You will need an external (wired or wireless) keyboard and mouse though (since your Mac will be closed). Introduced way, way back with the PowerBook G4, Closed Clamshell Mode lets you use your portable Mac whilst it’s closed. What if you want the benefit of an external display but don’t want to have two displays? Apple’s portable Macs include a function called Closed Clamshell Mode. I’ve seen users base their decision for purchasing an iMac simply because the display was bigger without realising portable Macs have the ability to use an external display.įor some users, the thought of two displays side by side can be a little overwhelming - or unnecessary. Having a second display allows you to make use of a lot more pixels… Using a second display, you can have the preview on the smaller display and have the iMovie project on the larger display.

For example, iMovie on a single display tries to show the movie timeline, preview and Events viewer all on the same window, with the preview squeezed into the top-right corner. In addition to being able to have more open on your screen at once, apps such as Aperture or iMovie have some great features that take advantage of a second display. In addition, I use a stand for my MacBook Air so I also have the benefit of an 11” display that I have Mail or Safari open in at all times.Īn external display can give you more room to work It supports a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 which means I can happily work all day at my desk with my MacBook Air effectively becoming a desktop Mac with a 24” display. I also have a 24” display attached to the MacBook Air. However, I’m a freelance web designer and working on an 11” MacBook Air is not only difficult, it’s counter-productive. I love it to bits and it’s honestly the best Mac I’ve ever owned. To best explain how a second display can aid your workflow, I’ll briefly describe my set up. Having a second display allows you to make use of many more pixels. If you often find yourself ⌘-Tabbing between apps on your Mac or you’ve ever attempted to use an app such as Xcode on an 11” Macbook Air then you may benefit from some additional screen real estate. You can use an external display on any portable Mac and iMac but so many different display types, connectors, sizes, how do you know what type of display to go for? In this guide we’ll explore how you can find your perfect second (or third) display. Apple sells more portable Macs than desktops - but that’s a lot of Macs with a display of 15” or less.

Imac 27 late 2013 external display