How to set up multiple monitors on a Macbook | Hacker News Reader

How to set up multiple monitors on a Macbook

blog.carlmercier.com

22 pointscmer13 comments

The title here should be: "How to setup 2 monitors on a Macbook and 1 on a PC along with an example of how not to submit misleading titles on HN, please."

There's also a hardware solution in the Matrox DualHeadToGo and TripleHeadToGo devices (The latter requires dual-link DVI support, and so doesn't work on non-pro MacBooks, or at least the older ones) which apparently works fine with macs. Definitely more expensive though. I think there are even graphics cards for the ExpressCard slot these days, though that won't help on a non-pro MacBook or an iMac. Note: I've never used these things, and I have no affiliation with Matrox.

I have the TripleHead2Go. It works, but I wouldn't rate it as "works fine".

The driver it came with didn't work (at all). So I had to download a new program. That one works, but it won't remember it's settings. So every time the computer sleeps or turns off the displays or anything, you have to quit the Matrox PowerDesk app, restart it, re-auto-find the attached displays, and reapply the settings.

And then it asks you to reboot so it can remember it's settings.

Also, it sometimes has a bit of noise on the monitors.

It works, and I love having the Macbook Pro's 15" plus two 23" worth of desktop real estate, but I'm not sure it's worth the 300 bucks.

I'd hate the hassle much more than spending the $300.

if anyone can figure out how to do this without a 2nd computer, it would be even more useful.

This can be useful: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/

However, I don't think you can set different resolutions/orientations for each monitor.

The ViDock will let you do it on a MacBook Pro:

http://www.villagetronic.com/vidock/index.html

Good review here: http://www.tuaw.com/2009/02/05/tuaw-review-vidock-gfx-multi-...

Bah, they seem to separate their Mac vs. Windows hardware. For those of us who spend equal time in OSX and Windows via Boot Camp, it'd be nice to have a single device that'll work on both.

I got a MacBookPro in part because it can power a 30 inch display. That configuration rocks: 30 inch + 17 inch laptop screen.

Rather than posting a how-to, I can summarize the instructions: plug in your monitor.

I can't afford it, but there's probably people out there who want to run 2 30" monitors with their MBP. And perhaps not all of them want a Mac Pro.

The MBP isn't strong enough to power 2 30" monitors at full resolution. Get a MacPro is you want more than one 30" display.

We bought 2 30" monitors for Tipjoy with our YC money. We drink that productivity boosting koolade with a firehose.

I have a macbook pro (the latest iteration) and on my Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP which I connect through D-DVI I experience graininess.... anyone else have a similar problem?

Yes, I have. The adapter basically sucks. It does help if you go into energy saver prefs -> set Graphics to "Higher performance"

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