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Installation Intalling the Dual Head 2 Go is pretty straight forward. First you need to install the driver software provided, thereafter simply connect the USB cable and VGA cable from your laptop to the Dual Head 2 Go and connect the two external monitors to the unit. Our installation went smoothly with no glitches at all.
Through patent-pending technology, the operating system detects the DualHead2Go Digital Edition as an ultra-widescreen monitor which is then split into two or more standard resolutions compatible with the attached displays. DualHead2Go Digital Edition also enables support for standard and wide resolution panels, offering a stretched desktop of up to 3840x1200 (or dual 1920x1200) across two displays. The included software known as Matrox PowerDesk includes a Desktop Divider feature to split your desktop into multiple units. So for example if you’re currently running a resolution of 3200 x 1200 the software will allow you to split the signal into 1600 x 1200 for each monitor. Applications used on each monitor will then maximize to its new resolution automatically. Right after the software is installed it’ll ask you to reboot the machine and once you go back in you are able to setup your multi monitor environment as you please. The software installed is very easy to use and if you’re already familiar with Matrox products the look and feel will be very similar. Some very handy features are offered through PowerDesk such as allowing you to determine which display dialog boxes/ message boxes appear, adjusting the image quality as well as control how windows are maximized.
The multi-display configuration delivered by DualHead2Go Digital Edition allows you to work simultaneously with multiple full-screen documents or applications eliminating the need to repeatedly open, close, or minimize applications. It is the ideal solution for professional and home users to quickly increase their productivity. All graphics rendering and 2D, 3D acceleration is still done through your existing graphics card and there is no image distortion and no scaling to the original raw pixels generated from the existing graphics accelerator. The DualHead2Go can be used on a laptop or a desktop. If you’re using it on a laptop you are now offered 3 independent displays or if you’re using it on a PC you have an instant dual monitor setup. If your existing PC already has dual monitor outputs you can connect the DualHead2Go on the 2nd output to have a triple monitor setup. The 3rd monitor will act independently to the other two monitors however. You have a number of configuration options to choose from depending on the hardware setup you have got. 1. You can connect your notebook with two additional monitors to the Dual Head 2 Go. Use the notebook screen for email, open Internet on one monitor and Calander on the second monitor. Move your mouse across all three displays as if it is one large monitor.
2. Connect DualHead2Go with two additional monitors to a desktop system. You can further expand this setup if your current graphics card has a dual monitor output, whereby you can have three monitors as mentioned before. (Setup is similar to the picture shown with the Mac Pro)
3. Connect DualHead2Go with two additional monitors on a closed notebook. Open the thumbnails of your photo album on one monitor and use the second monitor to view close ups of your favorite photos.
You will notice that the Windows task bar now spans across two monitors attached to the DualHead2GO which gives you ample work space than a conventional dual monitor setup. How you use the 2 or 3 screens is totally upto you, but personally I have the most active windows on the two main screens and background applications such as outlook, media player on the laptop screen. In contrast to the normal dual monitor setups where the OS detects two separate monitors, with the DualHead2Go the OS sees them as one single monitor. This is one of the main aspects why this device outshines to the competition. For example, most games out there don’t support dual monitor setups, and also if you are playing a movie dragging it across both monitors will cause half of the screen being not rendered properly. Most of the time you would see a black screen. These are all software limitations which are eliminated by the DualHead2Go. The DualHead2Go supports the following resolutions as shown on the compatibility tool
If the default resolution isn’t best suited for you, new resolutions can be created which will span across every monitor. Up to 4 custom resolutions can be created which will be available on Matrox applet running on the task bar after a reboot. Including support for wide screen displays is a very wise decision in winning more user acceptance since popularity is growing for this type of monitor. Users may find the slightly larger desktop a bit hard to get used to at the start; however considering how much your productivity improves this is a small price to pay. Improving productivity is not the only benefit of using the DualHead2Go. Gamers out there can truly enjoy the benefits of multi display gaming which will add a whole new level of fun to your gameplay. We tried a few Strategy, SIMS and FPS games to see how well the unit would perform. I must admit the experience is incredible especially in Flight Sims and Strategy games. If you can stretch your budget a little have a look at their TripleHead2Go which seems to have some extra features which caters especially for gamers.
Conclusion Matrox being the innovators they are, have yet again produced a product to give a whole new meaning to the multi monitor working environment. It has overcome many drawbacks traditional dual monitor setups face and has offered it in a solution that does not require cumbersome installations. The DualHead2Go is a well rounded product and does its intended job with no problems at all. If the only reason you’re going for one of these units is for gaming, we would first like you to see what the TripleHead2Go offers as it’ll better cater to your needs in such a case. For the professional user and occasional gamer, the DualHead2Go will do you justice without a doubt. The features and functionality offered by the PowerDesk software is a great add-on but could improve slightly with more compatibility with wider set of programs out there. Considering its size, the DualHead2Go will not take much desktop space and it’s an ideal solution to laptop users since there’s no other solution if you wanted a multi monitor setup. While it’s hard for us to say how much of a productivity improvement you will achieve, one thing is for sure, you will get your work done faster and with better efficiency. At a price tag of around AUS$480 this would make an ideal gift since Christmas is round the corner.
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