[HOWTO] - Use your Powerbook lid closed

[Giaguara]

This seems to be asked quite often, so from kb ..

How to use your Powerbook lid closed.

1. Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to your computer.

2. Close the computer's display to put the computer to sleep.

3. Connect the Apple VGA adapter that came with your computer to the VGA port on the external monitor or projector.

4. Connect the other end of the Apple VGA adapter to the video output port on the PowerBook G4 (12-inch) and PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI) computer. (Or relative to other sizes of Powerbooks.)

5. Wait a few seconds and then press any key on the external keyboard to wake the computer.

Should be working now. :)

[Viro]

Hey, that's really cool. I didn't know it was that simple to do :) Thanks.

[Convert]

That's sweet. Still waiting for mine.

[quiksan]

i've done it accidentally before - but never took the time to think about what I did. good catch there.

there's also a utility called Sleepless. (sorry, don't have the link on me, but I'm sure you can find on version tracker or google) the advantage to sleepless is that you can have it turn your notebook display off, while the external runs. other options too.

just caution:
your system will get REALLY hot running with the lid closed, so don't burn it out, or have a cooling system/elevated-airy stand for it to rest on while you do this, if it's for long periods of time.

[Zammy-Sam]

hmmmm, did I miss something? Isn't that a known thing for quite some time?

[quiksan]

hmmmm, did I miss something? Isn't that a known thing for quite some time?

sounds like the other way around - we were the ones missing something. :o

[Zammy-Sam]

hehe, I was just confused of Gia posting it. It's always a good thing for me to check her HOWTO adds. Guess I learned a lot after all my posts. ;)

[Viro]

Gia is a her?!?

[bobw]

She sure is :)

[Viro]

Oh dear..... I think I might have offended her in one of the Powerbook G5 threads :(

[bobw]

Not to worry, she's gentle. She won't hurt you too badly :(

[Viro]

This is what I said in this thread over here http://macosx.com/forums/showpost.php?p=326135&postcount=27

I thought she was a he :(:(:(:( Looks like apologies are in order. Sorry Giaguara.

[fryke]

Back on the topic of how _old_ this knowledge is: I never thought we'd need a howto on this because I _assumed_ it was in the manual. I've been using this feature since my PowerBook 180c that was built in 1993...

And on the topic of the thread: Does this work with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse? I don't have those to test it...

And on the topic of Giaguara being a woman... Those kind of mixups do happen, and I don't think anyone should get mad over it. :)

[Macsith]

Yes you can use this function with 'Apple BT keyboard & Mouse'. I have been using this cool feature for a while and I don't mined when ppl bring up useful features 'again' from time to time.

[Zammy-Sam]

Now, finally we have material for a good HOWTO thread on this topic: it even works with - at least - Apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
And Viro, check out the gallery. She posted a bunch of pics and knows how to deal with the camera.

[Giaguara]

Yes, I am a her. :D

I posted this howto as it was anyway asked quite often, and it happened to pass just above my eyes in kb ...

[alexandr]

everybody is talking about the POWERbook with its lid closed, the POWERbook with its blablabla... - does this mean this feature is not working on an iBook. i don't have an external keyboard, so i can't check, but if i knew it would work this way maybe i would consider getting one...

.alex

[Macsith]

The iBook does not support "lid closed" as the graphics card does not support it. I have have tested this and also my tech says the iBook will need to be open for heat reasons. Ok the PB heats as well but the iBook will over heat even more with the lid closed as per the design.

[Zammy-Sam]

did anyone try those hacks for the iBooks to do splitt screen? Maybe the lid-closed function would be enabled as well, huh? The current and some older iBooks have the same graphic cards like some older powerbooks which supported this lid-closed option. I believe it's just a software thing.. But yeah, heat could be an issue. The keyboard surface heats up a lot on my ibook, when the disk is working much.

[alexandr]

i'm currently running the split screen on my iBook, no problems whatsoever, actually it is working so good it is keeping me from getting an upgrade of some sort at the moment(pBook, pMac..)

alex

[Zammy-Sam]

so, why don't you test the lid-closed feature? Would love to know if it's working on those "unlocked" iBooks..

