I'm not sure if this exists.

I'd like to find some kind of small screen that I can hook up to a
laptop so that I can view what is the computer screen from a different
angle.

I take my laptop to shows and use the screen saver as a way to display
my portfolio. Since it is aimed at my customers, I cannot see it from
my position, and thus I never know which photos that are reacting to. I
would really like to know what is on the screen when they are watching.

I don't want to carry a huge monitor with me, and I'd like it to be
fairly inexpensive. I tried setting up a mirror, but that only works if
I have the laptop at the back of my display rather than up at the
front.

Any ideas?

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
Connect an external screen to the vga output, and turn it on.

Peter

Peter T. Breuer wrote:

I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't clear in my question.

I am looking for advice on the smallest extrernal screen that I can
find. Something that is fairly cheap, but I can take to shows. I cannot
take a regular monitor with me. Way too bulky. And Flat screens are
really expensive. It needs to be portable and fit on the table behind
the laptap.

Do they make something that is't necessarily high quality that would
work as a monitor? There are lots of products with screens that can
show color photos, but would any of them be able to act like a monitor
in terms of plugging into the VGA and showing what the screen saver is
showing.

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
I would have thought any old lcd screen would do. They cost about a
couple of hundred dollars or maybe less at the cheap end (15"?). I'm
not up on how far prices have fallen.

Peter

Peter T. Breuer wrote:
That's a bit large and expensive for my usage. I go to about 10 shows a
year, 2 days each. I just want to be able to see what photo is on the
screen when somebody comments or asks a question. Unless I can find a
device that has some other use, than this screen will be sitting in a
crate the other 340 days a year or so.

I was hoping a mini tv would work, or maybe those new photo viewers or
something.

Right now, I have to get up and use the arrow keys to get back to the
photo since they change every 6 seconds. It's not something I want to
spend a lot of money on. It just would be nice if there was something
out there that is small and fairly cheap. Or at least useful for
something else when I am not at shows.

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:

Then perhaps you would consider buying a 14" one for $100. Etc. It
certainly seems worth your while to look around.

Peter

Peter T. Breuer wrote:

Thanks. I will look into it. I didn't realize there were any think
screens like this that were less than a few hundred.

Another question. Could I hook my laptop up to another laptop and have
it control that one? I found somebody selling an older laptop (Pentium
90 Mhz) for only $40. If I could get my good laptop to control that
monitor, I could set it on the floor below the table and aim at us.
That would be cheaper, but I don't know if it would that way or not.

Thanks again.

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
Well, you can run a remote session via things like vmware under windows.
But you have to buy software like that. Under unix, one always runs
remote sessions. I don't know what you mean by "control that one". Do
you mean "launch processes on that one" (remote procedure calls)?

Please don't invemt these absurd complications. An old LCD screen
is obviously cheaper than an old laptop, but a new one won't set you
back any to notice!

No it would not be cheaper. A quick glance at Ebay shows NEW 6.5" LCD
screens on sale from shops at $150 (129E) even over here in
expensive-land. (hey, you can get a whole 7" lcd-tv from a shop for
125E at xmas! How do they make a living :=). FUll sized new Sony 15"
CPD-M151panels appear to go at 70GBP ($115) from particulars. In the
US, the price must be lower .. yeah, I see shops selling 15" at $90,
and the free auction prices start at $10 (how does one send an lcd
screen throug the post ...?). It's hard to find many monitors as small
as 15" on there. Invest $50.

And I don't think that in windows you can easily do what you want to do,
which is "use an extra laptop as an extra vga screen". You can do it
under unix (duplicate all X events to the second X session over the
net). Under windows I am pretty sure that you will need to buy some
specialist software.

Peter

"friesian@zoocrewphoto.com" <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
Does your laptop have {composite,Y/C,SVHS} video out? If so a small
analog video monitor might work.

Look on eBay for used 14" LCDs.

Peter T. Breuer wrote:

Basically, I want to run a screen saver and have it show up on two
screens at the same time.

I'm sorry. I found a used LCD screen, but it looked like it needed to
be installed to be used, rather than plugged in. I'd like to pay less
than $50 considering that I only need it for 6 hours a day for 20 days
a year. I found the cheap laptop, and thought I would see if that is a
valid option.


$150 is cheaper than $40? I must have missed that in math class.

Perhaps you have $150 to throw around easily. I don't. I can't afford
to waste an extra $100 on something that will barely be used. I'm not
going to spend more than $50, and it has to be small. I just don't get
a lot of space at a show.

I would think a simple cable and some software would allow the image to
go from the computer to any kind of screen, such as the screen on a
digital camera, or those portable photo viewers. I guess nobody has
ever felt the need to view something like that, so it doesn't exist
yet.

