[Technology] Assistance required - wfh - extra screen

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It's certainly not ideal, and I don't know what kind of work the OP does.
But having a USB 3.0 or above USB to HDMI can work for basic word, data entry, email etc in a pinch eh.

I've certainly got away doing this until my company's IT dept. updated my computer. I did only use for basic data CRM etc.

 

[mothy]

If you have a laptop screen +1 other screen you can have different info on both screens.

If you have laptop screen +2 other screens. You'll need a piece of kit to split it so you can have different info on each screen. It's called. Port replicator (possibly - I'll remember later no doubt)

 

[dadams2k11]

All they need is a HDMI to VGA/DVI convertor and VGA/DVI cable.

Simple.

All this USB talk is pie in the sky [emoji3]

 

[Motogull]

I would leave outlook on the laptop and mostly use the biggers for word, xl and pdf.

I now have a different laptop I could use, a lenovo ideapad. Looks like it might have a usb-c but not so sure as it does not look like the one in the picture kindly posted.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

All they need is a HDMI to VGA/DVI convertor and VGA/DVI cable.

Simple.

All this USB talk is pie in the sky [emoji3]

How will that work when the one hdmi port on the laptop is already in use powering his current external monitor and the laptop has no other traditional video outputs?

I would leave outlook on the laptop and mostly use the biggers for word, xl and pdf.

I now have a different laptop I could use, a lenovo ideapad. Looks like it might have a usb-c but not so sure as it does not look like the one in the picture kindly posted.

Do you know which ideapad it is, there are many different models, the lower end ones don't appear to have usb-c but the higher end ones do.

 

[StonehamPark]

I'm currently in the process of setting up a home office and looking at monitor options. My surface laptop can power two external monitors either via usb-c or via a dock. The only problem is the dock is under-powered and doesn't pass through enough power to keep the laptop battery from draining when processing power is required which defeats the object of having an all in one dock, but losing the usb-c isn't appealing when it comes to data transfer etc. I know you can get a multi port adapter but then you are fighting for bandwidth between video and data transfer etc. There is always something to trip you up when it comes to IT.

I was in a similar situation 6 months ago.
Wfh, office set up.
Laptop with 2x USB c, only use it when workload is relatively light and only need 1 or 2 screens.

Full pc tower with 2 monitors when workload is high. Both plugged into the gpu.

 

[Lower West Stander]

NSC is so awesome for things like this. Excellent advise so far if shame it looks like can’t do everything you want effectively.

Great isn’t it?

And I haven’t a clue what anyone is talking about….


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rbridd]

I use one of these...



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Targus-Vid...3+dv1k-2k+compact+dock,electronics,51&sr=1-34

I recently set this up on my daughters Acer Aspire 3 a315 laptop.

It requires a USB3 (the blue one) socket.
Once plugged in, windows took care of the drivers, loading in background during setup.
It took about 5 minutes to install and get the dual screen set up.
I had both the laptop screen and the external monitor working seamlessly in 1080P as an extended desktop. (i.e. showing different images on the screens.)
As far as I can tell, the docking station is effectively a second video card.

This model supports 2 extra screens, so you could have 3 connected to your laptop.
Targus, and other manufacturers have other similar products, but this is the exact model I use and can recommend.

 

[dadams2k11]

How will that work when the one hdmi port on the laptop is already in use powering his current external monitor and the laptop has no other traditional video outputs?



Do you know which ideapad it is, there are many different models, the lower end ones don't appear to have usb-c but the higher end ones do.

I read it has he WANTS the monitor to work, not an extra one.

So laptop and extra monitor?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I read it has he WANTS the monitor to work, not an extra one.

So laptop and extra monitor?

In the original post he says "I have a single hdmi port laptop but now have a second extra monitor." which would imply he already has 1 extra monitor using the hdmi port. If he didn't have that first monitor then I think the problem would have been solved quite quickly by someone saying buy an HDMI cable.

