Build Your Own 23-inch MacBook

On Feb 9, 2007, at 10:51 AM, Patrick Stein wrote:
> Use JollysFastVNC on Macs it's much faster than VNCThing or Chicken.
>
> <http://db.tidbits.com/article/8849>

Today this little app has come to the 'rescue' in a big way. I came
into my office and the large LCD I used for second monitor next to my
23" Cinema Display was black. I couldn't get it to work. It had been
flickering the past couple of days, and I know it was not a good
sign. This monitor is also connected to a PC server box via its VGA
input, and the SVHS input was used to monitor a marantz svhs deck
used to edit/transfer old vhs tapes to a DVD burner. So, with the
monitor dead, I either had to leave it connected to the PC, taking up
space, so I could at least use the video out signal to access the PC
via VNC to monitor and control, or until buying a replacement 22-24"
LCD, lug in an old 19" crt from my workshop... Then I thought of my
extra iBook sitting over on my drafting table so here's what
happened, much to my delight...

First, to solve the issue of the PC for the time being, I did get the
CRT and plug it in, but it's all under a desk and out of the way, so
I can see it if I want, but VNC works perfectly fine.

Then I installed ScreenRecycler on the G5 here, and JollyFastVNC on
the iBook, and set it near my Cinema Display, and connected the iBook
via Ethernet rather than Airport, to the G5. Launched ScreenRecycler
on the G5, and JFVNC on the iBook, which instantly noticed the
ScreenRecycler on the G5 and connected beautifully, full screen, and
very fast (would be really fast if I had gigabit ethernet on the iBook).

Now, at first I thought this was just an 'okay' deal, because after
all, with a laptop near my G5's keyboard, I could easily move my
hands to the iBooks keyboard and run applications there that used the
iBook's cpu and didn't use the G5's. And to save moving from one
keyboard to another, I'll often use the prefpane, Teleport, to
control the iBook or a Powerbook within eyeball's reach. But, on the
other hand, sometimes I need and extra amount of desktop us have
finder windows open while working in another app full screen, or any
number of tasks that work best with multiple monitors. And then I
discovered the amazingly cool feature that I can do both!!!
Application switching allow me to switch from the iBook's
applications to the JFVNC screen in a keystroke, and that's so cool,
allowing me to use the iBook's CPU to run various projects in the
background, and switch back to the JFVNC to handle spill-over desktop
needs for the G5.

Now I'm completely re-thinking my hardware upgrade path this year. I
can imagine upgrading the iBook and Powermac G5 to a new MacBook +
MacPro and still have a dual-head system.

Double-Dual Head Systems possible? Technically, if I have a fast
enough network connection and processing power, it should be possible
to run two Macs side by side, each sharing the other's monitor, and
switching back and forth between them. I don't have a fast enough 2nd
computer to test this. But it's an interesting concept. Even when
I've worked on two side-by-side 30 inch cinema displays, I begin to
realize there is a physical limit to how much I want to be gazing
about to find all the open windows. For example, 3 or 4 cinema
displays are possible, certainly, but at some point you experience
the law of diminishing returns with so much desktop. Also, with more
desktop, one tends to run more open applications, however, that also
can reduce the overall performance of the system. It would be
interesting to compare the possible performance/productivity of say,
a MacPro with two 30 inch displays compared to two 24" iMacs side by
side using ScreenRecycler. If money were no object, we'd all pick the
former, but the latter would be less expensive, not to mention added
flexibility of having two systems for times when 2 users are
available at the same time. And what if each user also had a MacBook/
Pro? There again, you can get into some pretty interesting scenarios.

Oh boy..

Jeffrey

On Feb 9, 2007, at 8:26 PM, Mike Cohen wrote:

> Where can I get JFVNC? I couldn't find it on either versiontracker
> or macupdate.

It comes with the download package with ScreenRecycler. Sorry to not
mention that. The disc image contains both, along with some
documentation.

Jeffrey