Anyone lknow if a "fruit" iMac will drive a 1680 x 1050 monitor?

[olnacl]

I have a Graphite 700 MHz G3 iMac and I'm considering a 1680 x 1050 LCD monitor. Does anyone know from experience if the iMac is capable of driving that resolution, or if it will work at all?

[mikebw]

I doubt it, but perhaps with a 3rd party utility you could setup a custom resolution ...

[Jem]

The utility used to allow this, does NOT seem to support CRT iMacs.

Sorry.

http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/supportlist_e.html

[olnacl]

Thanks for that.
The iMac will drive a 19" LCD (I don't recall if it was at 1024x768 or at the native 1280x1024 for the monitor) I was hoping at the minimum, it might even "reverse letterbox" giving me black bars on either side like watching a 4x3 format TV program on a wide screen on the 22" 16x10.
I guess it's not critical to my decision to buy a WS vs conventional format, but it is nice to have the larger screen on those occasions when I use the iMac. - i'm replacing a 19" square LCD monitor with just a single input with the new monitor with dual inputs so I can use it with 2 CPUs (at different times)..

[Jem]

It should "mirror" on the LCD whatever is on the built-in CRT which has a maximum resolution of 1024x768.

Most 19" LCDs have a higher native resolution than the iMac, but should display it fine (though anti-aliased.)

You might have better luck finding a 17"LCD with the same native res as the iMac CRT.

G'Luck!

[olnacl]

[quote Jem]It should "mirror" on the LCD whatever is on the built-in CRT which has a maximum resolution of 1024x768.

Most 19" LCDs have a higher native resolution than the iMac, but should display it fine (though anti-aliased.)

You might have better luck finding a 17"LCD with the same native res as the iMac CRT.

G'Luck!
Again, thanks for the input, but using the iMac with the monitor is tertiary. My plan it to use the 16x10 monitor as a secondary monitor for my G5, when I don't want/need to use the 37" main monitor. Having the VGA connector attached to the iMac gives me an option to use that computer with a more visible monitor on occasions (such as burning a movie project to DVD) when I don't want to disturb the G5 or even start it if it's off.

So given your last statement about mirroring, I wonder if it will just give me a 4x3 aspect screen centered on the 16x10 format monitor?

[Jem]

[quote olnacl]So given your last statement about mirroring, I wonder if it will just give me a 4x3 aspect screen centered on the 16x10 format monitor?
I think that would depend on the features of the LCD display, and whether it has the options to display a 1024X768 as normal aspect OR as stretched to fill the widescreen display... as can be done on Mac laptops.

Either way, the iMac can only send a 75Hz 1024x768 signal... so what the LCD does with it would be the big question.

[olnacl]

[quote Jem]Either way, the iMac can only send a 75Hz 1024x768 signal... so what the LCD does with it would be the big question.
That's good info - about it sending only a 1024x768 signal @ 75 Hz - so that's max resolution of the video on the iMac. And so I wonder: will this work in some way, shape or form? Hoping for an answer from someone who's actually tried it... Hate to spend a couple hundred dollars plus, if all I get is a blank screen when I connect it. I can live with 1024x768 as long as it's viewable. Of course, stretched wouldn't be optimal.

[Harbourmaster]

SwitchResX might be able to do this!

On my G3600 iMac it does not list 1680x1050 as one of the supported resolutions (because of course I don't have a display connected that uses that res and the built in screen wont handle it) but it will let me create a custom profile with those settings for an external display.

Download it and try it for yourself!

http://www.switchres.info/

FWIW I was able to change the resolution on the built in monitor to 1280 x 1024 which is NOT a supported resolution using the Apple software!

[olnacl]

[quote Harbourmaster]SwitchResX might be able to do this!

On my G3600 iMac it does not list 1680x1050 as one of the supported resolutions (because of course I don't have a display connected that uses that res and the built in screen wont handle it) but it will let me create a custom profile with those settings for an external display.

Download it and try it for yourself!

http://www.switchres.info/

FWIW I was able to change the resolution on the built in monitor to 1280 x 1024 which is NOT a supported resolution using the Apple software!
It occurs to me that I can try the software you suggested on my 37" monitor and see if I get anything at all before I spring for the 22" I'm considering. You see, it's an involved scenario where I'll replace a 19" rectangular LCD monitor (that works fine with the iMac) with a 22 (considering the BenQ FP222WH 22in Widescreen LCD Monitor - comments on that choice are welcome) and recycle the 19 to a friend who's fed up with a big hot 19" CRT. I don't want to get the 22 unless it works with the iMac - preferably not stretched although I suppose I could live with that.