 

[Seagull27]

When you say 3x usb - do you have a smaller rounded one (usb-c, you might also use this as a charger) or just the standard large usb ports (usb-a)?
View attachment 143272

I would leave outlook on the laptop and mostly use the biggers for word, xl and pdf.

I now have a different laptop I could use, a lenovo ideapad. Looks like it might have a usb-c but not so sure as it does not look like the one in the picture kindly posted.

The picture I posted does look a little misleading for the usb-c actually, you can't really see the 3d perspective - it should probably look more like this on your laptop, with a thin strip in the middle:

 

[dadams2k11]

In the original post he says "I have a single hdmi port laptop but now have a second extra monitor." which would imply he already has 1 extra monitor using the hdmi port. If he didn't have that first monitor then I think the problem would have been solved quite quickly by someone saying buy an HDMI cable.

And directly after it says "What do I need in terms of an adapter to have different stuff on each screen?"

Edit: I have completed misunderstood the extra second screen.

Apologies. [emoji106]

 

[happypig]

I would leave outlook on the laptop and mostly use the biggers for word, xl and pdf.

I now have a different laptop I could use, a lenovo ideapad. Looks like it might have a usb-c but not so sure as it does not look like the one in the picture kindly posted.

A lot of lenovos have a displayport or mini displayport, has yours ?

If it has either, I've probably got a cable I could send you

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Assuming your laptop isn't too old, you should have a small port which you can run a mini hub from. A mini-hub should allow you to have an additional video output as well as provide extra USB slots. You can then run one screen cabled directly to the laptop and the the other via the mini-hub.

That is how I have my laptop and two screens set up for work.

 

[Albion my Albion]

All they need is a HDMI to VGA/DVI convertor and VGA/DVI cable.

Simple.

All this USB talk is pie in the sky [emoji3]

 

[Motogull]

Right ho chaps.

Does it look like I can add two screens to either of these laptops?




The metal coloured one might have the fabled (to me) USB C?

If so, what do I need? (In addition to a life and a pie.)

Thanks in advance.

Oh yes, word, excel and pdfs etc.

 

[Acker79]

Right ho chaps.

Does it look like I can add two screens to either of these laptops?

View attachment 143500
View attachment 143501

The metal coloured one might have the fabled (to me) USB C?

If so, what do I need? (In addition to a life and a pie.)

Thanks in advance.

Oh yes, word, excel and pdfs etc.

Going from other comments in the thread, it looks like both would work. That looks like USB C in the metalic one, and the lower image shows the USB 3.0 slot on the red laptop (the blue connector inside the slot indicates it's 3.0).

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Right hand port on the top laptop looks like it should support a mini hub to allow you to add an extra monitor.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Right ho chaps.

Does it look like I can add two screens to either of these laptops?


View attachment 143501

The metal coloured one might have the fabled (to me) USB C?

If so, what do I need? (In addition to a life and a pie.)

Thanks in advance.

Oh yes, word, excel and pdfs etc.

The port next to the headphone socket on the top laptop looks like its USB C. Easiest setup would probably be HDMI to one monitor and use a USB-C to HDMI adapter to connect the second monitor.

Something like this should be a cheap solution.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Sn...ocphy=9045117&hvtargid=pla-1050959422775&th=1

You could power both monitors via a usb-c hub but that could be a more expensive solution depending on the hub.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-Powe...s=usb+c+hub+with+2+hdmi&qid=1641503576&sr=8-1

 

[father_and_son]

Something not too dissimilar to this works. Check out eBay, etc if you want a cheaper 2nd hand version. Not endorsing this model in particular but this shows what is available for multi-screen on older laptops.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wavlink-Un...5T6D9PF/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_i=B075T6D9PF&psc=1


I bought a DisplayLink one about 5-6 years ago for an old laptop. Since upgraded to a very smart new laptop, but still an essential part of my setup as it allows me to have 3 external screens (2 through the dock and one through HDMI - plus the two internal touch screens - Asus ux481 has two HD screens but compromises with a very compressed keyboard).


EDIT: Most were sold at the time as usb3.0 but mine had always worked fine through a usb2.0 port.