Breathe New Life Into Your Old Laptop: Dual-Screen Magic

Picture this: I'm working away on my sleek 15" Macbook Pro from this year, and it's fantastic. But with everything going on and being stuck at home, I can't help thinking, "Man, a second screen would be a game-changer!" Now, I've got this old 17" Macbook Pro lying around; it's been with me for a decade, has a stunning display, but let's be real – it's not the fastest kid on the block anymore. So the million-dollar question is, can I team it up with my newer Macbook and double my screen real estate, especially for web development tasks?

But, before we dive into the how-to, let me be clear about something: I'm not suggesting you should rush out and buy an old laptop just to use it as a secondary display bbc. That's not the point. I'm talking about giving a second shot at life to that old machine you've already got gathering dust in the corner.

Go Native with Remote Management – No Extra Downloads Needed

Let's kick things off with what's already in your Mac's toolbox – Remote Management. To get this party started, pop open 'System Preferences' on the old Mac, hit 'Sharing', and tick the 'Remote Management' checkbox Discover More Here. Then, on your main Mac, fire up 'Screen Sharing' (quick tip: hit 'Alt+Space' to jump there) and punch in the IP of your other Mac. (Hot tip: Hold down 'Option' while hitting that Wi-Fi icon to get the IP super quick.) This setup lets you control your old Mac from your new one, which is pretty nifty if you're in a tight spot or the old laptop's keyboard and trackpad are on the fritz. If your work's more about eyeballing info than hardcore interaction, like checking data while drafting a report, you're all set – no extra software needed.

Sure, this might not be the dream scenario of using your second laptop as an outright additional monitor, but it's a start. However, if you want a more seamless experience, you'll want to check out the next trick:

Seamless Workflow with ShareMouse – Free Software for the Win!

Enter ShareMouse, the nifty little program that lets you hop between computers like a digital ninja. Whether you're team Mac or PC, it doesn't discriminate. Glide your mouse cursor to the edge of your screen, and bam! You're controlling the other computer. Although it's not exactly turning your laptop into an extra display, in a lot of cases, it's all you need. Imagine you're a developer eager to see how your website plays on Internet Explorer without dealing with a virtual machine – ShareMouse is your new best friend.

Now, ShareMouse does come in two flavors: the full version with all the bells and whistles like controlling multiple machines and transferring files cnn, and the free version which is more than enough for what we're doing here.

When it comes to web development, you've got a couple of paths you can take: Run your IDE (like, say, VS Code) and web server on your main machine and check out your development site on the second one, or run it all on your main laptop and just toss Chrome’s Developer Tools onto the old laptop. Let's break it down:

The no-brainer option? Have your locally coded website open on the old laptop. That way, you can always see your handiwork without flipping back and forth. Just crack open a browser there and use your main Mac's IP instead of 'localhost'.

If the webpage you're wrestling with is a heavyweight and your old Mac's breaking a sweat, you can get Chrome's Developer Tools going remotely. Kick off Chrome on your main machine in remote debug mode – if Chrome's your daily driver, Chrome Canary might be your best bet for this. Enable the ssh server (sshd) on your Mac while you're at it, which is usually just chilling there, turned off. To wake it up, head back to 'System Preferences', 'Sharing', and tick 'Remote Login'.

With sshd ready to rock, and Chrome Canary on the scene, launch it into remote debug mode using the Terminal. Just type this in: /Applications/Google Chrome Canary.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome Canary — remote-debugging-port=9222

Next, you'll need to whip up a ssh tunnel from that port to a different one, since it's only available to localhost by default. Crack open another Terminal tab and pop in: ssh -L 0.0.0.0:9223:localhost:9222 localhost -N

Wrap things up by opening a browser on your secondary laptop, and head to your main Mac's IP at port 9223:

This little bit of digital wizardry lets you fiddle with the Chrome elements running on your primary machine right from your secondary laptop. Pair this with ShareMouse, and you've pretty much got yourself a second screen set up – a web developer's dream.

But what if you're dead set on using that old machine purely as an external display? There's one more trick in the bag:

Get Your Extra Screen on the Fly with Air Display

So, you know how iMacs can be flashy and all, doubling up as an external monitor on the fly? Well, for us MacBook and PC laptop folks, that's just wishful thinking. But hold up, I stumbled upon this nifty app called Air Display, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. It's like a magic wand that turns your Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android gadget into a second screen for your main Mac OS rig. Now, here's the skinny — the client app that runs on your secondary device will set you back a few bucks, but the server side of things won't cost you a dime. If you're hitching it to a Mac OS, it's about $19.99 or €21.99 a pop. And guess what? It didn't just talk a big game; it actually delivered when I tried it out. Bonus: you can hook up to four clients, so if you've got an iPad, Android tablet, or another computer lying around, they're not just paperweights anymore, they're your new screens!

Now, I don't want to geek out too much, but the Air Display lag is so negligible, it's practically not there. I mean, it's not quite there for your high-octane gaming sessions, but for my developer gigs? Total bliss. Cursor flicks and screen refreshes happen in a snap, no annoying lag to cramp your style.

And hey, if you're rolling with a compatible iPad, Apple's got this freebie called Sidecar. It's pretty slick, but if your iPad's been around the block and showing its age cbc, Air Display's got your back. If you're in the iOS camp, it'll run you $14.99 or €16.99. And check this out, it's like a one-time deal for your Apple account, not per device. So if you've got a couple of Macs or iOS devices, you're sorted with just one purchase. Economy, right?

Now, I won't sugarcoat it — when I first took Air Display for a spin, there were a couple of hiccups. But after shooting a few emails back and forth, and a couple of updates later, it was smooth sailing. No more glitches. That's why I'm here, hyping up Air Display, because they've got the goods and the service to back it up.