Using an old laptop as a second monitor/client

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,comp.sys.laptops,comp.os.ms-windows.misc (More info?)

Hi

I have a mascine running Win2k that is plenty fast. But I would like
to have a second screen displaying for example datasheets and other
info as I work on the "fast" mascine

Enter my old portable that is too slow to be used for real work

Well, I can connect the two by ethernet. But is there some fancy way
of getting documents up on the laptop display? Should I use a VNC
(Virtual Network Computing) program or some other remote access
program? Or perhaps make a script that copies the file to the laptop,
starts-up the application on the laptop?

Any good ideas?

Thanks

Klaus

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,comp.sys.laptops,comp.os.ms-windows.misc (More info?)

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 02:01:22 -0700, Klaus Kragelund wrote:

> Well, I can connect the two by ethernet. But is there some fancy way
> of getting documents up on the laptop display? Should I use a VNC
> (Virtual Network Computing) program or some other remote access
> program? Or perhaps make a script that copies the file to the laptop,
> starts-up the application on the laptop?

Since you have one slow and one fast, of course the most optimal solution
would be one that would let you use the CPU power of the new one, and
just use the old laptop as a "dumb" terminal.

Unfortunately, most windows OS's (including Win2k professional) won't
allow you to have more than one "desktop" at a time, so even if you
installed a VNC server on your fast laptop and used a VNC client on your
old one, they would both display the same screen...

Either, you need a Win2k Advanced Server OS with a Terminal Server
license (correct me if I'm wrong on this), which will allow you to make
another "virtual" desktop which you can remotely view and control from the
old laptop. But I suspect that this would cost you more than it would
taste...

OR you need to switch to a more powerful operating system like GNU/Linux,
which by design allows you to have as many virtual desktops as you'd
possibly like. I am running such a solution myself right now, and I
would highly recommend it. It actually feels like you suddenly have two
fast laptops instead of one, since both utilize the fast one's abundant
supply of CPU power. Quite a nice way to breathe fresh life into aged
laptops!

But if that's no option, you might need to share your documents
(via a windows share) from the fast laptop, and run any applications you
need to view it locally on the old one. But it will most probably be
slooooow....

Regards,
Kristian

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,comp.sys.laptops,comp.os.ms-windows.misc (More info?)

Kristian Berge Nessa <kristian@fake.email.net> wrote in message news:<pan.2004.10.14.15.12.01.452769@fake.email.net>...
> On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 02:01:22 -0700, Klaus Kragelund wrote:
>
> > Well, I can connect the two by ethernet. But is there some fancy way
> > of getting documents up on the laptop display? Should I use a VNC
> > (Virtual Network Computing) program or some other remote access
> > program? Or perhaps make a script that copies the file to the laptop,
> > starts-up the application on the laptop?
>

Snip

> OR you need to switch to a more powerful operating system like GNU/Linux,
> which by design allows you to have as many virtual desktops as you'd
> possibly like. I am running such a solution myself right now, and I
> would highly recommend it. It actually feels like you suddenly have two
> fast laptops instead of one, since both utilize the fast one's abundant
> supply of CPU power. Quite a nice way to breathe fresh life into aged
> laptops!
>
> But if that's no option, you might need to share your documents
> (via a windows share) from the fast laptop, and run any applications you
> need to view it locally on the old one. But it will most probably be
> slooooow....
>

Thanks

I've been using Linux before, but sorry to say that I dissed that
because I use programs that can only run on a Windows system. But can
I run Linux on the slow one and access that from the fast one via a
client connection? Or do I need Linux on both machines?

Another option perhaps. Some graphics cards lets you have dual
display. WIll such a card enable the VNC to just aquire a portion of
the screen?

Cheers

Klaus

 

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,comp.sys.laptops,comp.os.ms-windows.misc (More info?)

On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 23:38:15 -0700, Klaus Kragelund wrote:
<...>
> I've been using Linux before, but sorry to say that I dissed that
> because I use programs that can only run on a Windows system. But can
> I run Linux on the slow one and access that from the fast one via a
> client connection? Or do I need Linux on both machines?

Since the fast one is going to act as some kind of a terminal server, that
one will have to run either a "Server" edition of Windows, or Linux.

As far as I know, there are no "free" or even "affordable" software
available for windows that will allow you to do what you want.


> Another option perhaps. Some graphics cards lets you have dual display.
> WIll such a card enable the VNC to just aquire a portion of the screen?

Not that I know of, sorry.

Regards,
Kristian

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Klaus Kragelund wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a mascine running Win2k that is plenty fast. But I would like
> to have a second screen displaying for example datasheets and other
> info as I work on the "fast" mascine
>
> Enter my old portable that is too slow to be used for real work
>
> Well, I can connect the two by ethernet. But is there some fancy way
> of getting documents up on the laptop display? Should I use a VNC
> (Virtual Network Computing) program or some other remote access
> program? Or perhaps make a script that copies the file to the laptop,
> starts-up the application on the laptop?
>
> Any good ideas?
>
> Thanks
>
> Klaus
I downloaded the demo version of MaxiVista which does exactly that -
let's you expand your display onto a networked device. Check it out,
but I was impressed.

Joe

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Joe D <jdworsky@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message news:<ZiQbd.475452$8_6.346166@attbi_s04>...
> Klaus Kragelund wrote:
> > Hi
> >
> > I have a mascine running Win2k that is plenty fast. But I would like
> > to have a second screen displaying for example datasheets and other
> > info as I work on the "fast" mascine
> >
> > Enter my old portable that is too slow to be used for real work
> >
> > Well, I can connect the two by ethernet. But is there some fancy way
> > of getting documents up on the laptop display? Should I use a VNC
> > (Virtual Network Computing) program or some other remote access
> > program? Or perhaps make a script that copies the file to the laptop,
> > starts-up the application on the laptop?
> >
> > Any good ideas?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Klaus
> I downloaded the demo version of MaxiVista which does exactly that -
> let's you expand your display onto a networked device. Check it out,
> but I was impressed.
>
> Joe

Thankyou very much Joe. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for and at
a resonable price also (50$)

You are my hero of the month

Cheers

Klaus