[Macsith]

Don't void your warrenty if you can help it...thats if it's still under warrenty.

[Zammy-Sam]

Too late, he already did. ;)
Now check the lid-closed feature, alexandr

[alexandr]

well.. as i already explained in a previous post on this very thread, i CANNOT test this because i have no external, usb nor bluetooth, keyboard.

so i will leave the testing to someone else.. ok?

alex.

[Zammy-Sam]

Ahhh, the young ppl in these days. Do we old ones really have to do all on our own. :) ;)
So, it IS possible to close the lid and work on external devices when the iBook has at least the hack/patch from Rutemoeller (http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html).
On iBooks it will also enable clamshell mode which was not available previously
Add: the clamshell mode is the lid-closed mode.
However, heat seems to be a big issue, so think twice before you try this..

[fryke]

Yes, I'd also add that - be it PowerBook or 'enabled' iBook - the second display is useful, so you don't need the screen closed, I guess... Better for the heat, better for the use...

[Browni]

This is a big thing for me, I am currently chousing my universty, and to that end what type of computer i will be taking with me, it's going to be a laptop, but what type? that will depend on what the universty is running, if i can run a pbook/ibook lidclosed (in a docking station?) this would be brillant :).

[Zammy-Sam]

than you should really pick a powerbook.

[MyZelF]

just caution:
your system will get REALLY hot running with the lid closed, so don't burn it out, or have a cooling system/elevated-airy stand for it to rest on while you do this, if it's for long periods of time.

Once the powerbook wakes up, using the external monitor, you can simply re-open the lid. The pb LCD remains powered off.

[fryke]

Yes, but why would you _want_ to do that? If you're going to open the second display, anyway, why not _use_ it as a secondary monitor? For example, you can keep windows you want to scan sometimes on that secondary display. Mail, download windows, system utilities... And work on the primary (i.e. the external) display. Shutting down the internal display and keeping it open doesn't make much sense, I believe.

[MyZelF]

Well, I use my 12" pb in this way while it's connected to my 18" LCD, which gives me enough inches for the applications I work with. I keep the lid open so the pb doesn't get warm and I keep the 12" panel powered off to preserve its backlight lamps.

[djbeta]

I would like to keep my powerbook running when the lid is closed (without needing to plug in a monitor or a keyboard!!)

This is because sometimes if I go into a lecture and would like to be able to check email via the powerbook's airport on my bluetooth palm t3. Our building is wired for 802.11 so I'd be able to check email on my handheld via the computer.

To those of you that say it will get too hot.. don't worry, I'll leave the processor in "reduced" mode and turn down the monitor all the way.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

I'm sure some sort of external input device is necessary to run the PowerBook in closed-lid mode, since entering into closed-lid mode involves putting the PowerBook to sleep, then waking it up via some external input device.

[H2OSX]

There are a couple programs, but the one i use is kisMac which is a wireless hot spot finder, which is still in beta i think, and it allows you to use the computer with the lid closed, but i have had some problems - i also think there was a thread like this a while back that you could check out

[fryke]

Not sure what you're talking about, but isn't a WiFi hotspot finder mainly usable when you're out and about, where you probably don't have an external display/keyboard/mouse around?

[lurk]

I think he may be talking about war driving or something of the sort.

[fryke]

Yes, I thought so, too. But whether it's about war-driving or just casually looking for wireless networks, it doesn't have _any_thing to do with closed-lid powerbooking as far as I can see. That's why I asked. ;)

[btoneill]

Actually it does have alot to do with closed laptop usage. By closing the laptop you are able to extend the battery life by a great deal, it's also easier to have a folded up laptop sitting in your car then one open and lit up, it's also much stealthier to walk around "war-walking" with the laptop closed while picking up hotspots. Since you normally will have a GPS connected at the time recording the exact locations that signals are found, you don't have to be looking at it. KisMAC does have an option in it's settings to disable sleep when you close the lid, but in 10.3 it only works for 5 minutes. In 10.2 it used to work for however long you wanted, but they changed the way powermanagement works in 10.3 and their tricks that the used previously no longer work. There are also some other apps that used the same code to do this trick as KisMAC did which were only used for keeping suspend when closed that also suffer from the 5 minutes problem.

