Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
If your external display is a high-def TV, it most likely comes with an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia In-
terface) connector. To connect MacBook Air to an external display that only offers an HDMI connector, you
need to get a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. As of this writing, Apple doesn't offer such an adapter, but
some third-party companies do, such as the adapter made by Moshi (
http://store.moshi monde.com
), shown in
Figure 1.10 (which is also available through the Apple Store).
1.10
Use the Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter to connect your MacBook Air to an external display's HDMI port.
Setting the external display mode
The hard part about using an external display is getting the correct cables and adapters and ensuring they fit into
the appropriate connectors, particularly on the display. However, once that is set, the rest is a breeze. As soon as
you connect the external display and turn it on, MacBook Air recognizes it and starts using it. That's more like
it!
How you use the external display depends on what you want to do with it. MacBook Air gives you two choices:
Video mirroring.
This external display mode means that the same image that appears on the MacBook Air's
main or built-in display also appears on the external display. This is useful if you want to use a larger monitor to
work with MacBook Air or if you want to show MacBook Air's desktop on a projector so that other people can
see it.
Extended desktop mode.
This mode means that MacBook Air's desktop is extended onto the external dis-
play. This is useful if you need more screen real estate to display your programs. For example, you can have
your main application open on one display and an application that you're monitoring — such as Mail, iChat, or
Safari — on the other display.
To switch between these external display modes, follow these steps:
1. Click System Preferences in the Dock.
The System Preferences window appears.
2. Click the Displays icon.
The display preferences appear, and you see one set of preferences for each
screen.
