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4 monitors on SX280's Help!

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  • 27-01-2005 4:47pm
    #1
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭


    Hello

    I currently have several Dell SX280’s, I need to connect 4 monitors to each of them, and each monitor must display a different application i.e. the image is not just amplified to the 4 monitors.



    The SX280’s do not have any expansion slots so no chance of putting a quad head graphics card in them.

    Unfortunately I do not have the option of buying in different computers.

    I've been looking into VGA to USB but they only amplify the image to the different screen, i need an extended desktop.



    Any suggestion will be appreciated    .


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    #2
    RicardoSmith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭RicardoSmith


    You can get a USB gfx card
    http://www.overclockers.com.au/article.php?id=334086

    Or use another PC via a network (dunno why you'd do this)
    http://www.maxivista.com/how.htm


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    #3
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    thanks Ricardo.
    I was looking into that myself but the ones i found only amplified the signal. A slight problem is they only support 1024x768 i should have said i needed 1240x1024,(4x21"monitors).
    Also from what I read you can only use one of them.


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    #4
    Nukem
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 4,082 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nukem


    Something along the lines of this maybe?


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    #5
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    Thanks Nukem but from what i can see this only splits the signal so you have 4 monitors displaying the same thing. I need to display for example
    M1 = MS word
    M2 = Excel
    M3 = Access
    M4 = PowerPoint

    I think I’m in the right direction looking for VGA to USB. But still haven’t found a suitable device.


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    #6
    Nukem
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 4,082 Mod ✭✭✭✭Nukem


    Ok sorry man - if i come across something i will let you know.

    EDIT: have a look here http://www.jaguarcompsys.ie/components/index.htm#network might be worth a phone call to see is it what you want


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    #7
    RicardoSmith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭RicardoSmith


    Nukem wrote:
    Something along the lines of this maybe?

    Thats the same desktop on each monitor. From my understanding I think that what he doesn't want. You could run something like remote desktop on the sx280's and then have another machine with several PCI cards in it showing a remote desktop of each of the apps on each of the sx280's. But thats just a means of avoiding the obvious. The sx280's are simply the wrong tool for the job. End of story.

    This is what you really want. http://www.matrox.com/mga/corp/financial/products/qidlp.cfm
    Buy you could buy 4 cheap 2D PCI cards (anything would do) and stick them in a cheap PC (once it has 4xPCI slots) for the price of one of those matrox cards. You can pick up a bunch of old ATI 2 or 4mb cards that would be all you need for about €10-20 each.

    Incidentally use the tool multimon if you do this. Makes life a lot easier with multiple displays. Love to see it working if you do get it running.


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    #8
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    yep the sx280's are the wrong choice for the job but the decision to use them was completely out of my hands I’m only trying to work with what I got.


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    #9
    RicardoSmith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭RicardoSmith


    jessy wrote:
    yep the sx280's are the wrong choice for the job but the decision to use them was completely out of my hands I’m only trying to work with what I got.

    Tell them they need 4 sx280's each LOL


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    #10
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    Any more suggestions?


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    #11
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 91,197 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    you aren't going to like it..

    on the display say 1600x1200 you tile the four windows.

    then on each monitor you adjust the position and zoom so only a 1/4 screen shows on each - you are seeing 800x600 - but the monitors are still being driven at 1600x1200 so they will have a shorter life - a standard VGA splitter would work

    TBH I doubt you'll find monitors that would zoom and pan that much. - cardboard to hide the bits you don't want to show ?

    Alternatively get 4 PII or PIII's, each connected to a monitor you then run terminal software to the dell - only problem is that for licencing reasons you would have to use openoffice and unix or buy 5 licenses


    Reckon you should bounce the problem back up the line ..


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    #12
    jessy
    Registered Users Posts: 950 ✭✭✭jessy


    That’s a clever answer but unfortunately it won’t give me the Resolution that I need, (thinking outside the box though I like it). Seems as though the problem has been solved as I will be allowed to use IBM thinkcenters instead, thanks for all your replies.


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    #13
    RicardoSmith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,264 ✭✭✭RicardoSmith


    jessy wrote:
    That’s a clever answer but unfortunately it won’t give me the Resolution that I need, (thinking outside the box though I like it). Seems as though the problem has been solved as I will be allowed to use IBM thinkcenters instead, thanks for all your replies.

    That was always the only solution..


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