How do I link my laptop up to two monitors?

The other people are correct about connecting a laptop to a SINGLE external monitor. You would have a laptop screen (small, but high resolution) and a large monitor screen (also high resolution). Most software that comes with a laptop can handle both screens at high resolution. You have to chose if you want to identical views (a clone), or an extended desktop (both screens are linked to show a larger surface). There are ways to have the laptop show on TWO monitors as well as its own screen. 1) Connect as above to a Matrox Twinhead2Go. It is a box between the laptop and two monitors. It is about $150. It will show different views at the same time, linked side-by-side if you wish. 2) Connect first monitor as above, and use an external USB-to-VGA video adapter that will run a monitor as if it is connected directly to your laptop. Iogear and others make these for about $70. 3) Connect another laptop to your laptop with an ethernet network cable and both are used with a program called MaxiVista ($40). http://www.maxivista.com/ That will get you another screen, but it is small. 4) There are cables or boxes that duplicate a video screen on a second monitor. These duplicators are used on store displays to make a bunch of screens identical. Cheapest is the split VGA cable at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030AZ48U/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00008AOKJ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=085DKZXQHQ6CZDNZPZDG for $3.66 There are performance issues with expanding the monitors to show different views. Your graphics on the monitors may get a lot slower. The whole laptop performance may get slower.

Something alot of people do, is solely use a separate monitor for their laptop because let's face it, laptop screens are small. If you look along the side of your laptop, you should see a weird looking port, shaped somewhat like a trapezoid, and it will have little holes in it. That's your external VGA port. Your monitor will have a cable with big blue ends, one of them connects to your monitor, the other end goes into your external VGA port. You may or may not need new drivers for this monitor, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website usually. Hope this gets you started:) -Michael

There’s a good chance you already have everything you need to set up your second monitor. Click here to view the checklist. Know your equipment The following table provides more information about the components for setting up an extra monitor. Click here to view the equipment table. How to set up your second monitor Connect the monitor cables When you’re ready to connect the monitor cable to the connector on your computer, make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on. Your computer should automatically detect the second monitor, although you may have to restart your computer first. If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll need to enable Dualview.

use a blue cable to connect it up to the monitor. 1 end goes 2 the blue bit on the side of the laptop and the other goes under the monitor, same blue bit