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Dual Monitor Setup

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quinnipiac0807

Programmer
Oct 25, 2004
38
US
I'm sure this question has come across this forum many times. I have a Dell Latitude D600 that I put in a docking station at work (dock, external keyboard, external mouse, external monitor), and I want to increase my productivity with dual monitors. I have a MOBILITY RADEON 9000 video card. What do I need (besides a second monitor) to get a dual monitor affect. Not with mirroring images, I want one to be an extension of the other so I can do some work on one screen and some work on another in different applications. Do I need an adapter, or a splitter, or what?
 
Im not great with laptops but if you simply want to add a monitor to your existing laptop and have 2 monitors, one external and your laptop monitor, then all you have to do is plug the external monitor into the docking station and then there is a keyboard command that you use to have both the external monitor and the laptop monitor both working at the same time. It usually involves the FN button with maybe the shift or ctrl button if i recall, check your manual.
Is this what you want to do?



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Well, I think this might be my only option. What I'd like to do is have two external monitors and not use my laptop monitor. The reason is, is that the external monitors are huge compared to this screen. Altering anything within this computer can't be done b/c the computer belongs to the company I work for. So without adding another video card, I would like to use two external monitors. I don't know if there's an adapter to do that or who makes it or anything. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the response. I think I might just be left doing it that way. I guess it's better than nothing though.
 
What about a splitter? If I have a splitter in a video card with dual-monitor capability, will that allow me to use dual monitors? I don't want the same thing on both monitors, I want my desktop to carry over to the second one. What do you think?
 
I dont know, never tried, but you could try one and if it doesnt work, just return it, right? Make sure you keep the original package and receipt and you should be ok. And i have heard of splitters, they are out there, im just not sure thats way they do but it sure sounds like a good usage for a splitter!



Good advice + great people = tek-tips
 
Good idea, if it doesn't work return it. Funny that someone has to tell you that to actually think to do. Well, thanks again. I'll let you know if it works or not.
 
Do you have the user's manual with this laptop? Make sure first that the external video output connector supports two monitors with independent signals.


 
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