It’s not done like it was done pre-Covid.
First do this:
Download and install the DisplayLink App (for Mac, see more below) (for Windows) on your laptop and run it at least once on your laptop before using it in any classroom. You only need to do this download and install process once, not every time you go to a classroom.
Windows:
- Once the download is complete, install the software (.exe file)
- Find the DisplayLink app in your computer and launch it once.
Mac:
- The most obvious "Download" button will only download software for Big Sur OS 11.0 and Catalina OS 10.15. If you don't have one of these OS installed, click on "Legacy Releases" to find the right Download. What OS do I have?
- If you're on Big Sur or Catalina, do this:
- Once the download is complete, as you install it you may be prompted to allow the app to run via System Preferences > Security, and you may also be prompted to restart the computer. Once installed/restarted, find the DisplayLink app in the Application folder and launch it. You will now see two interlinked squares in the menu bar. Click that and check the box for "Launch app automatically after login." You're done!
- If you're on and earlier Mac OS than 10.14, do this:
- Once the download is complete, go through the steps to install the driver, then restart your computer. Once restarted, plug the classroom's blue-marked USB cable into your laptop as described below ("And then") and look for your screen to be projected or shown on the secondary Acer monitor. You may need to press the "Help" button on the classroom's touch screen control panel (if your classroom has one). If you have further issues displaying from a Mac with a legacy OS, please contact us.
- Once the download is complete, go through the steps to install the driver, then restart your computer. Once restarted, plug the classroom's blue-marked USB cable into your laptop as described below ("And then") and look for your screen to be projected or shown on the secondary Acer monitor. You may need to press the "Help" button on the classroom's touch screen control panel (if your classroom has one). If you have further issues displaying from a Mac with a legacy OS, please contact us.
And then:
Unplug the classroom computer’s USB cable (marked in a blue color), then plug it into a USB port on your laptop.* Yes, that's right-- unplug it from the classroom computer, this is ok. When you've finished this process, your laptop should look like this (although you may have a power cord plugged in as well):
If your classroom has no classroom computer-- if it has a Meeting OWL (in a hyflex teaching scenario or online synchronous scenario), plug your laptop into it using the provided cable, OR if your classroom only has a wall-mounted display, plug into the HDMI cable that is there.
Your laptop's USB port type
The type of USB port to use on your laptop varies according to your computer type. They can look like this:
USB-C (found especially on recent Apple laptops). Note the oval shape of the port:
A USB to USB-C adapter is tethered to the cable should you need it.
USB-SS-- also known as USB 3.0, and pictured below on the right. USB-SS ports are sometimes blue. Found on many Dell and other Windows laptops)
Note that if you have blue AND black USB ports, you always want to use the blue USB-SS ports to connect to the classroom technology. The black, non USB-C ports may be used for thumb drives, hard drives, and other types of USB devices.
* Your laptop’s port needs to be USB 3.0 compatible. Most Whitman-issued laptops are compatible. If you want to know for sure, google “[your computer name (e.g. Macbook Air)] compatible with USB 3?” OR contact us.