Brian

[fryke]

Thanks for clearing that up. However I don't think KisMac solves the problem of the Tungsten T3 user... I guess that one should simply keep the lid open and screen dimmed, then...

[psycik]

Hey everyone. I am a recent MAC convert. Have been a PC user all my life, work in an IT department with a Windows domain, but I could not bring myself to buy another PC laptop, the quality just stinks.

This is exactly how I used my old Dell and what I want to do with my new 12" powerbook. I want to be able to have it plugged into my 19" LCD and use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and have the lid closed (the laptop just tucked away somewhere)

how bad are the heat issues? This doesnt' seem to get hot on the keyboard...so im a bit confused why lid closed operation causes so much heat. Anyone have a good work around or suggestion?

[ElDiabloConCaca]

The PowerBook you have will work just fine in the scenario you describe, and heat should not be an issue as long as you don't cover the computer with anything or block ventilation ports while using it with the lid closed.

The reason that closed-lid operation generates more heat (or appears to generate more heat -- the amount of heat generatedis the same as if you used it with the lid open) is that some (not all) of the PowerBook's heat venting is done through the keyboard. With the lid closed, this obviously blocks some of the heat ventilation through the keyboard, but it's safe to operate in this mode with the PowerBooks. The iBooks should not be used like this.

[frankie g]

greetings, everyone. my name is frankie, and i just got my first mac... i've had PC's since i was a little kid, but decided to get a powerbook 12" (g4 superdrive 1.33ghz) to build my first wearable computer. i'm using an eyetop display (see eyetop.net), and have a frogpad one-handed keyboard in the mail... for the time being i'm using an iSight as my camera (head-mounted). yeah, i guess that makes me a little strange. anyways...

i just tried the method that was mentioned here, but unfortunately it only works when the machine is plugged in!

of the "solutions" out there, there's NoSleep (http://macupdate.com/info.php/id/12211) -- which doesn't work because it can't download a patch?... then there's insomnia (http://binaervarianz.de/projekte/programmieren/meltmac) -- a kernel patch which only works for four minutes under panther, till ApplePMU (power management) kicks in and shuts down the computer. i'm using this for capturing video, and the computer just shuts off after 4 minutes, without closing the file it's writing to, resulting in quicktime not even being able to open the file when i reboot... someone made an interface for insomnia called sleepless (http://www.alxsoft.com/mac/sleepless.html) which doesn't work either. the insomnia project page says that the ApplePMU problem is specific to 10.3 -- so maybe i should just downgrade to 10.2? does anyone know if that works?

one more solution (http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2003021813152137) involving blocking the magnetic connection made by the lid and the magnet sensor that's located directly under the right arrow key (on 12" powerbooks)</a>.... the author of this says: <i>
On my 12" aluminum PowerBook, the sensor is on the right palmrest under the right arrow key, and there is a magnet on the lid in the corresponding position. Take a thin flat piece of steel, say 1" by 0.5" (a big paperclip works for me) and stick it to the magnet on the lid, then close the lid. The metal blocks the magnetism, and the PowerBook will not sleep!</i> sounds good to me, but i haven't been able to reproduce this yet. i'm thinking about getting some sort of magnetic shielding material that's thin, but haven't come across anything yet - and it hardly seems this could be the best solution.

as you can see by the volumes i just wrote on this, i'm going nuts trying to figure this out! so any help would be appreciated... very much so!

thanks.

...frankie g (2 days deep in mac os x and lovin' it)

[Viro]

10.2 most probably won't even boot your new Powerbook so I think you're stuck with 10.3. What you're doing sounds cool though, sorry I can't help much more.

