Hardware + Software Requirements:

• Laptop with a VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort output
• A Monitor with a VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort input
• One cable to connect them together
• Running Windows 7, with proper drivers

Getting Setup:

1. Connect the monitor to your laptop
2. Right Click on the desktop and select Screen Resolution
3. Choose “Extend these displays” found under “Multiple Displays”

For most, that should be about it. Just hit Apply and everything should be setup. But for instance say you have physically positioned your laptop and monitor above or below each other. You’ll have to make a few changes. Click Identify to figure out which monitor is which. Then drag the display icons into the proper position as they are located physically on your desk. If you would like the start menu to be located on a different display, click on the display you want and check the “Make this my main display” box. Hit Apply again and all should be working! Give it a shot, just try dragging a window from one display to another.

If you have any questions or just want to say thanks, feel free to leave a comment!

Related: Setup Multiple Monitors in Vista

Before picking a background to use, you’ll need to know the total resolution of your two displays. So for example if you have two 1280×800 displays and they are sitting besides each other, the total resolution would be 2560 x 800. You would then have to find an image of that resolution to make it fit correctly. If you’ve already got an image, skip to the setup procedure. If not, a great place to look for large backgrounds is InterfaceLift. This website offers tons of free high resolution wallpapers for just about every setup. Since we are looking for wallpapers for dual displays, head on over to the dual monitors section and select the resolution of your setup to filter the results. Browse through the gallery, pick some wallpapers you like, and save them to your computer.

Setup Dual Screen Walpaper:

1. Right-click on desktop & click Personalize
2. Open the Desktop Background settings
3. Browse to & select the background you want
4. Choose ‘Tile’ under positioning settings

If all goes well, your dual screen wallpaper should span across your first display onto the second!

Some problems you may encounter are if you have different sized resolutions on each of your displays. One solution for that would be to pick an image larger in height and width than the larger of your two displays. Doing so should ensure that the image stretches across your entire viewing area. There are also some applications which will allow further customizations, for example choosing different images for each display. This tutorial covers the simplest method to getting this done without any extra software. We welcome all tips and suggestions so please let us know if you have any other cools tweaks or tips. And as always if you have any problems please leave a comment and someone will assist you!

Some Small Requirements:

• Decent Laptop with VGA or HDMI output
• A monitor with VGA or HDMI input
• A VGA or HDMI cable to connect both together

Getting To The Settings:

1. Connect your laptop to your external monitor
2. Right Click on your desktop and select Personalize
3. Open the Display settings window (at the bottom)

Next arrange the two monitors to the setup you have. Monitor 1 would be your laptop’s display and Monitor 2 is your additional display. So, for example, if your laptop is on the left and the monitor is on the right, drag the two boxes around so that Monitor 1 is on the left and Monitor 2 is on the right.

Extending The Display:

1. Select Monitor 2 in the visual or from the drop-down menu
2. Check the box besides “Extend the desktop onto this monitor”
3. Just hit Apply. The screen should flash and you are done!

You should now be able to drag a window, this web page for example, from one screen onto another. If you would like to move your Start Menu onto the other display, just drag it onto the other screen. (Right-click and unlock the Taskbar first!) Also note that sometimes Vista messes up the resolutions, so if one of the windows looks horribly wrong go back to the Display Settings and manually drag the bar to the correct resolutions for each monitor. If your machine is using either the NVIDIA or ATI control panel, I suggest using that to configure your setup instead of using the default Vista Display Settings.

If you have any problems, questions, or suggestions feel free to express them below!

Related Article: Setup Multiple Monitors In XP

When the PlayStation 3 was originally launched Sony ran into a patent infringement with the rumble feature in their new controller. So instead of naming it the Dual Shock 3, which would be logical since it would have been a wireless version of the Dual Shock 2 for the PlayStation 2, they ended up naming the non-vibrating controller the SIXAXIS. When the patent issues were all settled by mid-2007, however the first Dual Shock 3 controller didn’t hit the market in Japan until November 2007. North America and Europe have an official launch date of April 15, 2008 at a MSRP of $54.99.

