adding an additional screen/monitor to a laptop: Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go...

maren

Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go with an HP-Spectre laptop with 512 GB SSD ---intel core i7 processor with 16 GB memory, and add a 27 inch monitor via display port or HDMI output?
Here is where I am going with this: I love and would miss the mobility of a laptop, but want an additional 27" monitor for post processing. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Personally, I believe you can. We have people where I work that are running dual 27" monitors on laptops. Just to make sure, quiz the folks from whom you are purchasing the laptop, just to make sure there are not "hidden" issues of which we may not be aware.
--Bob

maren wrote:

Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go with an HP-Spectre laptop with 512 GB SSD ---intel core i7 processor with 16 GB memory, and add a 27 inch monitor via display port or HDMI output?
Here is where I am going with this: I love and would miss the mobility of a laptop, but want an additional 27" monitor for post processing. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Kuzano

Get a good monitor calibration device..... You will be calibrating the external monitor on a regular schedule... twice a month or more. Good calibration tools run from $300 to $1000. Talk to a professional photographer. In fact I have a friend doing that who pays a local pro photographer $50 per month to do his monitor twice monthly. He takes it in.

Also, check the graphics chip and see if it has dedicated RAM for the Video display and if it will allow you to set the RAM allotted to the external monitor.

These and other issues are important if you plan to print image of any sizable amount.

maren

rmalarz wrote:

Personally, I believe you can. We have people where I work that are running dual 27" monitors on laptops. Just to make sure, quiz the folks from whom you are purchasing the laptop, just to make sure there are not "hidden" issues of which we may not be aware.
--Bob

That's good to know. I will question a couple of different computer experts and see if answers compare. Thanks Bob!

maren

Kuzano wrote:

Get a good monitor calibration device..... You wil... (show quote)

Thanks Kuano, I got all the questions written down.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Does the laptop have multiple HDMI out ports? Or sufficient video out so you can connect 2 monitors? If not, you'll have to use an USB3 (hopefully you have USB3 docking station for expansion. I ran 2 ea 27" monitors on a Dell XPS15 connected to a Logitech docking station that included ethernet and a few other ports.

maren

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

Does the laptop have multiple HDMI out ports? Or sufficient video out so you can connect 2 monitors? If not, you'll have to use an USB3 (hopefully you have USB3 docking station for expansion. I ran 2 ea 27" monitors on a Dell XPS15 connected to a Logitech docking station that included ethernet and a few other ports.

THank you for the info. and your time rgrenaderphoto. maren

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

maren wrote:

Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go with an HP-Spectre laptop with 512 GB SSD ---intel core i7 processor with 16 GB memory, and add a 27 inch monitor via display port or HDMI output?
Here is where I am going with this: I love and would miss the mobility of a laptop, but want an additional 27" monitor for post processing. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Depending on which chip is handling the video in your laptop which can even vary among the same line of laptops, you can possibly run even more than two external monitors, though I would be very surprised if you couldn't run at least two regardless of the video processor in your particular model. For convenience, look into whatever docking station or port replicator solutions are available for your model of HP-Spectre. It can make attaching and detaching the laptop from your desk workstation very convenient.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

maren wrote:

Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go with an HP-Spectre laptop with 512 GB SSD ---intel core i7 processor with 16 GB memory, and add a 27 inch monitor via display port or HDMI output?
Here is where I am going with this: I love and would miss the mobility of a laptop, but want an additional 27" monitor for post processing. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Yes. For years, I used a MacBook Pro and an external NEC monitor. Just be sure to calibrate and profile with a hardware and software cal kit.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

maren wrote:

Thank you rmalarz, BebuLamar, and jaymatt for the advice. I will go with the 27 inch monitor. Is there a quality issue if I would go with an HP-Spectre laptop with 512 GB SSD ---intel core i7 processor with 16 GB memory, and add a 27 inch monitor via display port or HDMI output?
Here is where I am going with this: I love and would miss the mobility of a laptop, but want an additional 27" monitor for post processing. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

Yes!
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-435398-1.html

fetzler Loc: North West PA

THis is very easy to do. If your laptop has a HDMI port just buy a cable and plug in your 2nd monitor. You can set the two monitors to be the same or different. Your choice. This is just like using a projector.