[Gllug] Laptop Docking stations for extra monitors

[Joel Bernstein]

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.

Hi Aaron,

What sort of graphics hardware does your laptop have? Often they seem  
able to drive pretty serious screens. My old PowerBook can drive a  
dual-link DVI output at 2560x1600 and I suspect that newer posh  
laptops (i.e. not my plastic MacBook with its single-link mini-DVI)  
can drive even greater resolutions. 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?

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.

/joel
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