[dba-Tech] New Flat panel display

Dan Waters dwaters at usinternet.com
Wed Nov 7 12:14:05 CST 2007


Ah Ha!  You are using your laptop screen and another screen as a
dual-monitor display.  

I tried to do this with my laptop, but I couldn't find anything that would
work out.  Rats.  Then I found an adaptor called Matrox DualHead2Go that
would allow me to split my video signal into two for true multi-monitor use,
but with further research found that the adaptor didn't support my 'older'
laptop.  Rats again.  So I bought a 20" Viewsonic widescreen which I've been
using as a single monitor (no laptop monitor usage) for about a year, and
I'm pretty happy with it.  

(Note: about 2 weeks ago Matrox sent me an email which said that they had
now certified my laptop for their adaptor - Rats one more time!)

But now, I've finished assembling a new desktop PC (details for another
day), and I want a dual or triple monitor setup using 4:3 ratio 20" or 21"
monitors with 1600 X 1200 resolutions.

Take a look at this page: it's probably close to what you want.  It sure
looks nice!  http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/dh2go/home.php

But be sure to check for your laptop's compatibility.

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 11:46 AM
To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] New Flat panel display

Dan,

I am currently testing the concept with my laptop and an external Samsung
CRT.  It works great for just sliding another application (such as Firefox)
over there.  But it has a devil of a time getting a remote desktop usable.
Either it is too small (tiny print) or slider bars to move around the remote
desktop.

But...

What I just discovered (which is truly weird, counterintuitive and strange
to use...) is that if I set the monitor as my "main desktop" then it sizes
correctly (at least on a crt monitor) i.e. full screen based on the selected
resolution, AND... the remote desktop now displays "full size" on my laptop
monitor.  In fact what happens (the "strange to use" part) is that whatever
application I select in the toolbar (which is in the external monitor) is
instantly displayed, maximized and "correct size" on the laptop screen.
Truly strange!  That does allow me to see the remote desktop correctly but
totally rearranges how I would use the machine.

I am getting the impression that I really do need to match the resolution of
my laptop to the resolution of the external display if I want to have as
painless an experience as possible.  

The odd part is that the external monitor does not allow my laptop's native
resolution of 1440 x 900, perhaps because of "plug and play" and it looking
at the fact that it is a Samsung 19" color CRT monitor.  That resolution may
in fact not be an option with this CRT though usually CRTs will dynamically
"adapt" to whatever is thrown at them as long as they fall within the
horizontal and vertical sync signals that they can accept.

So there we have it.  Everything works exactly as expected with an external
display of any resolution EXCEPT the one thing I most want to throw up on
it, the remote desktop screen.  I think that what happens is that Remote
desktop artificially jiggers the Remote Desktop display resolution to match
the NATIVE resolution of your computer and in this case that is 1440 x 900.

The question I have to answer now is, is it a big enough deal to cause me to
drop down the new display to match the laptop just so I get seamless
integration with remote desktop, and I have to think that the answer will be
yes.  1440 x 900 is "big enough" to allow me to do local work with two
screens displaying different things (the code editor and the database
container for example).  And with my remote desktop stuff (a HUGE part of my
life) the results look like it will "just work" with the RD thrown out on
the external monitor.

The big up side is that these 19" 1440 x 900 lcd displays are now the "low
end" screens and I can pick the higher quality screen and still get it
cheap.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Dan Waters
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 11:33 AM
To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] New Flat panel display

Hi John,

I've been looking into dual monitors for a little while now.  Luckily, a
blog I subscribe to, www.codinghorror.com, has a recent article on monitors
with a lot of data and further links.  Apparently there are distinctly
different technologies for LCD monitors, with different features and widely
ranging prices!  If you do a search on NewEgg for LCD monitors with
resolution of 1600 X 1200 you'll see!

I did read somewhere that using widescreen monitors in a multi-monitor set
up may not work out.  Makes sense to me - the effect of multi-monitors is a
wide curved screen so if too much of that is flat it spoils the effect. 

All the 4:3 19" monitors have 1280 X 1024 resolution.  Beginning at 20" and
up, you can get 1600 X 1200 for a lot more working real estate.  

If you have only one video port on the back of your PC, you can buy a video
splitter device (can't remember where though).  If you want three monitors
(for fun see www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000959.html) then you can
get an inexpensive software program call UltraMon
(www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/).  UltraMon also works for two monitors, and
does have some interesting features. (caveat - I haven't used UltraMon but I
probably will)

Hope this helps!
Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 7:17 AM
To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'
Subject: [dba-Tech] New Flat panel display

I am about to spring for a flat panel display to use on my notebook in
addition to the built in notebook display (two monitors).  The laptop is a
Dell M90 with the 17" 1440 x 900 display (which I really like).  I am
looking at a 22" external monitor.  These all appear to be standardized on
the 1680 x 1050 resolution.

I am looking for tips, suggestions, gotcha's and "don't even think about".
Does anyone care to pipe up?

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 

_______________________________________________
dba-Tech mailing list
dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com

_______________________________________________
dba-Tech mailing list
dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com

_______________________________________________
dba-Tech mailing list
dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com




More information about the dba-Tech mailing list