Monitor spanning?

[gentoo]

I have a T43 with the ATI Mobile Radeon X300. Is it possible to span my display so that I see two different desktops, one on my LCD and another on the monitor I attached with the VGA port? Right now I can only mirror the display: I see the same thing on both displays. My research indicates that most newer laptops can do what I'm looking for, but I can't figure out how.

In my display settings I do see two "monitors" but one is the LCD and the other is the S-Video port, not the VGA port.

[roast]

Yes it is possible. I'd do it from the display properties in the control panel instead of using the presentation director though.

[fongj]

Another way is to get the latest ATI drivers, and use Mobility Modder, then use the ATI Control Center... Not as simple if you just want extended desktop capabilities, but will give you more features (in the future) like Theatre Mode if you ever want to mirror videos on an external display.

Mobility Modder http://www.driverheaven.net/patje/

[gcchatel]

not sure if you want two completely independent desktops as in two desktops with their own taskbar? For this you would have to do some modding or use the ATI software. What I do is just extend my desktop using windows and it works very well. Just go to your display properties --> settings, click on the 2nd monitor, and click on "extend mt windows desktop onto this monitor" check box, pick your resolution for the other desktop and there you go.

[fongj]

I haven't used it in a while, but UltraMon is a great program for dealing with dual monitors. You have to pay for it, versus just using modded ATI drivers, but there's a feature where it will give you a separate taskbar on the extended desktop just for the windows on the second screen.