0 Best Tools For Multiple-Monitor Setup + Tutorials

Wikipedia : "Multi-Monitor, also called Multi-Display and Multi-Head, is the use of multiple physical display devices, such as monitors, televisions, and projectors, in order to increase the area available for computer programs running on a single computer system. Dual-Display, Dual-Screen and Dual-Monitor are names commonly used to describe a particular type of multi-monitor display, specifically one with two display devices."

I think, It's a part of project management. Multi-monitor is a great idea to improve our productivity. With multi-monitor, you as a professional freelancer would be helpful in doing many tasks with multiple clients at the same time.

In this post, I've chosen some tools that might you can use to configure your computers to many screens. Hope useful for you. :)

Here are :

Multiple-Monitor Setup (Free - Open Source)

• Synergy : Synergy lets you easily share your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers on your desk, and it's Free and Open Source. Just move your mouse off the edge of one computer's screen on to another. You can even share all of your clipboards. All you need is a network connection. Synergy is cross-platform (works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux).

• Input Director : Input Director developed by the OpenSSL Project. Input Director is a Windows application that lets you control multiple Windows systems using the keyboard/mouse attached to one computer. It is designed for folks who have two (or more) computers next to each other and find themselves regularly switching from one system to the other. With Input Director, you can share a single keyboard/mouse across a set of systems. You switch which system receives the input either by hotkey or by moving the cursor so that it transitions from one screen to the other (in a very similar fashion to a multi-monitor setup). The idea being that you can position the monitors from two or more systems in a row and use a shared keyboard/mouse to control all of them.

• Dual Monitor Tools : Dual Monitor Tools is a software package for Windows users with dual or multiple monitor setups. All the tools are open source and free, and each tool is independent so you only need to install or run what you want. Has hotkeys for moving windows around, restrict mouse/cursor movement between screens, application launcher, wallpaper creator, temporarily disable secondary screens and a screen capture tool.

Multiple-Monitor Setup (Commercial)

• Windows 7 : With Windows 7, you can easily extend your Windows desktop across more than one monitor by plugging two or more monitors into a desktop computer or one or more monitors into a laptop. Most laptops allow you to connect one external monitor. A desktop that spans two or more monitors significantly increases your desktop area so that you can drag windows, program icons, and other items to any location on the extended desktop. There are 4 editions you can choose : Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, Enterprise.

• MultiMon : MultiMon allows you to place a Windows taskbar on up to 3 monitors connected as a single display system. You will then have easy and convenient access to all the taskbar buttons on each monitor. Available for free and PRO version ($28). Supports on Windows XP, 2000, Vista and W7.

• UltraMon : UltraMon is a utility for multi-monitor systems, designed to increase productivity and unlock the full potential of multiple monitors. Benefits : efficiently move windows and maximize windows across the desktop, manage more applications with the Smart Taskbar, control application positioning with UltraMon Shortcuts, multi-monitor support for desktop wallpapers and screen savers, mirror your main monitor to secondary monitors for a presentation, and other features. Available on XP, Vista, Windows 7. US $39.95/Single license.     

• DisplayFusion : DisplayFusion will make your multi-monitor life much easier. With powerful features like Multi-Monitor Taskbars, TitleBar Buttons and fully customizable HotKeys, DisplayFusion will make managing your multiple monitors easy. You can try it for 30 day trial. DisplayFusion works in Windows Server 2003 & 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows XP and 2000, Windows 7 and Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), Windows 8 (beta) (32-bit and 64-bit). Pro Standard License ($25 per computer), Pro Personal Home License ($35 for any number of computers in your house).

Some tools might you need

• Multi Monitor Mouse (M3) : If you have ever worked on a multi-monitor system (two or more displays connected to the same computer) you have probably experienced the annoyance of having to move the mouse across large distances in order to access different parts of the desktop. M3 allows for conventional control of the mouse within each monitor's screen, while permitting immediate warping across monitors when desired to increase mouse traversal speed. Support on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP with Microsoft .NET Framework (2.0 or higher). This project is funded by NSF Grant IIS-0121239

• Teleport : This tool developed by Julien ROBERT. Teleport lets you use a single mouse and keyboard to control several Macs. Simply reach an edge of your screen, and your mouse teleports to your nearby Mac, which also becomes controlled by your keyboard. The pasteboard can be synchronized, and you can even drag & drop files between your Macs.

• Disper : Disper by Willem van Engen. Disper gives you the option to either clone all detected displays, or extend the desktop to them. Resolutions are automatically detected. For cloning, the highest common resolution supported by all displays is chosen; for extending every display device gets its highest supported resolution. For special setups requiring more detailed control, one can still use the standard display configuration utilites.

• GridMove : GridMove developed by DonationCoder. GridMove is a program that aims at making windows management easier. It helps you with this task by defining a visual grid on your desktop, to which you can easily snap windows. This program comes bundled with some predefined grid templates, that can be easily swaped, but also has ways of creating custom grids or sharing grids made by others. GridMove makes moving windows, resizing windows, displaying them on cascade or on mosaic, making them on top or anything you can think of as easy as drag and drop.

Some Multi-Monitor Setup Guides

• How To Configure and Use Multiple Monitors in Windows XP by Microsoft's Official Site.

• Dual monitor setup: Two monitors are better than one by Microsoft's Official Site.

• How to Setup Dual Monitors for Windows Vista by Dell's Official Site.

• How to Set Up Multiple Monitors by PCWorld.

• How to configure Synergy in six steps by Matt Cutts, the head of Google’s Webspam team.

• Multi-Monitor Guide by Realtime Soft.

• Dual and Multi-Monitor Set Up on SourceForge.

• How to Run Dual Monitors with Your MacBook by eHow Contributor.

• Set Up Multiple Monitors (Video) by middleofnowhere, on Wired.

• How to turn your dual-monitor PC into a dual mac-PC system by By mhaughey, on Lifehacker.

• How to Add a Second Monitor on A Laptop by  Lisa Johnston, On About.com Guide.

• How To Configure And Use Multiple Monitors In Windows 7 from Guiding Tech Network

• To Configure Linux for Multiple Monitors by Oracle.

• How would I set up a dual monitor setup in Xubuntu 11.10? on LinuxQuestions's Forum.

• Configuring multiple monitors with a nVidia graphics card (Ubuntu) by Ubuntu Guide.

• 6 Ways To Set Up Dual Monitors To Be More Productive by Tim Lenahan, on MakeUseOf.

How do you think?

Glad to hear your opinion. Please who wants to share experiences or make suggestions. Thank you.

Happy freelancing, keep working, keep your health, and good luck for all! :)

image by Norman Walsh