Can i use Laptop as a desktop?

longwalks1

Got a new laptop coming this week, but 90% of its time I'll be using it in my bedroom, cani get a larger TFT monitor, and full size keyboard and plug them in, and basically have it sitting to the side as a desktop? What connections will i need to check for on the monitor?
I'm guessing the keyboard will be USB just plug and play?

Thanks in advance

totalsolutions

Yep, all available really and will just plug in. Some laptop keyboards are almost full sized anyway. I prefer a mouse rather than a touch pad. Monitor would need a vga input (would be handy if it also had a HDMI, and DVI as well). Laptop's can have HDMI but not seen one with a DVI output socket. You would need to know the monitors resolution and match that to the laptop's video output as well.

dickibobboy

Yes, you just need to make sure your laptop has a video output for the moitor, generally VGA.

It is what i am doing at the moment. I have my laptop open with one screen and a wireleess keyboard and mouse / speakers plugged in. My lcd monitor is next to this and it is my second screen, so you can have 'a really wide screen' and display things on one screen and drag other things to the other screen. Its great

Leopard

totalsolutions wrote: »

Yep, all available really and will just plug in. Some laptop keyboards are almost full sized anyway. I prefer a mouse rather than a touch pad. Monitor would need a vga input (would be handy if it also had a HDMI, and DVI as well). Laptop's can have HDMI but not seen one with a DVI output socket. You would need to know the monitors resolution and match that to the laptop's video output as well.

All Apple 15" (and greater) laptops for the last seven years have had a DVI output.

elvch01

I use my laptop as a desktop both at home & in the office. I have a docking station into which I have plugged in a USB keyboard & mouse , my network cable and a monitor. I use boith the laptop screen & monitor side by side to give a dual screen desktop

longwalks1

cheers people, just checked it has VGA input and is 1366x768, does that mean thatsthe only resolution monitor i can get, doesnt seem to be too many about with that res, can i get a better res one and it'll only work at laptop max res?

Also, laptop is 2Gb RAM, is it worth upgrading or not? only going ot use for surfing net and stuff

Thanks again

jessibell

You can cut the cost/space of having a monitor by using a laptop stand. They tilt up the laptop so you can see the screen at a good working height.

Also, if you're not going to use the laptop mobile very often I'd take the battery off it. No point trickle charging a battery to death if you're not going to move it anywhere.

:rotfl:

totalsolutions

Re # 6, Just need a 1280x1024 monitor then.

kwikbreaks

> Also, laptop is 2Gb RAM, is it worth upgrading or not? only going ot use for surfing net and stuff

Probably not even if you are running Vista and certainly not if running XP. It may not be possible anyway as a lot of laptops only support up to 2GB

weegie.geek

britishboy wrote: »

cheers people, just checked it has VGA input and is 1366x768, does that mean thatsthe only resolution monitor i can get, doesnt seem to be too many about with that res, can i get a better res one and it'll only work at laptop max res?

Also, laptop is 2Gb RAM, is it worth upgrading or not? only going ot use for surfing net and stuff

Thanks again

That's the native resolution of the screen built into the laptop. It'll be able to do a much higher resolution. Check what the chipset's capable of. Generally speaking you'll be limited by the monitor rather than the chipset though.

2GB will be plenty for XP. Vista maybe not, but ram's cheap.