i have this weird idea to attach an external monitor to my 5500\225. i want to give it a paint job and upgrade all the insides while releiving my work space of two other macs. basically i want to consalidate my desk to just the 5500, since it has only a 15"mon, i need bigger for my graphics and art needs. i have a 17" - just my size, and don't want to loose it. i see everywhere all these two mon'ed comps and was thinking of doing this to my 5500. there is nothing wrong with its mon, i just want that nifty two mon wrap around.
let me know if i am a retard and should never be tried. or if it is possible, any ionfo would be appreciated.
peace and love
ande
According to the Apple Service Manual for this unit, the built-in external video port only allows for mirroring (same desktop and image on both monitors).
So to get a true dual monitor setup, you'll need to buy a PCI video card and install it in the 5500's PCI slot. If you already have a card installed there, and you can't do without it, then I don't think there's a solution.
Keep in mind, though, that if you already have a PCI ethernet card installed, you can remove it and replace it with a Comm Slot II ethernet card, thereby freeing up the PCI slot for a video card for your second monitor.
Matt
thats what i thought, i just needed to hear it from someone else. i tend not to trust my crazy schemes. but now the trick is to get a PCI adaptor intended for a 6500 and put it in and just adjust the rear exterior to support two PCI cards.
thankyou for your advice and i will let you guiys know how it turns out when i get it all in line.
peace and love
ande
On my macintosh 5500/225 i have this tiny car that plugs in at the back of the motherboard by the wiring harness and it supplies a monitor jack where i can plug in an older macintosh monitor (db19 i think, like the AUI slot)
That is the video mirroring port that tmtomh mentioned. It's a standard Mac DB-15 monitor plug. It tends to get put in the same cutout where the PCI card goes, so it's the same problem as if you already have a PCI card in there.
You'll have to "adjust" a good portion of the metal chassis of the case as well. The dual PCI slot riser is too tall to fit in the 5400/5500. The metal between the mobo and CRT's neck interferes. You'd have to cut away quite a bit to fit in a second PCI card. Let me know if it works out for you - I'd like to get two PCI cards in my 5500 as well!
Peace,
Drew
just open the case, and the frame up and you wan unplug the cable and plug a diffrent monitor in just like on an imac, its very simple if you know how to get the metal frame apart
It isn't like the iMac ::) The internal cable is a proprietary connector for that model only, similar to the G3 AIO.