Lets you collaborate iPad with your Mac or PC to broaden your view literally on the computer world

The iPad is for many people the screen they see the most, it is the most widely used to monitor mail, social media, apps and more. Yet ordinary computers also have a role to play. Lets you collaborate iPad with your Mac or PC to broaden your view literally on the computer world.


In this article, we discuss how an iPad can use as an external monitor for your computer. The iPad may be an old or a new model. It can last that dust is gathering or your present you as a tablet. The computer may be a desktop or laptop where Windows or Mac runs. Something for everyone so. Read also: Turn your iPad into a portable cinema.

Wireless or cable
Wires are increasingly a thing of the past. Partly thanks to the iPad, which basically everything carries so wirelessly through life. No network , no wire keyboard, no mouse cord. Except for charging, there is still a thread required. Most apps to your iPad into a second monitor to transform, can also function wirelessly.

We have to at some comments. Our experience shows that the flexibility of the second screen to a large extent depends on the Wi-Fi network in question. For just web surfing or watch some videos may wifi best performing somewhat less than the theoretical maximum. Just as a car is not always runs at top speed. For your iPad as an external monitor is a high-speed Wi-Fi connection without too much trouble so fine. Otherwise you get annoying hitches of your mouse arrow on the second screen.

multiplatform
If you want to use your iPad as a second display for your laptop or PC, you need two applications, namely an app on the iPad, and a small program on your Mac or Windows PC.

Apple controls the iPad a substantial portion of the tablet world, while in computing Windows prevails. We treat first app that is multiplatform. That is, of course, he runs on your iPad, but you can connect your iPad with it on both Windows and OS X .

Splashtop
Splashtop is a software maker offers a multiplatform application. Splashtop Extended Wireless Display 2 is accompanied by programs for Windows, Mac and even Ubuntu. The iPad app is also a free trial version which gives you every five minutes screen time. After installing the iPad app (that appears on your iPad as a WiFi Display) you have to download the so-called Splashtop Streamer on your PC / laptop and install. This is a free download of 19.7 MB.

Streamer software requires you to come up with a security code and enter. First in the software on your computer and then into the app on your iPad. Thereby forcing the program to your security, because the code must be at least 8 characters and at least one number and one letter must contain. So "12345678" or "qwertyui 'be refused.

Splashtop forces you to connect securely to your iPad as a second monitor.
display Splashtop
Once the Splashtop Streamer and the app are connected, you can get started with two screens. One by tapping three fingers on the screen of your iPad brings the configuration options forward. There you can set include whether you want a sharper image or just a faster preview. Choose the latter delivers on the Retina display of the iPad Air or an image that traditional text which appears blurry and therefore illegible.

Video contrast is pretty good about that institution. HD not sharp, but just fine for viewing pleasure. The display switch to sharper picture improves readability of text, but it remains less sharp than what you are used to from your iPad.

Splashtop Extended Wireless Display 2 ***
Price : € 4.99

Size : 5.8 MB

Yes, you see Windows on your iPad.
Downside Splashtop Streamer is the fact that the software is a comprehensive program that serves the other apps from this developer, including apps for companies to do remote management and even run virtual desktops. The Streamer has so much more potential than what we deal with here. The presence of these features makes the interface might be a bit confusing for easy use as a screen extension.

Exclusively for Mac
We already live not only in a Windows world. Since the iPhone / iPad's success has seen to that. Apple enjoys taking the so-called "halo effect" where his one platform has positive effect on the other. For example there are iOS apps that hook on OS X (the operating system on Apple computers). The two apps Extend desktop which follow, are examples. So they do not work on Windows.

vtDisplay
Of vtDisplay is a free version available, vtDisplay Lite. This version lets you try out the features, but displays a message in the middle of your second screen. In addition, disabled touch capabilities, so you can not use iPad as a touch screen to control Mac apps. To use the app you have on your Mac to download the free vtDisplay Host software, and restart your Mac. Nifty addition is that the display on your iPad is also shown in a window on your Mac monitor. So your second screen is shown in the window of the Host app on your first screen. Do you follow it?

What is useful vtDisplay's combination of iPad app and Mac applications, is that the latter can easily set the resolution of your second screen. So you can decide how large or small the image of your Mac appears on your iPad. Thereby vtDisplay provides intercepts the possibility to choose upright aspect ratio instead of the regular widescreen on a computer screen, as is normal in a tablet.

vtDisplay ****
Price : € 24.99

Size : 3.8 MB


It is unfortunate that vtDisplay not automatically meeroteert the display when you tilt your iPad.
Smooth and high resolution
Furthermore vtDisplay jumps above the competition because it works smoothly. At the same busy home Wi-Fi network that Splashtop some spotty at work, with vtDisplay going fast on high and very high resolutions. We have to admit that at the highest resolutions, the text of the Mac image on your iPad screen is almost not to read more. Only that is not by blurry view but simply microscopic view.

vtDisplay hereby makes good use of the higher resolutions that offer iPads with Retina screens. For text less useful, but once again very useful preview. A picture of high resolution, falls to oversee its entirety on your second screen what Retina resolution offers. Or you can zoom in on it just fine on details of such a photo. The highest resolution is 4K to 3840 by 2160 pixels.

Of former Apple employees
Finally, we put Duet Display in. This app was developed by a team of former Apple engineers, they report themselves proud in the second sentence of their app description. The origin of the creators is evident from the beautiful design and attention to detail. Apple spirit also lives in other aspects of this app. So sacrifices some functionality to provide the best possible core functionality.

Specifically: Duet does not work with wifi but requires connection with an USB cable. That connection may be a Lightning cable for newer iPads or a dock connector for older iPads. Using a wired connection screen causes the second screen works fine raft. We have found no hitches. Furthermore Duet integrates very nicely into OS X, making it almost invisible. The image rotates as you tilt your iPad, very convenient. Duet settings change on both screens, including Retina-resolution is possible with large and super small text.


Duet uses Retina to sharp image again or to give you just huge space.
Point of attention yet: set the app makers to Duet Display works on all Macs, all iPads and all iPhones . But she did mention system requirements to those that range limit a bit. Macs must run and iPads and iPhones need at least iOS 7 for OS X 10.9 (Mavericks). IPad 1 falls outside the boat.