I want to set up a second monitor to my computer. I want to know if I

I want to set up a second monitor to my computer. I want to know if I can use a 15" monitor as well as my 19" monitor on my system. I use (Adobe) Photoshop and I want to put all the toolbars on the 15" to clear up space on my 19" when I'm working with large images. Is it possible and if so, how? I have an ATI Xpert 98 that I use at 1600x1200x32 resolution on my 19". I'd like to have the other monitor set up at 800x600x8 on my ATI Mach 64 for the sole purpose of holding the tools.

This question was answered on April 10, 2000. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

In the past, dual monitor setups on personal computers were limited to expensive, proprietary CAD (Computer Aided Design) systems With the release of Windows 98, Microsoft made it pretty easy for most users to have multiple monitors connected to the same computer In fact, Windows 98 will support up to nine monitors on one PC! Since most motherboards don’t have space for nine video cards, it is more likely that you will stop at around three monitors on a typical computer system You can get step-by-step instructions for installing multiple displays by going to the Help menu (Start/Help), click on the Index tab at the top and type “multiple display support”

In my experiments with this feature, I have installed three video cards/monitors on the same system and learned a few things along the way A video card that is built into the motherboard can present some problems depending upon the manufacturer You may be required to disable it and install multiple AGP or PCI video cards instead For the best results, be sure to stick with the same manufacturer for all of the video cards and, if possible, the same model According to Microsoft, these are a few of the cards that are supported for multi-display configurations:

-ATI Mach64 GX (Supports Direct Draw)

-ATI Rage 1 and 2 (VT and greater)

-ATI 3D Rage Pro

-Trident 9685/9680/9682/9385/9382/9385-1 PCI

-S3 764V+ (765), Trio 64V2

-S3 ViRGE (Supports Direct Draw and Direct 3D)

-S3 Aurora (S3M65)

-Cirrus 5436,7548,5446

For an updated list of compatible hardware go to:

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Day-traders, web designers or anyone that would like to have multiple programs open and viewable at the same time will find this feature very useful Imagine having your stock trading program on one screen, your e-mail on another and a third for word processing, surfing the net or anything that your heart desires It is the ultimate in multi-tasking!