triple|scape

The ViDock Gfx looks really promising for those of us that enjoy multiple-monitor setups with our laptops. This one is unique in that it’s based on an ExpressCard connection rather than using your lappies existing DVI connection. The TripleHead2Go hijacks the existing DVI port, so running three monitors is a problem if you want to have high-res output. With the ViDock, you’d plugin two monitors into your ExpressCard slot, and one into the existing laptop DVI connector. They claim resolutions up to 2560×1600 per monitor.

No pricing yet however. If it’s under $300, I’m in.

I’ve always had monitor envy. The bigger the better. While I’d love to drop a ton of scratch on a Cinema Display, I just can’t justify it.  Spending a mortgage payment on a monitor would trigger weeks and weeks of guilt and buyer’s remorse.Luckily for us po’ folk, Matrox has a nifty thingamajig called a TripleHead2Go. Essentially it’s a little box that you hook up to your DVI or VGA connection on your computer. On the back side, you can attach up to three displays.  Your computer sees the box as one huge-ass monitor. The device itself splits the output signal into/up to three separate signals that it can direct to each of the attached displays.Sounds cool! And I just happen to have three Samsung 22-inchers, so I figured I’d give it a try.The TH2G (as I’ll refer to it forthwith), arrived via FedEx from PC Connection. $315.00 if I recall.  Anyway, the box contains the device itself, a VGA cable, DVI cable, USB cable and a CD. The USB cable is required for power, and for the included software to set the resolution that it should report to your computer. Oddly, the software to manage the device wasn’t on the disk. But I quickly found it on the Matrox site.  Once I got the cables all squared away, I set up my monitors just so. “Wow”, I’m thinking. “I’m gonna have freakin’ acres of display!”. But as I looked at it, and the distinct lack of space for all the other crap that I need on my desk, I decided three monitors was too much. The TH2G handles just two monitors as well, so I went that route instead. A bit sad really. I was starting to get really excited about the prospect of so many pixels. But I’ve got to have some place to put the mountain of other electronic do-dads that I just can’t seem to live without. With a new plan in place I hook everything up and start farting around with the TH2G configuration utility. It installs in your System Preferences and is fairly easy to use. It just didn’t work. Well, let me put that into some context: it didn’t work due to the latest Leopard graphics update that came along with 10.5.2. Detect Displays didn’t do shit, so I had to do the unplug/reboot/re-plug/reboot dance before it would finally recognize the TH2G.But once it found it, oh the joy! I now have a 3360×1050 display stretching over 44 glorious diagonal inches, and the MacBook display as well. Nice!There are a few hiccups though: The Dock. Crap. I didn’t even think about it getting hacked in half by the monitor bevels. Oh well, left-side Dock for me I guess. Same for dialog boxes. While nothing is hidden, the bevels make it feel a bit strange. You’ll notice from the picture that I found a use for the other 22″ Samsung. I just hooked it up to my ThinkPad T60. That gives me four displays on two systems running simultaneously. I should growing a lovely melanoma in no time.Anyway, if you’re into big displays and don’t want to spend a ton of money, you should check out the TH2G. Matrox also makes a DualHead2Go if you’re sure you only want two monitors. But you might as well get the TripleHead2Go. It’ll give you some room for expansion later should you need it.