Multihead from Xi Graphics
Today I’ve tried the new 3D Accelerated-X driver from Xi Graphics for my Matrox G400. And I can confirm that it works.
I was able to get a picture on two 17″ monitors at the same time, using both heads on my card. Splendid. The only problem is, that it costs 129$ for the driver — that’s more that I paid for the card!
But on the bright side: by using both heads of my card, I could buy two 19″ monitors instead of one 21″ monitor. Here’s a quick comparison between the viewable-area of the screen and the diagonal:
| Diagonal | Area | Price | $/Sqr inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14″ | 94 Sqr inch | 200$ | 2.13 $/Sqr inch |
| 16″ | 123 Sqr inch | 425$ | 3.46 $/Sqr inch |
| 18″ | 156 Sqr inch | 550$ | 3.53 $/Sqr inch |
| 20″ | 192 Sqr inch | 1175$ | 6.12 $/Sqr inch |
As you can see, a 15″ monitor is actually the cheapest one, if you only look at how much screen real-estate you get for your money. But you can also see, that by buying two 19″ you get 312 Sqr inch for the same price that you’ll pay for one 21″ monitor with a viewable screen-area of “only” 192 Sqr inch.
It’s a difficult decision — and there’s a lot of money involved …
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