Introduction

I would like to thank Matrox for supplying the review sample.

To give you a little backgound on the company, their overwiew is a perfect fit:

Over the years, Matrox has earned its reputation as industry leader and innovator in today's most state-of-the-art technologies, designing software and hardware solutions in the fields of Graphics, Video editing and Image processing.

Founded in 1976, Matrox has over 30 years of experience building award-winning products and solutions designed to meet our clients' diverse needs in the high-technology industry. Privately held, the company employs over 900 people worldwide at its headquarters in Montreal, as well as in international offices in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and China.

Matrox operates three successful divisions : Matrox Graphics, Matrox Imaging and Matrox Video, each providing an extensive array of real-world relevant OEM and end-user solutions to businesses and individuals across a diverse range of industry sectors.

Most companies have an "About Us" page, but Matrox also has a website called "Matrox Culture" and it contains the following:

At Matrox, our culture is defined by our insatiable willingness to continue to prosper and initiate innovation within the high-technology sector. We're a company that strives to maintain the highest regard of corporate responsibility and adhere to respectable business practices and standards.[...]

We have the pleasure of reviewing a very unique product from Matrox called the DualHead2Go. It is available in two versions, one with analog and one with digital output.

Key Features of the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital

• Add two independent displays to your notebook or desktop system and create a fully symmetrical DualHead® setup.
• Run your desktop at up to 3840 x 1200 resolution stretched across two displays (1920x1200 per display).
• Harness the full graphics rendering power of your existing notebook or desktop computer. This includes the full video and 3D capabilities of your embedded graphics solution.
• Upgrade Intel integrated graphics on a desktop to DualHead® without opening the chassis of the computer.
• Matrox PowerDesk SE software (for Windows only) seamlessly manages window positioning and message pop-ups and offers the flexibility to select a wider range of resolutions, including support for widescreen and standard aspect ratios.
• Compact device that may easily be taken on the road with you.
• Can be used with either analog or digital panels.
• Compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

To give you an Idea how the Matrox DualHead2Go modules are used, here a few images from the Matrox website:


We will be using the DualHead2Go Digital with two 19 inch, DVI equipped LCD monitors in combination with a Santa Rosa based Macbook Pro. The notebook has Apple Bootcamp installed, which means it runs Windows XP Professional and Mac OS X. This makes this laptop the perfect choice for testing the Matrox device.

Packaging

Matrox packs the DualHead2Go into a slim box, which uses blue as the main color. The device is illustrated on the front of the package, while the back lists its features in multiple languages. Inside the thin cardboard box is a sturdy, brown one.


This inner box holds the device, which is packed in an antistatic bag and a bag with all needed cables in a heavy duty plastic bag.