Thanks anyway.

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
I don't understand what you mean - lcd monitors are the same as crt
monitors, except that they are lcd! There are two on my desk! They plug
into the standard vga output.

That's worth WAAAAY more than $50 of your time. I'd value that at
$200 at least.

Don't be silly, please - I am quoting NEW prices and you are quoting
USED prices. If you want to buy a USED lcd monitor, go ahead and plonk
down your $40 or $50. That's a fine price. An extra laptop is useless
to you.

You'd be wrong. Windows renders the image in its kernel direct to the
video card. You don't have direct access to the video card of a second
laptop! So duplicating what windows puts out won't work. You need to
use the standard interface. Quit making such a song and dance and buy a
used LCD screen for $50.

Peter

Peter,

You have got to be the most patient person I've ever seen on Usenet to
put up with this character for so long. Let him buy the damn used
laptop and waste his $50.

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 22:05:13 +0100, "Peter T. Breuer"
<ptb@oboe.it.uc3m.es> wrote:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

Charlie Hoffpauir wrote:
No, Peter just looks for arguments.

"friesian@zoocrewphoto.com" <friesian@zoocrewphoto.com> wrote:
Well, there is software (can't remember off the top of my head)
that'll allow one Windows machine to mirror the display of another,
but IIRC it's going to be more than your $50 budget just for the
software.

What you want is a small point-of-sale computer monitor. These are
high contrast monochrome devices that usually sit above a cash
register. Screen diagonal is 5 to 8 inches and they are great to
throw in the trunk as a portable monitor..they weigh maybe 3 lbs.

You don't say how you control your presentations..but obvously you
cannot see the slide as shown. I'd look into one of those $50
laser pointer/mouse at an office supply place.They allow you to
scroll backwards with powerpoint type apps.

What you want is a small point-of-sale computer monitor. These are
high contrast monochrome devices that usually sit above a cash
register. Screen diagonal is 5 to 8 inches and they are great to
throw in the trunk as a portable monitor..they weigh maybe 3 lbs.

You don't say how you control your presentations..but obvously you
cannot see the slide as shown. I'd look into one of those $50
laser pointer/mouse at an office supply place.They allow you to
scroll backwards with powerpoint type apps.

Charlie Hoffpauir wrote:

I'm sorry to have bothered you.

I'm on a tight budget, so I prefer to do my homework before rushing
into a purchase. No sense in buying something expensive if something
cheap will do the job.

janitor@scgis.com wrote:
That sounds perfect. Would they be at a normal computer store? Or an
office supply store?


I let the screen saver do it, and I can go back with the arrow keys.
Sometimes, it is worth it since the customer is asking about a photo.
If they just comment that they liked it, then I don't bother. Out of
curiosity, I would like to know which ones are getting their attention,
but it obviously isn't important to them, so I don't want to make a big
deal about it.

Thanks again.

Peter T. Breuer wrote:
The one I saw was from a laptop, so it was not a stand alone monitor.

No. It isn't. I sit at a table for 6 hours, and occasionally, somebody
makes a comment about a photo on the screen. I can stand up, and hit
the arrow key to go back. Another monitor would be convenient, but
standing up and hitting the arrow key is a lot cheaper. Frankly, I have
more important things to invest in, like new lenses since I just
switched from manual focus to digital, and the autofocus lenses cost 3
times as much. I need specialty lenses, so until I get them, I am stuck
using film for certain events.


I wasn't be silly. I told you I had found a used laptop for $40, and I
was asking whether it would be a valid option. You responded with
something that was $150 and told me it would be cheaper. I think it
made it obvious that I am looking for used and cheap. And small.

Quit making such a song and dance and buy a
When I find one, I will. So far, I haven't found one. That's why I
asked on this newsgroup. To get options and find places to look. I'm
sorry that my first explanation was misunderstood. I tried to clarify
what I need and what I can spend. It's not really a big deal. I can get
by with what I am doing. I just thought I would see what I could do.

Thank you very much, and I apologize for being difficult.

friesian@zoocrewphoto.com wrote:
Considering the limitations you have placed in response to all the
suggestions, perhaps you don't really need a spare monitor. Stop by the
automotive section of some store and get a small mirror to place in
front of the laptop.

You already know what the pictures are, so you should be able to tell
which one the customer is referring to from the not so good glimpse you
get from the mirror.

As for the cost of a second screen that you will only use a short time
each year, I like to have a spare monitor in case the one on the laptop
I am using becomes defective, which is rather aggravating. It can also
be used to show someone you don't really want crowded next to you what
is on the laptop you are using (amazing what bad breath some salesmen
and co workers can have, and some people really over do the cologne or
perfume).