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Dual Monitors

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  • 15-01-2015 9:51pm
    #1
    blueflame2007
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭


    This may sound like a daft question but is it possible to have two monitors running off the one laptop with one programme showing on Monitor A and a completely different programme running on Monitor B. all from a windows 7 machine. Me thinks I am going to have to employ a second laptop to achieve this. I have an Apple Mac Mini lying around with wireless keyboard etc that I rarely use so I could use that I suppose.
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    #2
    advertsfox
    Registered Users Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭advertsfox


    blueflame2007 wrote: »
    This may sound like a daft question but is it possible to have two monitors running off the one laptop with one programme showing on Monitor A and a completely different programme running on Monitor B. all from a windows 7 machine. Me thinks I am going to have to employ a second laptop to achieve this. I have an Apple Mac Mini lying around with wireless keyboard etc that I rarely use so I could use that I suppose.
    Of course, you may need a dock for a laptop so two displays are possible but this indeed possible, I use two screens in work everyday with email one side + chat and my work on the other. What laptop have you got?

    Also need to know the year of the Mac mini, if it has two display ports or an added thunderbolt port then this is possible too.


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    #3
    AnCatDubh
    Registered Users Posts: 6,392 ✭✭✭AnCatDubh


    My setup at work is just this configuration: laptop screen and external monitor - in my case tipped into portrait mode and I simply extend the desktop and throw over documents (pdf, word, excel) onto the second monitor. Also using windows 7. My setup uses a docking station as suggested by the above poster but yes, it is entirely possible without using a second machine.

    Just thinking - I regularly do something similar with a projector so you wouldn't even need a docking station. Just a second monitor connected to the external VGA connection. Same applies - just extend the desktop which allows you drop applications onto the second display.


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    #4
    blueflame2007
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭blueflame2007


    Thank you for both replies. The Mac Mini is 2012 but hardly used, we boosted memory to 16gb but really it just sits there as my son has Mac book pro and he prefers to use that.

    Anyway not sure what a laptop hub is but basically i use my laptop in a photobooth and it is in the back out of sight but connected to display monitor out front so as people can see themselves before the four shots are taken. In addition I want to run a slideshow from previous events on an additional monitor on say something like Picasa if possible from the same laptop. My laptop is an Acer Aspire 5742 i3 about 5 years old now but still working fine if a little slow.

    I could use a more recent Aspire 5742Z in which I installed an SSD having had a crashed hard drive issue with it. However I may start using the mac mini as its been totally underused as it is and I might as well get the value out of it and its wireless apple keyboard and mouse, but it would be interesting to find out how to run the two different programmes. I mean if I go out the back with a VGA splitter to both monitors wont the same output show up on the two screens or is the hub you mentioned meant to counteract that.

    Thanks again

    Blueflame2007.


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    #5
    Stheno
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 51,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stheno


    blueflame2007 wrote: »
    Thank you for both replies. The Mac Mini is 2012 but hardly used, we boosted memory to 16gb but really it just sits there as my son has Mac book pro and he prefers to use that.

    Anyway not sure what a laptop hub is but basically i use my laptop in a photobooth and it is in the back out of sight but connected to display monitor out front so as people can see themselves before the four shots are taken. In addition I want to run a slideshow from previous events on an additional monitor on say something like Picasa if possible from the same laptop. My laptop is an Acer Aspire 5742 i3 about 5 years old now but still working fine if a little slow.

    I could use a more recent Aspire 5742Z in which I installed an SSD having had a crashed hard drive issue with it. However I may start using the mac mini as its been totally underused as it is and I might as well get the value out of it and its wireless apple keyboard and mouse, but it would be interesting to find out how to run the two different programmes. I mean if I go out the back with a VGA splitter to both monitors wont the same output show up on the two screens or is the hub you mentioned meant to counteract that.

    Thanks again

    Blueflame2007.

    Two additional monitors along with your laptop screen will need extra hardware potentially if your graphics card won't support such a setup


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