Q's on Home Office Laptop/PC Setup

[lewdogg21]

I have a laptop for my work PC and really need to use at least 1 large monitor (in addition to the laptop screen) in order to do plan takeoffs. I really want to use the same mouse/keyboard for both pc's since it's a logitech wave and I don't have oodles of room for a 2nd key/mouse.

What I currently have (see attached photo):

Sony Vaio Laptop (work issued)
22" Sammy monitor currently hooked up to my desktop
Using Snergy so I can use the mouse/keyboard on both screens.

Ideal: Use (2) full size monitors while using the laptop. This would mean purchasing another monitor and using my current one. I'm fine with closing my laptop and not using it's display.

Budget: Use (1) full size monitor along with laptop screen

Purgatory hell: Doing take offs on a 15" screen

I have some ideas of what would work but I don't have the PC savy friends anymore that I can bounce ideas off of. I guess that means I'm in my mid-30's lol.

budget: around $200

I built my desktop but haven't really been into PC parts and such for about 3 years. I have a Fry's really close to me and have ordered from newegg and tigerdirect previously.

[bigbearbear]

Why don't you enable Remote Desktop on your laptop, that way, you can simply Remote Desktop into it from your home PC when you need to do work on it. You'll be able to use the same monitor, keyboard and mouse.

[lewdogg21]

My laptop is running win 7 home premium. =/

[tneedham11]

Would a docking station work for you?

[bigbearbear]

My laptop is running win 7 home premium. =/

Go with Teamviewer. It is free and will run on Windows. It is just like Remote Desktop. We use it when we do tech support for customers.

[NytWolf]

For a budget of $200, you can:
1) purchase a 2-port KVM switchbox
2) hook up the keyboard and mouse to the switchbox inputs
3) hook up your 22" monitor to the switchbox output
4) connect the computer to one set of the KVM input (port 1)
5) connect the laptop to the other set of KVM input (port 2)

When you set the box to port 1, your keyboard and mouse works with the 22" monitor and desktop. When switched to port 2, the keyboard and mouse works with the laptop, 22" monitor and laptop.

[lewdogg21]

Go with Teamviewer. It is free and will run on Windows. It is just like Remote Desktop. We use it when we do tech support for customers.

Now how can I setup two separate monitors to use with team viewer? aka viewing one screen doing a take off with one and the other screen i can input the quantities into my spreadsheet for example.

[bigbearbear]

Now how can I setup two separate monitors to use with team viewer? aka viewing one screen doing a take off with one and the other screen i can input the quantities into my spreadsheet for example.

Its a feature of the product, you can use multiple monitors with TeamViewer. See this forum post:

http://teamviewerforums.com/index.php?topic=1309.0

[lewdogg21]

^^It appears from that thread that I will need two separate monitors for both desktop and laptop in order to have the ability for 2 separate screens when teamviewing which means buying (2) more monitors.

Am I wrong? I really appreciate the help!