Pismo's Neatest Feature...

[phreakout]

Well, this was totally unexpected. I'm in the process of changing the layout of my room. I decided to arrange my desk so that I place my Pismo on the rolling shelf, more suited for keyboards and mice. I wasn't going to mind running the laptop with the lid opened to its full extent, while using an external monitor, USB powered hub, etc., to hook up when needed.

Anyway, my Pismo is closed and asleep. I go and plug the powered USB hub into the USB port. Lo and behold, the Pismo awakes from sleep, I see the desktop on my external monitor; all without opening the lid/internal lcd screen. Amazed, I hook up my mouse and keyboard. They all work, yet the lid is still shut! I am surprised and feel like I just discovered a lost treasure or something. I am a happy camper right now! Who knew Apple was smart enough to include this feature on the Pismo?

Btw, yes I'm typing this thread while all the listed above is happening. Anyone else out there who has a Pismo, give it a try and respond back. Amazing, truly amazing!

73s de Phreakout.

 

[LCGuy]

I'm fairly sure most PowerBooks can do that - if I have an external monitor/keyboard/mouse on my PowerBook 1400, and I press the power key on the external keyboard with the lid closed, I can run the machine with the lid closed, and the internal display remains off. My MacBook does the same. Just be aware that the machine is not designed to run with the lid closed, and may overheat.

 

[porter]

Just be aware that the machine is not designed to run with the lid closed

From the Pismo technote...

The computer includes 8 MB of video memory, which is enough to provide pixel depths up to 24 bits per pixel on all supported monitors when the flat panel display is inactive (display closed). When an external video monitor and the flat panel display are operating at the same time, half the video memory is available for each. In that case, the maximum pixel depth available on the external monitor at the 1280-by-960 and 1280-by-1024 picture sizes is only 16bpp.

and from lowendmac....

Lid Closed Mode: Pismo supports "lid closed" (or clamshell) mode, which leaves the built-in display off and dedicates all video RAM to an external display. To used lid closed mode, your 'Book must be plugged into the AC adapter and connected to an external display and a USB mouse and keyboard (you might also want to consider external speakers).

 

[MacJunky]

IIRC it is the wallstreet and PDQ that are not supposed to be run with the lid closed since they use the keyboard as part of the cooling system.

 

[LCGuy]

Interesting - I thought that ALL PowerBooks use the keyboard as a part of the cooling system.

 

[Christopher]

Interesting - I thought that ALL PowerBooks use the keyboard as a part of the cooling system.

The black covering on the pismo keyboard that melts when it gets hot is part of cooling?

 

[MacJunky]

The black covering on the pismo keyboard that melts when it gets hot is part of cooling?

Totally, same for the Lombard.

 

[LCGuy]

Interesting - I thought that ALL PowerBooks use the keyboard as a part of the cooling system.

The black covering on the pismo keyboard that melts when it gets hot is part of cooling?

Well I've never owned a Pismo, or in fact any Apple portable between the PowerBook 1400 and the Late 2007 MacBook, and have only used them infrequently every now and then, so I don't know for sure *shrugs*

 

[phreakout]

Well, I've ran my Pismo like this for the entire week so far and no problems have come up. I can use OS9 and OSX Tiger without a glitch and no overheat issues, either. I have an Apple Keyboard Model A1048 hooked up along with a Logitech Cordless optical 2-button mouse. I've ran my EyeTV USB (2002) with little to no issues. So far, so good.

73s de Phreakout. b-)

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Many of the PPC PowerBooks has "lid closed mode" officially supported. The consumer-oriented iBooks did not officially support it; but the entire Intel line of MacBooks does.

 

[Christopher]

 

[LCGuy]

Uh, Christopher, what does that have to do with PowerBooks running in "lid closed" mode?

 

[Christopher]

I'm not sure. But it seemed fitting at the time.

 

[II2II]

Not that I've ever seen a Mac in Calvin and Hobbes.