Over the past couple of years in these pages I've mentioned more than a few times the benefits of using dual or triple computer monitors in the postproduction suite. Until now you needed a special graphics display card that could cost several hundred dollars and an empty PCI or AGP slot on your computer's motherboard. Meanwhile laptop users have had no options at all, even though as laptops have become more powerful they have become more popular in media production.

That was then and this is now. Matrox has created a must-have for anyone serious about video and audio editing. The new Matrox DualHead2Go allows almost any PC laptop user to connect dual monitors to a Windows laptop. The advantage of dual monitors is not just for those in video or audio postproduction either. Security, financial, and gaming programs also benefit from the added space provided by multiple monitors.

The Matrox DualHead2Go is the first product of its kind. The palm-sized external box is simplicity itself. Pull it out of the box, load the software from the included CD-ROM, plug it into your laptop's external VGA output, hook up two computer monitors (all via the included cables), and you are ready to go. And because it's a little external box, you don't need to hassle with opening the laptop case to install any hardware.

Your Windows system sees the system as a single monitor with resolutions up to 2560×1024, depending on your computer. Using proprietary technology, the DualHead2Go unit then splits this into two monitors. So now, when you include the laptop's screen, you actually have three monitors to work with. Perhaps best of all, the DualHead2Go costs less than $200 and carries a two-year warranty.

Matrox makes it really easy to see if the product will work with your system. The web site features a comprehensive list of compatible laptops and graphic chip sets. Matrox supports its product only on these laptops and graphics processors. There is also a free software utility for download called the System Compatibility Tool that tests your system and makes sure it is compatible.

I used the DualHead2Go with several different laptops courtesy of a nice IT director at a local university. Among the four or five I tried there are two that stood out.

First, I hooked up an almost-brand-new Sony Vaio laptop, which features the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics chip set. I loaded the Matrox software, the DualHead2Go device was recognized, and I was immediately able to reach the full resolution of 2560×1024.

With an older IBM ThinkPad with the ATI Mobility Radeon chip set, I could only reach a screen resolution of 2048×768, which I still found useful. Sure enough, when I checked Matrox's compatibility list, it predicted exactly that level of performance.

Bundled with the DualHead2Go is Matrox's PowerDesk SE software, which offers users several modes, utilities, and display configurations. I was able to use the software to position the image exactly in the center of the monitor. It was easy to use and performed as advertised running on both Windows 2000 and XP.

I also used the DualHead2Go on the Apple Mac (PowerBook G4) both with OS X 10.3 and with Windows via Virtual PC 7. (See my review in the November 2005 issue of Video Systems.) One nice thing about using the Mac with this type of PC emulation software is that you can run almost any Windows program. That was true here, and there was no difference in performance. While Matrox does not support the Mac with this product, with a little coaxing and the right chip set, the DualHead2Go will work on that platform.

I also used the DualHead2Go with two sets of monitors that were as different as night and day, with no problems in either case. I tried Compaq FS171 17in. CRT color monitors first. You know, these are the huge old monitors that weigh a ton, sit on pedestals, and take up the entire tabletop. I plugged the device in and had no problems.

There are those who think that the old CRT tube-based monitors deliver a truer color representation, especially where video is concerned. I am not one of them. With the price of flat-panel monitors falling, they are a must-have as far as I'm concerned. So I also tried the DualHead2Go with two Sony X series 19in. TFT flat-panel displays, with equally good results. The Sony LCD monitors not only looked great on the desk, but they also provided razor-sharp resolution and near-true-to-life color.

After-sale help from Matrox was impressive as well. Matrox tech support was very responsive, and in addition to the traditional avenues of support, there is also an online forum where users can share tips and information. I applaud the company for doing this and, apparently, for not censoring users when they have something negative to say about a product. Negative comments about the DualHead2Go were few and far between, however. There's really nothing not to like with this product, and I think that's the first time in 20 years I've ever said that. You load the software via the CD or the Web, plug it in, and go. And at a cost of less than $200, even aspiring pros can afford it.

And if all that the DualHead2Go offers is not enough, Matrox has taken it a step further. By the time you read this, the newer TripleHead2Go will be shipping. This product allows you to add three 19in. monitors with a combined resolution of up to 3840×1024 and 45in. of total diagonal workspace. These products are the latest in Matrox's new series of graphics expansion modules (GXMs) — external devices that use your computer's existing graphics chip for rendering 3D animations and video while the hardware itself works to add multi-monitor support.

If you're like me, a working videographer and video/audio editor, you want and need every advantage, and once you use two computer monitors you will never want to go back to a solo. With the low price of the DualHead2Go, there's no need to.

As we become more mobile and laptop CPUs become even more powerful, they'll become the de facto choice for video editors, audio pros, and 3D animators. Until now the only real limitation with using a laptop was the limited desktop space due to the lack of dual-monitor support. Matrox's new DualHead2Go has eliminated that problem once and for all, and at a great price.