--- Forwarded Message from "Dente, Ed" <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: "Dente, Ed" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'"     <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #7388.8 Laptops that don't project? (!)
>Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 14:46:43 -0500

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> I've had several laptops that project everything and anything 
> EXCEPT video, 
> and they've all been SONY laptops (typically VAIOs).  The 
> general consensus 
> is that the video card in Sony products won't allow for projection on 
> multiple monitors.  So you can watch on your laptop, but if 
> you try to 
> switch to an external monitor, you'll only get audio & a lovely black 
> rectangle where the video clip should be.  I've heard a 
> suggestion that this 
> is intentional on Sony's part, since they're so connected to the film 
> industry & want to prevent any inappropriate use of their 
> products.  Don't 
> know if that part is true or not, 

Interesting theory, but this is certainly not the case. They are two
different divisions, and the computer division would not do anything on
purpose to put itself at a competitive disadvantage. Assuming Sony is a
public company, the stockholders would have the division head hung. The only
company I know that does that sort of shooting itself in its own foot is
Microsoft.
I've watched this thread with some interest because over the past year we've
had similar problems with new Dells on our projectors -- and the projectors
are all different.
It's curious that different campuses (all right, campi) have projection
problems with different computer makes. THAT'S interesting. Anyway, we
thought we'd have to swap out chip sets on our Dells - if we could do so -
but realized after a time that coordinating resolution settings with the
native resolution of the projectors provided the best solution. Now that
most of our computers are set to 1024 and all of our projectors have a
native 1024 resolution, there's little problem anymore. Except when 1.)we
forget to hit the monitor key and F key on the laptop and 2.)  we forget to
take the lens cap off the projector.
Cheers,
Ed Dente

"If you want results, press the red button.
The rest are useless."
              -Homer Simpson
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