Monitors: the More the Merrier!

While I'd really love an Apple Cinema 30" flat panel HD display (that delivers an amazing 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution), I'm afraid I'd shoot my eye out. Or at the very least, the $1800 price tag would put too big a dent in my pocketbook.

But I might be able to afford a second monitor. And as you probably know by now, next to sufficient hard drive and RAM, the next best thing is lots of desktop space.

Hooking up a separate monitor to your laptop is extremely simple: boot your laptop, plug in the new monitor, and then right click on an empty space on your desktop. From the popup menu, select Properties, then the Settings tab. The default display will be a repeat of your desktop on the second monitor. To use your second monitor as an extension of your desktop, simply drag and drop the second monitor into its appropriate position (imitating the position on your actual desk is usually preferable). You will check the box that says "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." Click Apply or OK, and you're all set.

The only potential tricky part is that at least for me (I've got a Toshiba Satellite laptop), my computer has to be running before I attach the second monitor. If it is not configured, and I boot the computer with the second monitor plugged in, it will simply not treat the second monitor as an extension of my desktop, no matter how I approach the configuration.

If your object is to add a second monitor to a desktop computer, there are a few more things to ascertain before you get started. I am presuming for this article that you're running Windows XP or Vista - that makes the job infinitely easier.

Next, you will need to be sure your graphics card will support multiple monitors. The setup can be done with two graphics cards, one for each monitor, but again, that makes the job more difficult. Most video cards manufactured in the last 3-4 years will typically have two physical connectors - but if one of them has a graphics adapter that is built into your system's motherboard, it may or may not handle more than one display. You may want to consult your computer's manual to find out what kind of graphics adapter you have. (You might try running Belarc Advisor if you can't find your system info anywhere else.)

If you've determined that your system will support two monitors, simply plug the second one in, and it should be auto-detected. Once detected, Windows will take you through the seteup process. If the autodetect message doesn't assure you that all is well, go into the display control panel or graphics driver to manually connect.

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