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Using dual monitors
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Laptop
Originally posted by AZ-Tax View PostI have Win XP and I hooked up an external monitor to my laptop and ran both the laptop monitor and the external monitor but both displayed the same screen. How can I make one monitor display a different program?Christopher Mewhort, EA
mewhorttax.com
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You also have to go into the control panel and designate which monitor is #1 and which is #2. With some programs, you have to decrease the full-screen display to a smaller size in order to drag it to the other monitor. If it's full-screen, it won't allow you to drag it."The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectful" - John Kenneth Galbraith
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Just did it!
I just went to two monitors and I love it. Now I can have two years of tax returns up on the two screens and see what happened last yr and what is going on this yr. Also when clients have questions the screen is there and easy to see. I work from a laptop and it was so easy to install. This is one investment that is worth doing. Also many clients say boy you are so busy you had to add another screen!
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I went to 3 monitors but then came up with a setup I like better. My main computer has dual monitors, and I have a second computer sitting beside it with a single monitor. The dual-moniter setup has my tax software (ATX & Zillion Forms), along with all the other usual stuff (Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, etc). The single-monitor computer has Microsoft Office, Quickbooks, etc, but only the tax programs from 2006 back.
Both computers are connected to the internet (one uses Firefox and the other uses IE), which can be very useful at times. If I get an email asking for research or if I need to do a Google search for any reason, I can do that work on the opposite machine & display it while keeping the inquiry open on the first machine. Less need to minimize & maximize screens - it's more like opening a book, holding it up beside the monitors, and reading from the page while typing. I just jump back & forth between the two computers all day as I'm doing my work. When I first heard about this type of setup I thought it was a bit of overkill, but it works great for me.
(I also have a third computer with dual monitors which is mainly dedicated to working with Excel, but that's another story. So technically I'm using 5 monitors)."The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectful" - John Kenneth Galbraith
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Superman, what did you need to do and/or buy?
Originally posted by superman View PostI just went to two monitors and I love it. Now I can have two years of tax returns up on the two screens and see what happened last yr and what is going on this yr. Also when clients have questions the screen is there and easy to see. I work from a laptop and it was so easy to install. This is one investment that is worth doing. Also many clients say boy you are so busy you had to add another screen!
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Laptop
Originally posted by AZ-Tax View PostI have Win XP and I hooked up an external monitor to my laptop and ran both the laptop monitor and the external monitor but both displayed the same screen. How can I make one monitor display a different program?
all is easy to set up, Just play with it a little until you like it.AJ, EA
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UlraMon
Originally posted by bigdadder View PostI use the UltraMon program for my 2-monitors. It does a great job
at individualizing eac monitor. Check it out.
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I second ultramon.
AZ... so you are wanting to run two external monitors and the laptop monitor also?
Ultramon kinda does like Windows XP in designating a second monitor but an added feature is that it extends the taskbar across all the screens. Now it might do some other neat things but I haven't found them yet.
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Originally posted by S T View PostThanks Outwest for posting this info, DTS and I have been discussing the dual monitors, and I am in the process of probably ordering a new workstation.
Question for the monitors, what is your opinion of DVI (Digital) versus VGA(analog) both 1280 X 1024?
Of course the video card would have to be the appropriate one, can you purchase a video card that is all VGA or all DVI, or is it only one VGA and one DVI, so then you purchase 1 monitor of each.
Another question, do you know if you can use a KVM switch to utilize one of these monitors with another computer? (server)
I know too many questions, I am just never sure if what the sales person is telling me is correct, so always comforting to hear from other sources.
Thanks,
So take it from the approach of "How long will this technology improve?" DVI has potential as things get bigger. The fact that it becamse the defacto standard on most video cards sure suggests VGA will eventually go away. So if buying new stuff you want to use for years and year, it probably makes sense to buy DVI. If you already have the hardware and just need to plug it in, then whatever is cheapest.
Another thing you can do that really makes your office feel like you're living in the future is to get a monitor stand that can hold 2 monitors. I like the Ergotron ones - 2 screens that move independently http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tab...S/default.aspx 2 screens height adjustment (not as much depth requirement) http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tab...S/default.aspx. But keep in mind that these things are going to add $150-$200 to your computer hardware. They have other models too that are worth looking at and of course other companies offer the same kinds of thing.
There is nothing really wrong with using the stock base and dropping two monitors onto a desk. The biggest loss is height adjustment, so all of those neat monitor stands are really more for the nice style. The moveable ones on arms could have some practicality. Have a client who wants you to preparer their return while they watch? Flip a monitor their way and set the monitors to clone each other.
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I once used 2 monitors but got a new computer with a 24 inch monitor and that one alone is enough for me. I can see this years ATX tax form and last years without the need to scroll the form.
The CPA downstairs uses a 36 inch TV and says he will never go back to a regular monitor. Consider that since prices have come down a lot.
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