Macbook Pro Dual Display

I wonder what is the best way to connect two external displays to a Macbook Pro. Ideally, these should be independent - not clones, not one virtual large display.

A few weeks ago, in a store specializing in Apple products, they told me that the MBP graphics are not powerful enough to drive two displays. However, after further web searching, it seems this is no true. I am going to list the options I came across, noting the flaws they have:

• Using the new MBP Retina should be pretty forward, because it has two Thunderbolt ports which I guess could be easily connected to standard displays with adaptors. The downside is that MBP Retina may not be for everyone, due to lack of some features and its price.
• You can daisy-chain two Apple Thunderbolt displays, as demonstrated in this video. The downside is that buying two 27" glossy 999 EUR/ $ display is not for everyone.
• You can use the Thunderbolt port and an adaptor to connect one display and a USB adaptor to connect another display, as shown in this video using the Diamond BVU195 USB Display Adapter and in that video using the Plugable UGA-2K-A USB to DVI/HDMI/VGA adapter. The downsides are a slow USB display (stuttering for larger videos) and one free USB port less on the MBP.
• As shown in this video, the Matrox DualHead2Go DP Edition can connect the Thunderbolt port to two displays. However, as described here, the displays are treated as one huge display, making docking windows to a display impossible. Occasional connection problems are also reported.

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock is scheduled for September this year and could presumably connect two displays via either two USB ports + adaptors or one USB port + adaptor and one Thunderbolt port + adaptor. Since the USB ports are 3.0, I guess it could work much better than 2.0. However, I am not sure whether a USB monitor would take much computing power off the processor.

What do you think? Have I missed something? Are any other docks/ hubs (relevant to a dual display setup) available/ scheduled?

 

Looking forward to learning more on this. Thanks

 

and there is a dock made by matrox that might do the trick as well.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5933/...re-belkin-thunderbolt-express-dock-matrox-ds1

you could also try the USB3 dock from lenovo, I dont know how well that should work as well

 

the USB dock does not work right in OSX, it will work in windows ( Driver issues etc )

the matrox may be iffy, Apples video drivers/kexts are awfully picky as to what they treat as individual screens. I usually go the USB route and one into the DP and make sure nothing graphically intensive goes in the USB connected monitor. and yes they load the CPU somewhat

 

Will USB-connected monitors interfere with MIDI/audio applications? I mean, in a problematic way - latency etc.

 

Yes they tend to. for audio work you really want to be accessing the GPU directly. if its anything like our lead audio guys 2011 17" you dont want to use the TB port but straight DP, his thunderbolt display upped his latency to where he was getting noticable artifacts. best I can say is read the audio forums of your favorite software as different software does different things

 

Thanks, especially for the extra info about the Thunderbolt port also being problematic in that regard - I did not expect that.

 

If I understand you correctly, if your lead audio guy had connected Thunderbolt to an adaptor and a non-Thunderbolt display, he would probably have had the same problems?

 

Marco, you now know why I've stayed with my Latitude and the dock.

The daisychain monitors looks awesome, but it soooooo expensive.

 

prob. but we dont have any other TB devices yet other than some TB-ACD's, until recently not much has been available

our lead guy now too ( in last 15 days ). he found that some of our AV laptops + advanced dock = 4 external monitors plus the LCD = easy as heck

 

Alas the USB3 DisplayLink chips have no Mac drivers. That's a pity. Even the Macbook Pro Retina can only support two external monitors, now that's just stupid.

 

You can buy two korean 2560x1440 displays (check accesories subforum) for $450 each. Connect it using HDMI and the MiDP port.

 

only the mbp-r has both ports and no one has tested to see if both can be used at the same time i know of. the mbp only has a dp/TB port

 

I have. I had my MBPR running three external LCD panels yesterday. I was using both Thunderbolt ports, and the HDMI port.