1 PC to drive 3 Screens

[upstatemike]

I am looking for a CHEAP way to view a bunch of different web pages at the same time without using a bunch of PCs. I have tons of spare monitors around and I see that you can buy USB 2.0 VGA video adaptors pretty cheap also... so how can I add 2 additional adaptors to a PC and display 3 different screens at the same time? (Like a webcam view, an HVAC status, and mucic controls). I dont want to squeeze them onto some custom touch screen/web page and view them all on 1 screen... I want to have 3 separate browser sessions running (on 1 PC) with 3 monitors, each displaying a different session. Can I do this easily? Or would it require some complicated Citrix virtual machine type of thing? Do I just extend the main desktop onto the other screens and tile the browser windows somehow?

 

[CollinR]

Buy thin clients and use terminal services in XP pro. You can get used clients for $20 nowdays, this way you basically have another complete desktop per screen.

 

[aehusted]

To drive three monitors, you will need 3 video cards. Depending on what kind of card you get and what you already have, you may only need 2 because many newer ones have two outputs.
If you are really just want as cheap as possible, you can probably pick up a couple PCI video cards for a small amount if you get older/used ones. If you are only using them for web browsers, you don't need fancy ones with 3D acceleration and big onboard memory. There are probably lots of older cards floating around that are not in use because gamers upgraded their stock board to a higher power one.

I am looking for a CHEAP way to view a bunch of different web pages at the same time without using a bunch of PCs. I have tons of spare monitors around and I see that you can buy USB 2.0 VGA video adaptors pretty cheap also... so how can I add 2 additional adaptors to a PC and display 3 different screens at the same time? (Like a webcam view, an HVAC status, and mucic controls). I dont want to squeeze them onto some custom touch screen/web page and view them all on 1 screen... I want to have 3 separate browser sessions running (on 1 PC) with 3 monitors, each displaying a different session. Can I do this easily? Or would it require some complicated Citrix virtual machine type of thing? Do I just extend the main desktop onto the other screens and tile the browser windows somehow?

 

[TeleFragger]

I had a video card that was 16mb video... 4 x 4mb... had a dongle with 4mb of ram for each but did 4 monitors...

you could buy something like that...

 

[IVB]

some folks are using BeTwin software for this, I couldn't answer any questions about it though

 

[upstatemike]

Buy thin clients and use terminal services in XP pro. You can get used clients for $20 nowdays, this way you basically have another complete desktop per screen.

I didn't know thin clients were that cheap... that is less than an additional video card. Any idea how much power they use?

 

[upstatemike]

some folks are using BeTwin software for this, I couldn't answer any questions about it though

I think I've heard of this but I'll have to research it... Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[beelzerob]

I'm really curious with what you finally learn in regards to your goal. I'm going to have the same scenario pretty soon, lots of screens to drive, but not wanting to have lots of PC's running.

 

[CollinR]

Buy thin clients and use terminal services in XP pro. You can get used clients for $20 nowdays, this way you basically have another complete desktop per screen.

I didn't know thin clients were that cheap... that is less than an additional video card. Any idea how much power they use?

That will depend on the specific thin client used, I have seen some as low as 5 watt. However I am thinking you'll want a 1ghz CPU so maybe 20 watt.

 

[upstatemike]

Buy thin clients and use terminal services in XP pro. You can get used clients for $20 nowdays, this way you basically have another complete desktop per screen.

I didn't know thin clients were that cheap... that is less than an additional video card. Any idea how much power they use?

That will depend on the specific thin client used, I have seen some as low as 5 watt. However I am thinking you'll want a 1ghz CPU so maybe 20 watt.

Do I need much CPU? All I want is a browser screen to let me watch stuff (cameras on one, weather map on another, etc.) I'm not going to control anything as I will hot key my desk PC over to the appropriate system if I need to do something. I just want to be able to keep an eye on a bunch of things while I am doing work (or posting to CocoonTech) on my main screen.

 

[CollinR]

Do I need much CPU? All I want is a browser screen to let me watch stuff (cameras on one, weather map on another, etc.) I'm not going to control anything as I will hot key my desk PC over to the appropriate system if I need to do something. I just want to be able to keep an eye on a bunch of things while I am doing work (or posting to CocoonTech) on my main screen.

IMHO 1ghz is not much CPU.

Seriously I think this has more to do with the preloaded OS and RDP client version then anything else. I have gathered from your past postings that you would prefer a more out of the box solution rather then compiling and deploying somthing on your own. I have no clue what the absolute minimum CPU requirement is but I would guess in the 350mhz range but then you will have an older OS and possibly no RDP client at all. So you would need to build a small linux distribution basically just to get it up and running and rdesktop to connect to the terminal server. If you get a newer client it may well have XPe and RDP already going, all you need to do is fill in the blanks.

 

[upstatemike]

I have gathered from your past postings that you would prefer a more out of the box solution rather then compiling and deploying somthing on your own.

Yes that is a fair statement. I do not want to program, design, develop, or build anything. I prefer tools and solutions with little or no learning curve or custom configuration required. I am interested in application rather than construction so I want all of my time spent on using a tool (making input A control device B during condition C) and zero time spent on the tool itself (correct syntax for the obscure device B control protocol, or determining device drivers for the alternative OS that runs the open source software that supports some scripting language that can talk to the input A perpetual beta version API, etc.)

Just a matter of prioritizing my time investment... I want to spend all of my time playing and as little as possible building, so give me simple, reliable, modular, scalable. Lots of configuration options (don't give me logic that won't do OR statements or nested IF-THENS) but no heavy scripting, progamming, graphic design, OS patching, etc, etc.

 

[keepersg]

So, as long as you don't want touch screens, you could use n-computing's system. About $200/unit and enables you to use a single computer running XP for multiple sessions. On the other hand, if you're willing to mess around some, used thin clients are a lot cheaper. I'm using Wyse 9235s which I picked up on e-bay for about $40 apiece

 

[upstatemike]

So, as long as you don't want touch screens, you could use n-computing's system. About $200/unit and enables you to use a single computer running XP for multiple sessions. On the other hand, if you're willing to mess around some, used thin clients are a lot cheaper. I'm using Wyse 9235s which I picked up on e-bay for about $40 apiece

That is a good idea. I always think of n-computing in terms of Touchtronix screens (which I like but will never be able to afford) but forgot you can get those little boxes for regular monitors. I'll take another look at that. I'm really reluctant to mess with RDP for a number of reasons. I've had issues in the past with things getting installed into the OS that could not be uninstalled, things that lock out the local console when used remotely, etc etc. Just don't have the patience to go back down that road.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I always think of n-computing in terms of Touchtronix screens (which I like but will never be able to afford) but forgot you can get those little boxes for regular monitors. I'll take another look at that.

So I take it that these monitors will never be "touch" screens (i.e. just for monitoring purposes as you stated in your first post)?