Columnists

Geek Speak… How To Add A Second Monitor

Issue 31.17

The first thing to ask yourself is if you actually need or want one. If you just check your email and occasionally go on facebook or one of the news sites, you probably do not. However, if you find yourself having to close one window to open another or stacking the windows on top of each other and then searching through all the options at the bottom or the screen to figure out where you put that page you were looking at, it may be time to consider adding a monitor.

I personally use three monitors, but only turn on the third one when I am writing articles. I have mounted that one vertically instead of horizontally so I can look at a whole page of typing at one time without straining my eyes.

If you have decided you need another monitor, the next thing to do is see if your computer supports another screen. On many computers including laptops, there is an HDMI port in addition to the VGA port. The VGA is usually blue and has 15 holes which receives the VGA plug from most monitors. Some use a DVI port which is usually white and has a mixture of pins and blades to transfer information. The HDMI port looks a little like a USB port, but is not exactly rectangular with the top a little wider than the bottom. If this is your configuration, you can either use a monitor that has that type of jack or you can get a flat panel TV to use as your second monitor.

The resolution of a TV is not as high as a computer monitor, but there are some advantages to using them. First, they are less expensive than monitors. Second, they are larger so the lower resolution doesn’t matter as much. This is especially nice for people like me with older eyes that need a bigger picture to see the fine print on some things. Plus, you may be able to watch TV on it if you have a source like Dish, Directv or Cable. My main computer screen is a 23 inch monitor, but my second screen is a 32 inch TV which really helps me.

Now I can have a spreadsheet open on the big one and then have my emails and data documents open on the main screen and can copy and paste things between them without closing screens or having to stack documents. I estimate it saves me 5 or 6 hours a week to have things set up this way, plus, if I am just reading emails, I can open a music program on the other screen and choose what I want to listen to. I can also play solitaire while waiting for information to come through without losing the screen I need to use for data.

If you don’t have the capability currently but want a second screen there are a couple of options. The first is a USB video adapter. They are not too expensive and plug into your USB port but have an HDMI output to go to your TV. If that won’t work, you can usually add a second video port to desktop computers, though you usually cannot do that for laptops. If you get stuck, give your computer professional a call – and as always,  make sure you remember to protect your data, documents, pictures and your computer, phone and tablet by always backing up anything important.

Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 34 years, 27 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or mccausland.shaun54@gmail.com .

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