[Ham-Computers] Multiple displays?

[Philip (KO6BB)]

Hi,
I know, I'm always coming up with "off the wall" questions ;-)  Since I 
replaced the wife's old desktop with a laptop, I have an "extra" 17" LCD 
display I can put to use IF it's beneficial.

The video card (Radeon X300) supports two monitors, the operating system is 
XP Pro, the machine has an Intel 3.6GHz dual core processor, and 4GB RAM 
(only 3GB actually in use by the OS).

I OFTEN have multiple windows open, such as a logging program and a couple 
Excel spreadsheets when chasing beacons, or multiple folders of my Old Time 
Radio MP3 files when editing MP3's.  It sure would be nice to have more 
space to display these (and no, a larger single, higher resolution  monitor 
isn't viable due to the budget.

Now, I realize, it's still a single computer and two monitors WON'T speed it 
up any, but will it either slow it down greatly or give me problems in other 
areas?

Is it even "do-able" or practical with the hardware/software that I have, 
and if so, does it take anything 'special' to implement.  Is it difficult to 
set the two monitors up to display different things?

73 de Phil,  KO6BB
http://ko6bb1.multiply.com/
http://members.lycos.co.uk/ko6bb/

DX begins at the noise floor!
RADIO/Antennas: Yaesu FT-2000, Two Modified Mini-whips.
Homebrewed 6Hz Filter, Modified MFJ-1040C Pre-Amplifier.
Merced, Central California, 37.3N 120.48W  CM97sh