Running dual monitors

Fluid_Fire · March 6th, 2003, 10:44 PM

I am wanting to run dual monitors. I know that I will have to get another vid card.

My question is....When running dual monitors will i have to drag applications from one monitor to the next or is there a program or special video card I can get to , I guess basically run windows on both screens. To have the start-up menus on both screens?

I really hope that this is not a dumb question.

PyroSama · March 6th, 2003, 10:52 PM

From what I have seen it runs in only one monitor (the start menu)

And you just drag things over to it like its just a larger desktop (thats what it is)

If you have ever run any shell mods like darkstep think about the multi desktop setup thats how I see it working. But with out having to switch desktops.

Some programs may end up defaulting there launch point in the other widow if thats were you runn them most of the time.

Also I would get a gfx card that suports duel display.

(Keep in mind I dont know that much about this only what little I have read and seen)

PyroSama

smurffart · March 6th, 2003, 10:55 PM

ATI and nVidia cards come with software that lets you configure dual monitors (ATI hydravision and nVidia NView). I use the dual settup as an extended desktop (spanning across both screens). The start menu in only on one screen for me.

cracked · March 6th, 2003, 11:01 PM

if you want two monitors to show the exact same display (cloned displays) then you can just use the vidcard software to clone them. but if you want an extended desktop with start menu on both then im not sure.

drew

Fluid_Fire · March 7th, 2003, 03:05 PM

Hey Guys,

Thanks. I'll just have to get used to dragging apps. It's no prob.

PyroSama · March 7th, 2003, 03:12 PM

Try this vid card maybe. Its the one I plan to buy for my new system.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...ion=14-170-023

PyroSama

rpertusio · March 7th, 2003, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fluid_Fire
Hey Guys,

Thanks. I'll just have to get used to dragging apps. It's no prob.

You can also try WndHop which lets you 'hop' the active window to the other monitor

- rp

smurffart · March 7th, 2003, 03:19 PM

depending on the program you are using, you can set it up so that it will open at a certain place on the extended desktop(one screen or the other, or extended across both)...illustrator, photoshop, painter, etc are programs that I use and they all have this function...you just have to set it up once.

originel · March 7th, 2003, 03:32 PM

being a person who uses dual monitors there are actually several options.
1) there is the basic windows dual monitors (what i use). you see the task bar on one monitor, but not the other. you can drag apps back and forth between them (benificial for me necause i can play a full screen game and still watch AIM, downloads, etc w/o them interrupting my game). the combined resolution of both is something like 2048x768 (if you run in 1024x768).

2) use nview which has 4 options:
1) clone desktops - as it sounds each monitor displays exactly the same thing, so it works like you have one monitor (as far as interaction goes)
2) Span horizontal - this stretches your desktop across two monitors. this looks very similar to windows mulitmon, except for one major difference. the resolution is still 1024x768 across both (so you get a stretching effect).
3) span vertical - same thing as above except this time the monitors are setup in a vertical view (if say you wanted to put one monitor on top of the other). same thing still applies as in above, the combined resolution is still 1024x768
4) not really a mode - disables second monitor

ATI's software is similar from what i understand...just a little more powerful.

the card that pyro pointed out is a really good card (i use almost the exact same card). it gives good game performance while still giving good multimon flexibility.

EDIT: cause i have issues with spelling

nukes · March 7th, 2003, 03:41 PM

I too would strongly recomend a card that has dual display support, rather than using two cards unless they are identical. This means you can even run games spread across both monitors (ie Quake or UT). I have done this in the past with diffeent cads ad it was fine except one of the cards was older and didn't support GL so my games wouldn't work. I have used matrox cards as well and they just worked a treat, but nowadays I would say go for ATI or NVidia.