Extending Desktop on Mac

[leevis]

Hi
I currently own a 27" iMac which is a bit dated, has the thunderbird port. I am currently looking at getting a bigger desk and was thinking of getting a normal HDMI monitor of equivalent size an want to extend the desktop onto this new one, I am assuming that there is a thunderbird to HDMI cable I can get to make this work.

However, I would like to use the new monitor as a gaming monitor also (connect up either an xbox or a playstation) and use this for gaming when I want and then to extend the desktop when I want.

Is this possible? I know that you can get HDMI switches but not too sure which one to get or whether it would actually work?

Anyone done this before?

 

[Tigercubrider]

Just get a monitor with two hdmi ins, or a switch.
Go to the system prefs, displays, and unclick mirror.
You will get an image with one bar on it, one without.
swap them about until the on screen image represents the physical desktop.

I do this all the time

 

[leevis]

Awesome, who makes decent cdmi switches? or are they all as good as each other?

 

[Mr Chibs]

I may be wrong but there some iMac’s that could drive two monitors, even though you can connect via thunderbolt.

Apple make a thunderbolt to HDMI connector, this may do they physical bit.

Maybe check in the apple discussions forum before you have a spend.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Awesome, who makes decent cdmi switches? or are they all as good as each other?

any cheap amazon would do
or buy a monitor with 2 HDMIs and select on the monitor