Thinkpads Forum

I want to connect two external displays to my T42. I'd appreciate your opinions on which alternative is better.

Alternative 1: Buy a docking station and connect one external monitor to it's DVI interface. The other external monitor will be connected to the VGA output. ATI says their HydraVision software should manage dual external displays.

Alternative 2: Buy a Matrox DualHead2Go which connects to the laptop VGA port. Then connect two external monitors to that.

The docking station would give me a higher quality DVI output for one screen. However, I don't have a way to verify the ATI software in advance of the decision.

Has anyone tried either of these solutions or another?

Thanks

Just throwing other ideas around for all possibilities for you to consider...

There are also programs that enable dual monitor if you have another spare laptop around...

MaxiVista (just one of a few programs that can do this)
http://www.snapfiles.com/features/maxivista.html
http://www.maxivista.com/

You can also get DVI -> 2VGA adaptors so you don't have to bother plugging and unplugging one of the monitors.

For managing dual monitors, I've been very happy with UltraMon. $40, but imo well worth it.

daisy wrote:
Alternative 1: Buy a docking station and connect one external monitor to it's DVI interface. The other external monitor will be connected to the VGA output. ATI says their HydraVision software should manage dual external displays.

PCI graphics card with DVI output in Dock / Dock II, eg. Radeon 9250, Matrox G450 (triple display), etc, for sedond DVI display.