I have an IBM flat panel (IBM ThinkVision L180p - flat panel display - TFT - 18.1" 9180-HB9 ) connected with my T40 with regular video cable..

My question is how do I get the video display on the monitor as good as the crisp display on the T40? It seems like text is much crisper on the T40 than the monitor. I have a DVI cable, but apparently my T40's video card does not support DVI.

Thanks for the help.

You need either a Port Replicator II or a Mini Dock. They have DVI pass-through port.

Regards,
G-Man

I guess my original question is: should I expect to have the same clarifty on my IBM flat panel as I do on my IBM TP screen?

Yes, however there are caveats:

1. You need to run the T40 at the same resolution as the native resolution of the external LCD, which in the case of the L180p is 1280x1024.

2. As G-man says, you'll get better clarity with the DVI (digital) interface than with analog. The T40 has only an analog VGA connector at the back. In order to get DVI, you need either a Port Replicator II or a Mini Dock, both of which have an external DVI connector.

3. Assuming you're running WinXP, you may also want to experiment with ClearType. Some people (e.g. me) find it makes a big improvement, however others find it objectionable.

thanks for the help

i switched to cleartype fonts and i think i like the difference so far. i will see how it looks tomorrow on my monitor. i tried to change the resolution on my tp to 1280 X 1024 but did not get the results I anticipated. The resulting desktop is too big for the TP to display all at once. i had to go to properties-settings-advanced-monitor tab then uncheck "hide modes this monitor cannot display correctly" i have the ati radeo 7500 video card, which i think is a 32 mb video card.

just letting you know my experiences right awat. let's see how it looks tomorrow. i wouldn't want to have to switch the resolution to 1280X1024 every morning in order for things to appear correctly!

thanks again

If your ThinkPad's LCD is XGA (1024 x 768) and the external LCD is SXGA, you can specify each to run at a different resolution. This should yield the best possible results.