Dual monitor support query

Hi guys, will this setup enable me to use dual monitors?

HP ProBook 6550b Notebook + 90w docking station. The docking station has a DVI-D interface on it, and the laptop just has Intel HD Graphics (onboard). I have bought this setup for someone and now realise they need to be set up with two monitors, so need to know whether or not I need to send it back. Thanks, Kev

 

Hi

I dont know.

If you have got this pc for a client it maybe wise to just comtact the people you purchased it from and see what thier advice is, after all they are the experts in that model, and if not they should be able to provide an alternative.

You could also try looking at the manufacturer's website to see if there is any info on this,


Good luck

 

Hi - yep that is what I've ended up doing. HP make it very difficult to tell what spec each of their docking stations is - the website doesn't tell you in most cases, the spec is missing.

Thanks anyway,

Kev

 

Just my thoughts but most of the time the external video ports are on the back of the laptop so when they are docked the ports are blocked. Some docks have VGA & HD but I've never tested to see if both work. If not you can go to a USB to VGA for a second monitor.

 

Most notebooks do not support dual monitors (except for the notebook's monitor and one external monitor). And using a docking station only extends the existing connection. Even if you could use two monitors, they would both display the same image - that is, you could not use the 2nd monitor to extend the desktop across the 2nd monitor so you have more desktop to work with in order to have different open windows on each monitor.

The alternative is to get something like this.

 

Thanks for responses. I've ended up keeping the HP setup for someone else and ordering a Dell setup that I know works for two other users. So apparently there are some setups that are capable of this (Dell docking station even has 2x DVI connections) but it isn't very well advertised.