Two external monitors with T41 on Port Replicator II

[Ragueneau]

I like using dual monitors, and I've recently decided to rely on my Thinkpad as my primary machine. If I shut down the laptop and put it in the port replicator, then it can start up and use both external monitors (VGA + DVI) no problem. If I connect it while awake, however, only the VGA monitor is available for multi. I suspect the proper way to deal with this is a docking profile, but being a mere port replicator the device always considers itself undocked.

Is there any way I could connect a waking thinkpad to the port replicator, deactivate the on-board screen and make use of two externals?

[schen]

I like using dual monitors, and I've recently decided to rely on my Thinkpad as my primary machine. If I shut down the laptop and put it in the port replicator, then it can start up and use both external monitors (VGA + DVI) no problem. If I connect it while awake, however, only the VGA monitor is available for multi. I suspect the proper way to deal with this is a docking profile, but being a mere port replicator the device always considers itself undocked.

Is there any way I could connect a waking thinkpad to the port replicator, deactivate the on-board screen and make use of two externals?

There are probably other ways to deal with this, but I think Matrox has a device that allows for doing Dual monitors on the market right now. Also, you can get a full dock, that has a PCI slot that would allow you to put in a dual-headed video card.

[Ragueneau]

So, not much is possible with current hardware?

[schen]

So, not much is possible with current hardware?

Someone else may have more information of dealing with it through the use of docking profiles, but just from my experiences of working with docks previously and my current work R60 on a port replicator; I've found the warm or hot-dock to be very different from cold-docking the machine.

So yeah, you can certainly continue to use both monitors and not buy any other hardware by cold-docking on the replicator. However, if you want to hot-dock and use 2 monitors (AFAIK), you may be left with changing you hardware.

[Maccess]

You'll need Catalyst Control Center or ATI tray tools. Bascialy, you'll switch off the built-in LCd and activate the other screen (whether connected to VGA or DVI).

[andyP]

You could also use presentation Director; It is possible to create a profile for two external monitors when the internal screen is selected as disabled. There is also a check box where you can select it to use the profile automatically when docked.

[Ragueneau]

Oh, I hadn't thought of that, good to know.

How does it work under the covers? I ask because I use linux more these days than Windows, and though I wouldn't ask for linux pointers here a sense of the mechanics might point me in the right direction.

[andyP]

Good question. No idea, I don't believe that there's a PD for Linux.

[Obic]

We had a similar problem at work with T60-series computers. We found out that updating the bios to the newest one helped in the situation. However im not sure if its the same thing with T4x-series.