The dual monito gospel

So, a while back, when I had an absolute HEAP of a computer (pentium 1, 233 mHz) I bought a cheap graphics card (1 vga output, 8 mb onboard cache) to bump up the display to something a little better than 1024x768 and 16 bit color. Seeing as how I was running windows 98, and the computer was scarecely better than useless (depsite running ps 5.0 rather well) the installation ended in a headache, and no increase in resolution. I took the card out in order to get my monitor to display anything, stuck it back in a box, and left it on a shelf.

Well, earlier tonight, I was at a friends house, and he had an old monitor of mine that I had given him when he had a really crappy one, and I didn't eve have a computer. He just got a new computer, and his old system (incl. my old monitor) was sitting unused. He, having no use for it gave me the whole set up.

The computer is almost utterly useless (older than my previous one) but the monitor was not the worst one to be had.

So, I decided to try something.

My computer case was already open from some tinkering that I had dome the other week (yeah, I'm that lazy) and so I dusted off the new, but never used graphics card, and put it in. I turned the computer back on, and clicked blindly for my startup icon, and after punching in my password, still blind, XP did it's thing, and I had the card installed.

Now for the test drive.

I got the monitor from the other room, plugged it in, and...

Nothing

I looked at the settings, and a second later found the 'extend my windows desktop onto this montor' toggle.

Voila.
Dual monitors for about 15 dollars (I got the old monitor for free)

So, it's not the best set up, as far as duals go, but it's nice to alleviate some of the clutter on my desktop. The second one is for textey stuff. Trillian, Firefox, stickies, etc. The main one will be reserved for whatever I'm working on at that moment, be it a school paper, or photoshop.

It's not revolutionary, just cool.

But just thought I'd share, because it seems that the general concensus it that you need an expensive graphics card to run dual monitors. That's true if you need really primo rendering on both screens. On my secondary, however, I do not. And my onboard video is more than sufficient for my primary.

So, for probably under 20 dollars (assuming you have an old monitor lying around) you can have dual monitors too.

Ok, I've been messing with it for a while, and it's a little wonky, granted, but it's better than, y'know, one monitor.

The biggest problems come from full screen functions, like the visualizer in iTunes. That really kinda kills evreything, but I don't really use that, well...ever.

Fact remains, it's pretty sweet considering the price.

Yep. I use this with my laptop. It makes it really nice because I can have PS running on one screen and a Tutorial or a reference picture on the other monitor. The benefit of my situation is that it cost me nothing as I already had the monitor and did not need to install a separate video card.

E

I got a free 17" CRT the other day which is identicle to the monitor I have now... I just had to buy an adaptor since I have a VGA port and a DVI port to make it 2 VGA's... I'll be runnin when it gets here tommorow.

I got my Sony WEGA 24" for free, and that acts as the second monitor. :] The video card was free too ... so an awesome dual monitor set-up for a whopping 0 yen.

lol.. I got 4 monitors. its so awesome. a Radeon 9600XT 256mb Running dual 19'' CRT Monitors.. and a Radeon 7000 "Evil Wizard" PCI Card running a 17'' LCD Monitor and a 15'' CRT Monitor..

i want more.. lol this is so awesome... Game running on #1, Browser on #2, Messenger and stuff on #3, and Winamp on the 15''.

lol...

Dang. My next attempt will be to hook up a tv somewhere into the setup. I have a graphics card with a tv out, but no drivers for it.

I think if I ever got to the point that I was running 4 monitors I would have to purchase a flat plasma screen just for my PC> That would take up way too much space. Reminds me of the setup that guy was working with on the movie Swordfish.

E

http://www.chrisheninger.com/setup.jpg

I like it... enough workspace for me that I won't ever need more.

Damn, I gotta get a digital camera and show you guys my room. Every message board I go to (incl. here) always has pictures of peoples workspace being all clean and tidy.

Mine, um...

isn't.