Inexpensive option for 2 external monitors?

[rockinrocker]

I'm switching my studio computer from my MacPro to my MBP (non-retina) and looking for options to connect my second external monitor.

I can't use the built in one because the fans spin up occasionally so the macbook has to be in a cabinet.

Is there a way to do this without spending an arm and a leg?
I'm not gaming or anything, so it doesn't need to be particularly high performance.

I seem to remember seeing some sort of USB option at some point, but can't remember what it was called.

Thanks

 

[barkmonster]

This could what you're looking for. It's USB-powered and splits a displayport output to 2 x 1920x1200 DVI-D outputs.

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/p...aign=DH2Go_SE_PR&utm_medium=PR&utm_source=PR#

 

[rockinrocker]

Ah yes, that's it.

Hmm… Amazon reviews don't look so hot for it…

Anybody on here actually used one of those units?

 

[SBA]

Ah yes, that's it.

Hmm… Amazon reviews don't look so hot for it…

Anybody on here actually used one of those units?

I used a Matrox DualHead2Go DP (Displayport) Edition with a 2012 Macbook Air. It was a decent solution for adding 2 external monitors to a laptop with only one Thunderbolt/Mini-DP port.

My only problem with it is that it stretches your content across the 2 displays, rather than give you 2 independent displays. In other words, if you want to full-screen a youtube video, or you open an image from Tweetbot, it centers that content in the middle of the 2 displays (the image ends up centered right under the bezels).

 

[rockinrocker]

Ah. Yeah, that would be annoying.

Ideally there'd be a solution that would function just like two monitors usually would.