[frankie g]

damn! i guess i'll either have to find some way to keep the laptop open at about 10 degrees or so while it's in my backpack (sounds at least as dangerous as keeping it shut!), or figure out how to block the magnet... the solution suggested (block it with a piece of metal) doesn't make sense to me, since anything you stick to a magnet joins the magnetic field and acts as a magnet as well (at least that's what we learned in first grade?... haha)

once again, any help would be appreciated -- and thanks to whoever changed my post to include proper links - i didn't realize you coudln't use html till after it was too late.

...frankie g (still loving his mac, even though it won't behave how he wants it to)

[frankie g]

good news! the magnet blocking method works like a charm...

here's the page that explains how to do it in a manner that actually works! (http://home.earthlink.net/~mrob/pub/ibook.html)

i'm typing this message with the lid closed via a bluetooth one handed keyboard and a USB mouse, using my eyetop (http://www.eyetop.net) as a heads-up display. if you were on my iChat client i could let you see what i'm seeing right now :)

any other mac cyborgs out there? drop me a line.

[azraq27]

To all those wondering about the bluetooth keyboard issue:

I know people previously mentioned the bluetooth keyboard can wake the powerbook, but when I was looking into it on other sites, there was some confusion. Different people I talked to at the Apple store even told me it worked or didn't work. So, now that I have my configuration set up, I wanted to set the record straight.

The bluetooth keyboard/mouse can wake the computer fine (plugging in/removing any USB device will also wake it). This assumes, of course, you follow the procedure correctly (plugged into AC and monitor). To get it to work you need to check "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer" in the Bluetooth preferences. This option is only available with the builtin bluetooth module, or the Apple supported DLink USB module. If you have a supported device and the option is still grayed (as it was on my 1yr old 12" PowerBook), you probably need to update the firmware. I believe the internal bluetooth needs to be at least 1.1 (current version is 1.2).

Now that I have it set up, works perfect for me. The fan blows straight out the back, so I haven't ran into any heating issues. The only reason I could see for jury-rigging another kind of setup would be if you needed to run it without AC, for some reason.

btw: Bluetooth is awesome. Highly recommended

[x2fer]

I've got a friend who managed to do something to his PowerBook (Al, 12 inch, 1.33GHz) screen, so that about a third of it is unreadable -- and it'll cost $1000 to repair. I'm thinking of taking the computer off his hands for a few hundred dollars, if I can use it screenless as a pseudo-mini.

It sounds like in normal operation, I can easily run it using an external monitor, but what about in unusual cases, such as if I want to boot off a DiskWarrior CD to repair the disk, or boot off the Tiger installation CD when it arrives? Or even if I restart or shut the computer down and start up again? Will the PowerBook automatically use the second monitor if it's connected and the lid is closed, or will it insist on using the internal monitor first, until I put it to sleep and go through the lid-closed process?

[alexandr]

This seems to be asked quite often, so from kb ..

How to use your Powerbook lid closed.

1. Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to your computer.

2. Close the computer's display to put the computer to sleep.

3. Connect the Apple VGA adapter that came with your computer to the VGA port on the external monitor or projector.

4. Connect the other end of the Apple VGA adapter to the video output port on the PowerBook G4 (12-inch) and PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI) computer. (Or relative to other sizes of Powerbooks.)

5. Wait a few seconds and then press any key on the external keyboard to wake the computer.

Should be working now. :)


is this actually a feature of the pb's, or just something you can do anyway?? will it void any guarantee, say if it overheats and damages the screen for instance...?

alex.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

It's a feature.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86286

[alexandr]

thanks :)

[Mac_Freak]

It's a feature.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86286
Yes it is, it is also shown how to use it in a PowerBook's handbook. Obviously, most of you haven't even opened it. :D

[Johnny Blaze]

When I run my 17" powerbook with display on and my external 20" cinema display on also, the temp of the cpu runs consistently at about 116 degrees farenheit, with the occasional 119 degree spike. When I close the powerbook and continue using my external display, cpu temp is consistently around 99 degrees fahrenheit. So this pretty much proves heat not being an issue in my opinion.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

So this pretty much proves heat not being an issue in my opinion.
With the PowerBooks, yes... with the iBooks, no.