A new solution from Agtech allows for the use of a spare PC's display as a secondary display for your primary system.
Confused? It's pretty simple; imagine two laptops' screens being used as two monitors for the same computer. If you've got a spare notebook or other computer sitting around and don't feel like investing in some sort of switch or new video card, this is an excellent software-based solution.

Agtech Corporation will release the "MaxiVista" software, which allows for the use of a PC not in use as a second display, o­n July 27th. The price of the package version is 9,450 yen, and the download version costs 7,980 yen. Also available is a 30 day trial version of the software that can be started a maximum of 100 times, for free download from the company's website.

In the past, having a second display in Windows took either two video cards, or a video card supporting dual displays. If you use MaxiVista, however, a PC generally "not used" can act as a second display by way of network connection. Notebook PCs getting old, or servers that generally don't use their own screens, can effectively become a second display.

Supported operating systems are Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003. The PC to act as the second display requires Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, or Server 2003. Also, a TCP/IP network connection (by way of Ethernet, wireless LAN, IEEE 139, or USB) at or above 10Mbps is required.

The second PC's display can act as a display in as itself, but it can also display just the contents of o­ne window.






Inspired by:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2004/0727/agtech.htm [1]

Press Release (PDF alert):
http://www.agtech.co.jp/pdf/news/pressrel/2004/072701.pdf [2]

MaxiVista Homepage:
http://www.maxivista.jp/ [3]