Shoutbox

quote:

---

Originally posted by methos
what are the 'downsides' to dual monitors... i've got a graphics card that supports dual monitors but i'm still thinking...

---

I am not sure any of the following are "downsides" compared to using a single monitor, but the dual monitor experience might turn out less impressive than you had hoped for.

Windows (without third party software) only gives you one taskbar, on the main monitor.  That means many programs will start on the main monitor and you will have to drag them to the other.  Some programs will remember it for the next time, but many won't.

Any dual monitor setup is best with two identical monitors.  The inevitable variation in color balance and pixel density between different models can be very distracting when working with both side by side. 

Also, if you are using different resolutions on the two monitors, there will be a "dead zone" somewhere along the edge of the monitor with the higher resolution, where the mouse cursor stops, instead of jumping to the other monitor.  It makes sense in a way, but I find it annoying.

If you are thinking you will be able to run a full screen game on the primary monitor while chatting on Messenger or IRC on the other -- it doesn't quite work like that.  You will be able to see your chat windows on the second monitor, but won't be able to reply without Alt-Tabing out of your game. 

I havent found any real problems other than a loss of desk space but all my screens are lcd's so i dont loose too much and as adeptus said its sometimes annoying trying to get all the screens the same brightness.
but all that said I love my three screen (and when i had two I loved them).  its incresed my productivity since i dont have to alt tab all the time.

I would recommend running duel/tri screens

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dazmatic
Couldnt i use the onboard graphics??

---

normally those are disabled when a agp/ pci/ pci-e graphics card is installed

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeptus

quote:

---

Originally posted by methos
what are the 'downsides' to dual monitors... i've got a graphics card that supports dual monitors but i'm still thinking...

---

I am not sure any of the following are "downsides" compared to using a single monitor, but the dual monitor experience might turn out less impressive than you had hoped for.

Windows (without third party software) only gives you one taskbar, on the main monitor.  That means many programs will start on the main monitor and you will have to drag them to the other.  Some programs will remember it for the next time, but many won't.

Any dual monitor setup is best with two identical monitors.  The inevitable variation in color balance and pixel density between different models can be very distracting when working with both side by side. 

Also, if you are using different resolutions on the two monitors, there will be a "dead zone" somewhere along the edge of the monitor with the higher resolution, where the mouse cursor stops, instead of jumping to the other monitor.  It makes sense in a way, but I find it annoying.

If you are thinking you will be able to run a full screen game on the primary monitor while chatting on Messenger or IRC on the other -- it doesn't quite work like that.  You will be able to see your chat windows on the second monitor, but won't be able to reply without Alt-Tabing out of your game.

---

exactly what i was looking for, thanks... the idea stemmed from chatting with people on WLM who didn't want me to sign out to play GTA... so the idea was, one screen GTA, the other WLM... but you've outlined that as not being the case... I'll have a think about it, thanks for all the comments!

quote:

---

Originally posted by methos
the idea stemmed from chatting with people on WLM who didn't want me to sign out to play GTA... so the idea was, one screen GTA, the other WLM... but you've outlined that as not being the case... I'll have a think about it, thanks for all the comments! (Smilie)

---

You could always have a second computer just for WLM.  Just have it with the bare minimum requirements to do any small things you want, I think you could also find switch boxes to change your periferals between the computer so you dont have to un-plug/replug all the time or have 2 keyboards and 2 mice on the one desk (could be a bit much with 2 monitors already).  This might not be a cheap option but it would solve it.

I also know that with the likes of Diablo II and Warcraft 3 you can set it to launch in a window rather than fullscreen which if you can find something to do the same with GTA you would not need 2 screens.

quote:

---

Originally posted by markee

quote:

---

Originally posted by methos
the idea stemmed from chatting with people on WLM who didn't want me to sign out to play GTA... so the idea was, one screen GTA, the other WLM... but you've outlined that as not being the case... I'll have a think about it, thanks for all the comments! (Smilie)

---

You could always have a second computer just for WLM.  Just have it with the bare minimum requirements to do any small things you want, I think you could also find switch boxes to change your periferals between the computer so you dont have to un-plug/replug all the time or have 2 keyboards and 2 mice on the one desk (could be a bit much with 2 monitors already).  This might not be a cheap option but it would solve it.

I also know that with the likes of Diablo II and Warcraft 3 you can set it to launch in a window rather than fullscreen which if you can find something to do the same with GTA you would not need 2 screens.

---

humm yeah... i'll look it up, but i might still get the monitors, my birthday money is sitting in the bank, plus the monitor i had in mind (the same as ive got now) is only around £120... so it would be a cool thing to have i suppose thanks for the suggestion

I don't see any real downsides, except for maybe the desk space, or the slightly higher electricity usuage.

The main thing you wanna try to do is get 2 monitors of the exact same brand and model, and preferably manufactured  in the same batch. The first monitor I have were purchased christmas 04 and then my second was purchased in may 05 when i had more money. Because of this age difference (both were manufactured about 5 months apart) there is a color difference between the two panels.

I'm not saying 2 mismatched monitors won't work, its just not as nice an experience. The deadzone that Adeptus mentioned is really quite annoying for me, but your mileage may vary.

none apart from the nominally higher electricity charges and more desk space (lcd's would help space problems but then the lcd vs crt war will start so lets just leave that point out for another time)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Voldemort
errrr if you have onboard and a graphics card with 2 outputs, you should be able to.....

---

no, if your using AGP and on borad, the AGP USUALY disables the onboard, so you can only use one at a time

Just a quick tip.
I heard someone mention that Windows only has one taskbar.
There's twoi solutions to that:
nVidia spanning mode, turns your two screen into one virtual one. Downsides: everything upons in the middle, which isn't very handy with dualscreen
The second is UltraMon, that just adds an extra taskbar on your secundary monitor. My opinion is that UltraMon is GOD

some correction to the otherwise correct post of Adeptus

quote:

---

Originally posted by Adeptus
Windows (without third party software) only gives you one taskbar, on the main monitor.  That means many programs will start on the main monitor and you will have to drag them to the other.  Some programs will remember it for the next time, but many won't.

---

The taskbar of Windows can, by default, be set to show up on whatever monitor you whish. Same with the programs, they will, by Windows' default, start up on your main screen (which can be set to whatever monitor you wish) (in the very rare occasion you do not run any 3rd party driver* and you are using a program which doesn't remember its position).

* In almost all cases where you have dual monitors, you also run the graphics driver from the card company. I have never seen a dual graphics card which does not use his own driver.

In other words, all that can be set in Windows without the use of any 3rd party driver; it is supported in Windows by default.

quote:

---

Originally posted by lizard.boy
The first monitor I have were purchased christmas 04 and then my second was purchased in may 05 when i had more money. Because of this age difference (both were manufactured about 5 months apart) there is a color difference between the two panels.

---

Which can usually be corrected either on the monitor itself or either in the driver by altering the gamma correction and/or color temperature.

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheBlasphemer
My opinion is that UltraMon is GOD

---

It's a nice tool with many options. But almost all options it has I can already do with my driver itself and/or with some small 'tricks' (eg: I have a different background for each monitor but in fact it is 1 big background with two different images spanned over the two monitors).

So, IMHO, Ultramon is not God, but more like 'a messiah' in that aspect

----------

Downsides of dual monitors: besides the electricial bill and desk space mentionned before: absolutely none (and if there were any they would be outweithed by all the benefits by a factor of 10 gazilion )