I am still a bit confused on monitors...but here goes...

[dbuffalo]

This is certainly no dig against XView or other very well devised "cookie cutter" multi-screen approaches (I think for the majority of people that is a good solution), but here is my unique situation.

I have four computers, three of which are used to crank out neural net outputs (but which CAN be used as chart monitoring PCs when the nets are not running) and one which is the primary trading platform PC.

I want to have as many as 8 screens running on a PC, or perhaps (please no one laugh, but I have learned to be adaptable over the years because of computer and internet glitches) have the eight screen monitor set up to a video switch so that I could use any of the PCs with the eight monitors (in case there is a PC failure and need a back up PC).
I have already run into this situation once (when I had to rescue one hard drive before it crashed after six years of good service).

My question is this:

1) Can one video card actually handle eight screens?
2) If so, will I need to add power to keep the brightness on the screens up (with the current two monitor system tied to four PCs, I seem to lose brightness on the second monitor which shares duty with three PCs). If I do, how do I add power?
3) Is it possible to have the entire eight screen monitor system hooked up so that I can switch it at any time among the four PCs?

The reason I want this is that I do not want to depend on one PC with all the programming crammed into the PC (as that creates a RAM load limit, even with several Gigabites of RAM). That is my primary beef with XView (other than the price, which is a bit extreme also). I also want to keep my PC flexibility, because I can load my own data and when one PC dies, I can just replace it and move on.

Can anyone help me with this? Also, if there is a book somewhere that explains these kinds of PC layouts, I would greatly appreciate a reference so that I can purchase the book.

Sorry for the novel, but I am really struggling with this project.

Take care,

dbuffalo

[its1111]

screens

I thought I would reply to your post on the monitiors, I have one computer that runs 8 monitors and it works great, you just put two quad cards into one computer simple, the screens dont loose brightness and it works great. I will tell you though that the wires for eight screens are a bit intensive. So if you were to have four seperate computers and they each had to have dual quad cards( expensive) then you are going to have to have 32 monitor cables and each montior would have to have a some sort of adapter where 4 cables would come into. It would crazy to do such a thing. i will tell you that I have a twelve monitor set up with one keyboard, it works great and never goes down. If one computer does fail I press the switch and still have 4 monitors which I can trade from just fine. The other eight monitors are pure convience so i dont have to flip screens, just glance over at what ever chart I happen to be watching.
hope it helps
Mark