When choosing a new computer to run your multi screen requirements a fundamental choice is which operating system to go for.

Multiple Monitors have been natively supported in Windows since before Windows XP meaning that you don’t need any additional software or drivers to start using more than one screen on your computer.

As far as default features for multi monitors go here are our findings on the various Windows releases:

Windows XP

Advantages: Allows you to extend your desktop to 8 separate screens, you can arrange the screens so that they match your physical layout and you can control individual screen resolutions.

Disadvantages: Sometimes a pain to initially setup the screens. Adding a new screen means a full reboot before you can activate it in Windows, sometimes forgets screen location.

Windows Vista

Advantages: No real advantages over what Windows XP provided.

Disadvantages: Sometimes setup and configuration seems more ‘fragile’ than the XP setup, presentation mode for mobile PC’s can be very hit and miss.

Windows 7

Advantages: Access to settings is much easier, detect button finds all newly connected monitors without a reboot, extra settings to aid setup including rotate display option for each screen, windows can be dragged to different monitors whilst maximised.

Disadvantages: No real disadvantages compared to previous versions. In built multi monitor tools still lacking.

Overall we would recommend that you opt for a Windows 7 installation for your multi screen PC as it offers the most stable multi screen support of all three versions listed above.

Only in a few rare instances when you have some specialist software which demands Windows XP would we advise that you go with something other than Windows 7 as your operating system of choice.

Written by Darren @ Multiple Monitors

Last Updated: April, 2010