As always retailers are already taking in pre-orders for the controllers and Amazon seems to have a pretty darn good deal. Amazon is charging $49.99 for the Dual Shock 3 with free (super saver) shipping and no tax. In addition if you are worried the the price might drop, Amazon guarantees to offer you the lowest price it reaches between the time you place your order and the launch date. It’s a fairly good deal considering that the SIXAXIS Wireless Controller still runs at around $40-45. In addition you won’t have to wait for most games to become rumble-compatible. Over a hundred titles including best sellers such as Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots already fully support it, while other titles should get patches.

Pre-Order: Dual Shock 3 Controller – $49
Links: More DualShock 3 Info

Today at the WWDC “06 Keynote, Apple announced the long awaited Mac Pro. The new Mac Pro, a G5 replacement, features a Intel Dual Core Xeon 3GHz Processor, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA 512MB Video Card, Up To 2TB (terabytes) of Storage, a 16x Dual Layer DVD SuperDrive, and PCI Express Expansion Slots. This new 64bit system is supposedly 2x the speed of the top of the line configuration of its predecessor. Also note that with the launch of this machine, Apple has finally fully transitioned over to Intel.

Apple Mac Pro Specs:

• Processor: Two 2/2.66/3GHz Dual Core Intel Xeon
• Memory: 2GB / 4GB / 8GB / 16GB Configurations
• Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 512MB w/ Dual-DVI
• Displays: Dual-Screen Support (8 displays max)
• Hard Drive: Max 2TB (w/ 4 bays 500GB in each)
• SuperDrive: 16x DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW (2 max)
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.0 + AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g
• Wired Communication: Two 1GB Ethernet / Optional Modem
• Peripherals: 2 FireWire 800 / 2 FireWire 400 / 5 USB 2.0
• Audio: Analog In/Out + Optical Digital In/Out
• Software: Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger

As stated at the keynote, the Mac Pro will begin to ship today and pricing will start at $2,500 with the bare minimum configuration. Apple also released a new Mac OS Xserve Server and previewed the upcoming Mac OS X Leopard. Getting back on track, this is an extremely powerful machine and therefore is expensive. However if you are like most average consumers you probably can’t afford to spend that much. I wouldn’t worry because knowing Apple, they most likley release a new product called the “Mac” within a few months just as they did by launching a low-end “MacBook” after the launch of the pricey “MacBook Pro”.

Links: Apple Mac Pro | Mac Pro Specs
Related: Apple Press Release | Bluetooth Mighty Mouse

Today (February 28, 2006), Apple announced two new products at a special Apple event. The first product was an Intel based Mac mini (Intel Core processors) and the second was a stereo system called the iPod Hi-Fi (compatible with all iPods). Another minor release was $99 leather cases for the iPod nano & video.

“Fifty percent of our entire product line is now available with Intel processors, in less than sixty days,” – Steve Jobs, Apple CEO

Two versions of the Intel Core Mac Mini were announced. The first one has a 1.5GHz Intel Single Core processor, 60GB hd, DVD/CDRW, and costs $599. The second edition has a 1.67GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 80GB hd, dual-layer DVD±RW/CDRW, and costs $799. Both have 512MB of ram and an Intel 64MB graphics card. They also have WiFi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 400, and more. The Mac Mini now has an infrared port for the remote which controls the Front Row program that it now includes. Front Row allows easy access to photos, music, and movies; a new feature now allows sharing content across networks.

The second product was the iPod Hi-Fi. The Hi-Fi is a stereo set, which as a dock atop to connect either the iPod nano or video. (iPod shuffle can be plugged in using a port on the back) When the iPod is plugged in, the backlight will be turned on and album art will be displayed. (will also charge your iPod) The Hi-Fi can also run on 6 D-cell batteries, but is unlikely most will carry such large speakers around. (17″x 6.6″x 6.9″) This is pretty much an expensive Apple branded pointless speaker set to compete with 3-party devices.

Overall the entire “special” event was a disappointment. The Mac Mini with an Intel processor was expected to be released eventually just as an Intel based Mac G5 is expected. Next, the iPod Hi-Fi was a completely pointless invention and is way too expensive for anyone. Finally, the new leather iPod case is unusable while in the case, making it useless! Therefore, nothing really impressive was announced at the keynote.

Links: Mac Mini | iPod Hi-Fi | Leather Case
Related: Apple.com | Apple Store
Recent: A Faster MacBook Pro | 1GB iPod Nano