[Gllug] Laptop Docking stations for extra monitors

[Aaron Trevena]

2009/7/1 Joel Bernstein <joel at fysh.org>:
> On 1 Jul 2009, at 09:52, Aaron Trevena wrote:
>> I've been wondering whether to spend a bunch of money on a desktop so
>> that I can have a couple of large monitors running off a decent video
>> card or whether to just add a docking station or other widget to turn
>> my laptop into something approaching a desktop workstation.

Hey Joel,

> What sort of graphics hardware does your laptop have?
> Often they seem able to drive pretty serious screens.

I'm rather used to the 1600x1050 15.4" panel on this laptop but would
like to have 2 slightly lower (1400x900 or something) screens to get
more real estate and not need me to sit quite as close to read small
text.

The laptop ( hp/compaq 6715b) can manage about 2 * 1024x768  if I add
another monitor but that feels a major step backwards other 1 decent
monitor.

I suppose investing in a really decent large single monitor might be
worth a go if I can get more pixels and screen estate, but I'm not
sure that this laptops built in card could drive it very well.

> A single dual-link DVI port can
> drive two moderate or one very high resolution panel. Is that going to
> be sufficient for your needs?

It doesn't have DVI and the graphics card is pretty limited :(

> I too have noticed the rise in external video hardware. Despite having
> been a dual-21" CRT junkie for years, having been working on 12-13"
> laptop screen for the last 3 years, I'm not convinced that one does
> get significant productivity gains from big screens. Particularly not
> in comparison to the productivity gains of being able to carry just a
> laptop and work from anywhere (I'm in the garden right now). YMMV
> obviously and this is predicated on availablity of virtual desktops,
> GNU screen, etc etc, but I find that giving up the big screens and the
> concommitant tethering to a desk has been great in terms of working
> practices for me.

I know what you mean, but this is what I work with most days of the
year so ideally I want the best of both worlds.

I've got used to working on a laptop now, and if I get some sort of
workstation solution (either with a proper desktop,  docking station
or other widget) I'll be using a laptop style keyboard with trackpad
(found a nice wireless one on amazong for 40 quid)

Cheers,

A.

-- 
Aaron J Trevena, BSc Hons
http://www.aarontrevena.co.uk
LAMP System Integration, Development and Consulting
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