# Dual monitor setup?



## fredtgreco (Nov 25, 2008)

If I am running a laptop with Vista, how can I most easily set up *two* external monitors? Do I need some sort of splitting cable? My laptop has a VGA port and an S-Video port. Can I simply run one connection from one and one from the other?


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## VictorBravo (Nov 25, 2008)

fredtgreco said:


> If I am running a laptop with Vista, how can I most easily set up *two* external monitors? Do I need some sort of splitting cable? My laptop has a VGA port and an S-Video port. Can I simply run one connection from one and one from the other?



I think so. 

Reader Question: Dual Monitors on a Laptop - Windows Vista help

I've been looking into that as well.


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 25, 2008)

Probably a dumb question but why two monitors? Would a very large flat screen serve the same purposes or are there different uses?


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## fredtgreco (Nov 25, 2008)

Not a dumb question at all. The answer is easy: because I have a spare LCD monitor, and was trying to use it. And I don't think my wife would let me drop $300 on a new huge monitor!


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 25, 2008)

fredtgreco said:


> Not a dumb question at all. The answer is easy: because I have a spare LCD monitor, and was trying to use it. And I don't think my wife would let me drop $300 on a new huge monitor!


 
-----Added 11/25/2008 at 10:06:52 EST-----
So do the two monitors act as one under Vista or how do you get different portions open on one not on the other and vice versa?


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## VictorBravo (Nov 25, 2008)

NaphtaliPress said:


> fredtgreco said:
> 
> 
> > Not a dumb question at all. The answer is easy: because I have a spare LCD monitor, and was trying to use it. And I don't think my wife would let me drop $300 on a new huge monitor!
> ...



I used two 17" monitors back in the Windows 98 days. You could set it up as if it were one big screen, with little windows placed wherever you wanted. It was great for things like having a document you were working on in one window, research or notes in another. Easy to copy and paste from one to another.


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## NaphtaliPress (Nov 25, 2008)

Okay that application I get. I have done a bit of transcribing in my day!


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## Augusta (Nov 25, 2008)

We use two on my husbands main office computer. It's pretty cool and you find it's really nice to have two full sized pages up.   We are using a splitter cable.


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## fredtgreco (Nov 25, 2008)

In theory you should be able to "extend" your desktop onto the second monitor. But I could not get the SVideo connection to play nice.
-----Added 11/25/2008 at 10:25:59 EST-----


Augusta said:


> We use two on my husbands main office computer. It's pretty cool and you find it's really nice to have two full sized pages up.   We are using a splitter cable.



That may be my solution in the end. I don't know, we'll see.

I may just wait until we get in our building in March and set up my desk around two monitors.


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