up to you.

Incidentally, for System 7 era games and software that need the resolution turned down for any reason, you might be better off using the 8600 you just posted about having gotten anyway.

Especially given that you've got a lot of hardware in this machine that OS 9 won't really take much or good advantage of.

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Thanks Cory, all good points!