Adding monitors to laptop?

I have a Sony SZ650 and want to be able to add more monitors. I have a VGA port that works just fine, but I am looking at a third/fourth monitor. These monitors will not be used for 3D gaming or (much) video. Currently, I have a 20" LCD, 1680x1050 that I would like to use, but I might get a 1900x1200 or something similar in the future.

For example, I'm looking at something like this product (max resolution is 1680x1050). Would it work for my needs, or is it just a gimmick?

Also, if I have only 2 USB ports, will the video adapter be bottle necked? Say (in an extreme case) I have 6 monitors on a USB hub, would it start to be laggy? I also have a PCMCIA and Expresscard 34 slot... I would rather not use the Expresscard slot though.

Another option for me is to just build a desktop for <$500 if this laptop-add on video is not a good idea.

 

VGA can support up to 1920x1200 externally

I do not think a USB to DVI converter is going to work well, you will either overload the USB hub with more than one, or you will have extreme choppiness.

What you can do is get a MATROX dual head or triple head to go adaptor.
They cost about $200-300 new, and can be had for much less used.
I have a Dual head 2 go Digital edition, and I can run two large 24" 1920x1200 panels over DVI from my VGA port on my Dell E1505 (ATi x1400 gpu)
It runs just fine over the matrox adaptor, no slowdowns at all

K-TRON

 

Are you look for a true multi-display setup (one card driving one screen) or are you just wanting to stretch you desktop across multiple screens on a single output.

If it's the latter then Matrox Tripple head 2 go is the best bet.

Otherwise, build a desktop.

 

Thanks for the reply guys.

If I could get two 24" LCDs from one VGA, I'm interested. However, for $200-300 (still have to look myself), I'm much less interested. I shall check out the used market too.

K-TRON, with your setup, could you game off the matrox adapter as if it was directly from the VGA port?

For the most part, I just wanted a lot of desktop space to spread out work, and then resort to one monitor for gaming. But for the price, I might end up considering a cheaper desktop instead.

 

I twiddled my thumbs around for a bit, and figured this:

With the Matrox dual head adapter ($210), I'd basically be paying $210 for ONE more monitor. The USB thing is $65. However, USB can only do 1680x1050 vs 1900x1080.

With the triple head adapter ($280), it's $280 for for two more monitors. It would be the same resolution as 2 USB things ($130).


I guess it might come down to the performance of the USB thinger for the applications I would be using it for; I need to see if I can get some reviews for it. I mean, my applications might not be any more intensive than the average newegg user, so their reviews might be good enough for me...

 

Why not talk to Matrox directly? I've always found their pre-sales support to be very very good.