Can I share a PC screen with a Mac?
March 16, 2020 3:37 AM Subscribe
Can I set-up two monitors at home with my work laptop (PC) and my home computer (iMac)?
I am new to the world of full-time telework. With coronavirus, my earliest return date is early May. I expect it may be extended. At work I have two screens (my work laptop - lenovo ThinkPad) and an external monitor. Due to my vision level (even with glasses), it helps me a lot.
At home we only have an older iMac. It's a big screen though. Is it possible for me to use that as a monitor somehow? I can only fully use VPN on my work laptop. I have a portal for email, etc. access on any computer, so eventually I could switch to that and just send myself documents from my work computer if necessary. I am trying to avoid that option if possible.
One more note - my work requires an IT administrator to install software on my work computer. I would imagine the likelihood of that is LOW. I will also reach out to them but they are currently slammed with telework problems and are a small staff for 1000 people.
As I have noted in previous asks, I have some level of tech brain but am not familiar with fancy terms/etc. Thank you very much. And take care, all!
I am new to the world of full-time telework. With coronavirus, my earliest return date is early May. I expect it may be extended. At work I have two screens (my work laptop - lenovo ThinkPad) and an external monitor. Due to my vision level (even with glasses), it helps me a lot.
At home we only have an older iMac. It's a big screen though. Is it possible for me to use that as a monitor somehow? I can only fully use VPN on my work laptop. I have a portal for email, etc. access on any computer, so eventually I could switch to that and just send myself documents from my work computer if necessary. I am trying to avoid that option if possible.
One more note - my work requires an IT administrator to install software on my work computer. I would imagine the likelihood of that is LOW. I will also reach out to them but they are currently slammed with telework problems and are a small staff for 1000 people.
As I have noted in previous asks, I have some level of tech brain but am not familiar with fancy terms/etc. Thank you very much. And take care, all!
Many iMacs can be used in Target Display Mode, which essentially lets you use it as a big external monitor. I believe it will work with PCs, too. You’ll need to buy the right cable, since it’s probably not one that you will have on-hand.
posted by vitout at 4:00 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by vitout at 4:00 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
Is there any chance that you can go back in to work one last time and just snag your monitor from your cube?
It may also be possible to ask on your neighborhood listserv/Facebook group/nextdoor if someone has a monitor knocking around that you could use. For example, I am sitting next to a perfectly serviceable HD monitor that I pulled out of the ewaste bin at work some years ago that I would be happy to wipe down and put in my porch for a neighbor to use.
Another option to consider is that you probably do own a very large monitor, or several, also known as your television. You should be able to connect your laptop with HDMI directly or potentially with an adapter.
posted by rockindata at 4:08 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
It may also be possible to ask on your neighborhood listserv/Facebook group/nextdoor if someone has a monitor knocking around that you could use. For example, I am sitting next to a perfectly serviceable HD monitor that I pulled out of the ewaste bin at work some years ago that I would be happy to wipe down and put in my porch for a neighbor to use.
Another option to consider is that you probably do own a very large monitor, or several, also known as your television. You should be able to connect your laptop with HDMI directly or potentially with an adapter.
posted by rockindata at 4:08 AM on March 16, 2020 [2 favorites]
Check out CoRD: Remote Desktop for Mac OS X. And How to enable Remote Desktop on Windows 10 • Pureinfotech. Or anything Google with "RDP Mac client" and "Enable RDP Windows". I don't know diddly about Windows/Mac specifics other than RDP is the magic word that will let you control your laptop from the mac *or* your mac from the laptop.
posted by zengargoyle at 4:11 AM on March 16, 2020
posted by zengargoyle at 4:11 AM on March 16, 2020
Get started with the macOS client | Microsoft Docs straight from the horses mouth.
posted by zengargoyle at 4:18 AM on March 16, 2020
posted by zengargoyle at 4:18 AM on March 16, 2020
Don’t use CoRD or any other third-party RDP app for the Mac. CoRD in particular is hopelessly out of date.
If you’re going to use RDP, use the official Microsoft Remote Desktop app, which you can get from the App Store. It’s a great app, and in full-screen mode supports Spaces, where you can switch screens back and forth with your Mac.
I still think that my earlier suggestion to use Target Display Mode, if available, is the best option for you, because then you’ll be able to use both your PC’s screen and your Mac’s screen at the same time. If you RDP into your PC from your Mac, it will close off access to your PC’s local session.
posted by vitout at 4:51 AM on March 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
If you’re going to use RDP, use the official Microsoft Remote Desktop app, which you can get from the App Store. It’s a great app, and in full-screen mode supports Spaces, where you can switch screens back and forth with your Mac.
I still think that my earlier suggestion to use Target Display Mode, if available, is the best option for you, because then you’ll be able to use both your PC’s screen and your Mac’s screen at the same time. If you RDP into your PC from your Mac, it will close off access to your PC’s local session.
posted by vitout at 4:51 AM on March 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
Suppliers are still shipping. You can get an Acer 24" monitor for @ 100US, shipped, and I didn't shop hard. It's adaptive equipment that your work should reimburse. The other options sound so fiddly and unsatisfactory.
posted by theora55 at 6:21 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 6:21 AM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just how old is your old iMac? When I was in grad school, I was able to use a 2010-era iMac as an external display using "target display mode." Looks like this was supported on iMacs from 2009-2014, but not on anything marketed as "retina."
The way it worked for me is that I connected my laptop's video output to a specific Mini DisplayPort connector on the iMac, then pressed a key combination on the iMac (cmd+F2?). My laptop was a Mac but Mini-DisplayPort is a common standard so I don't know why it wouldn't work if your iMac is one of the compatible models. You'd just need a cable to connect whatever output your laptop has to Mini DisplayPort.
posted by Alterscape at 7:04 AM on March 16, 2020
The way it worked for me is that I connected my laptop's video output to a specific Mini DisplayPort connector on the iMac, then pressed a key combination on the iMac (cmd+F2?). My laptop was a Mac but Mini-DisplayPort is a common standard so I don't know why it wouldn't work if your iMac is one of the compatible models. You'd just need a cable to connect whatever output your laptop has to Mini DisplayPort.
posted by Alterscape at 7:04 AM on March 16, 2020
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There may be better solutions where you can just plug your laptop into the Mac and use the monitor like you would at work.... That I don't know. You totally *can* make it so that your laptop's Desktop is just another window on your ginourmous Mac screen.
posted by zengargoyle at 3:52 AM on March 16, 2020