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Originally posted by flashguy:

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Originally posted by bigdeal:

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Originally posted by flashguy:
OK, I'll bite. How do you get different displays on 2 monitors connected to the same computer?

flashguy

In most cases, through multiple plug in connections on your graphics card. Most better graphics cards will afford you at least three HDMI and/or DisplayPort connections.

That tells me how multiple monitors could be hooked up, but does not explain how the information displayed on them would be different.

flashguy

Multiple monitors can be treated a variety of ways. What you are thinking of is mirrored displays where both screens show the same thing.

Windows can treat a second screen as an extension of the first screen such that as you move the mouse cursor of the right side of the first screen, it shows up on the left side of the second screen.

Another option is to have the second screen be a separate desktop from the first, complete with it's own icons, toolbars, background, etc. Essentially, like having a second computer controlled with one mouse and keyboard.

It's the software and graphics hardware that allow multiple screens to show different information.

I got a vizo tv/monitor. Love it.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
OK, I'll bite. How do you get different displays on 2 monitors connected to the same computer?

flashguy

On relatively old desktops, the video card had two connectors - one for the old vga and the DVI connectors. And monitors had both connectors too. So you hooked up one monitor to the vga and the other to the dvi.

Now, I'm assuming, desktop video cards have multiple (at least 2) inputs of the same video connector.

I have a laptop. Besides the laptop screen, I have a portable monitor connected by USB-C to the lone USB-C connector on my laptop. This monitor can run off the laptop's battery at the expense of increase draw from the battery.

I have another portable monitor connected by USB 3.0. It also runs off the laptop battery. But I do have it connected via a powered USB hub. I think I can add at least another USB 3.0 monitor as I've seen previous set ups with four monitors.

How the computer knows is via the graphics board. I can right click on any working monitor and click on display. This is just to arrange the monitors in the dialogue box to let the computer know how the monitors are physically arranged so that you can move your mouse left to right and it would follow on the monitors. As the poster above states, you can arrange your monitors to extend unless you want to mirror but that's if you're looking at your laptop screen and mirroring to a bigger screen for an audience. When people work with multiple monitors by themselves, it's extended mode.


To others wondering how multiple monitors can be more productive, at the very least, I have outlook open on one screen and what I'm working on in the monitor in front of me. If an email comes in, I can just glance at the preview window instead of switching windows on a single monitor.

Where it really shines is: I'm usually getting information on a client application such as an inventory system and making notes on another application such as Word or Excel. If I had a big monitor, sure i can arrange both windows side by side. But with two monitors, I can enlarge one app to fit the full monitor and enlarge the other app to the other monitor.

WIth three monitors, I can work on Quicken in front of me. Have my browser on the second monitor to log in on my online accounts to do stuff or download statements and have the third monitor for my notes application, windows explorer, etc.

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Originally posted by wreckdiver:
Can I Karma one to you? I believe it is at least 15", but can't check until tomorrow. Just let me know.

Yes, I will be willing to contribute to this as well
PM me the details and lets get this done now !

Chongo, I'm retarded. I've got a pair of 19" wides that I'm not using. Instant Karma if you haven't bought yourself anything yet. Email is in my profile.

I use a Dell 22 for my main screen and a smaller Dell for my secondary screen. I need the real estate, but I am not gaming or editing photos, so quality isn't super important. They are cheap.

Everyone needs two screens. Two screens is the best.

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Originally posted by chongosuerte:

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Originally posted by trapper189:
15" screen? Just how old is the computer? I ask because 15" 4:3 monitors used to be common, but the video cards in those computers couldn't do 16:9 resolutions like 1920×1080. No sense buying a monitor that the computer can't effectively use.

Ehhh...I'll take a look when I go back to my office Saturday. I also have to check to see what type of connection it is capable of using. That's a distinct possibility.

In my experiences with mostly Dell PCs over the years, it used to be if you purchased a PC with a video card installed, as opposed to only onboard video, you could ONLY connected your display(s) to that card.

At some point that changed, and now I've got users with PCs where you can run one display plugged into the video card, and another plugged into one of the onboard ports.

Point being, you do need to see what ports you have available, and may need to test them before making a purchase.

I'll go by my office tonight and assess what I'm working with.

I did procure another monitor, but it is tiny, same size as what I have. Once I understand my capabilities, I'll look for something better.

Chongo, don't know if you saw it, but I've got a pair of 19" monitors that I can send to you if you determine you can use them.

They're older (circa 2011), but they function fine last I checked. They each have VGA and DVI inputs (blue and white trapezoidal connectors, respectively).

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Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Chongo, don't know if you saw it, but I've got a pair of 19" monitors that I can send to you if you determine you can use them.

They're older (circa 2011), but they function fine last I checked. They each have VGA and DVI inputs (blue and white trapezoidal connectors, respectively).

Thanks! Let me get this one hooked up and see what I've got. I had looked high and low before posting for recommendations without any luck finding an abandoned one.

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Originally posted by sig226fan:
This Dell 24" monitor is a great deal.

I have two of these on my desk at work. I'm very happy with them.

Heck, at that price I'd be tempted to upgrade my monitors at home!

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Originally posted by trapper189:

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Originally posted by RichN:

Well, if the wide monitor is as tall as the narrow monitor, then you can see the same number of rows and more columns. The trick is to realize that you will need a larger wide monitor to display the same number of rows as a narrow monitor of the same published size. I have a 28" wide monitor on my desk, which has a hutch on it. I could not fit a monitor that was too much taller under the hutch, regardless of the aspect ratio.

Not really. A 1920x1080 16:9 that's as tall as a 1920x1200 16:10 won't show the same number of rows. It can't. It has 10% fewer rows of pixels.

And a 3840 x 2160 resolution widescreen can theoretically show even more rows, assuming your eyes can see it. You are confusing vertical pixel count with aspect ratio.

You are going to use the scaling settings in your operating system to control how much information gets displayed, assuming you are using a modern operating system and the monitor has resolution to spare.

I hooked up the second monitor I procured, it's going to serve my needs short-term. I'll probably upgrade at some point, and really appreciate both the suggestions and the offers.

Y'all really are a swell bunch!

quote:

Originally posted by RichN:
And a 3840 x 2160 resolution widescreen can theoretically show even more rows, assuming your eyes can see it. You are confusing vertical pixel count with aspect ratio.

You are going to use the scaling settings in your operating system to control how much information gets displayed, assuming you are using a modern operating system and the monitor has resolution to spare.

I'm not confusing anything. Horizontal and vertical pixel counts are what determine aspect ratio. Of course, I'm ignoring CRT monitors which didn't have a fixed pixel counts. A 1920x1200 screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio. A 1920x1080 screen has 16:9 aspect ratio. A 800x600 or 640x480 screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Sure, you can change scaling to fit more rows in, but that affects clarity. I'll restate my assertion more precisely. Given two screens of the same width, a 1920x1200, 16:10 screen will show more rows than a 1920x1080, 16:9 screen at the same level of scaling/clarity.

A 3840x2160, 16:9 screen twice as tall as a 1920x1080, 16:9 screen and show twice as many rows with the same clarity. I choose not to mention 4k screens because I doubt chongo's computer can handle one and it isn't in his budget. I tried to keep my advice simple and focused on his needs.