Duet Display

[R. Mansfield]

I can't remember if I've recommended Duet Display here before or not, but it's a great app to turn an iOS device into a second screen--extended or mirrored. As you can see in the attached photo, I've got Accordance 12/Mac in the extended display on my iPad Pro. I'm used to using a dual-screen setup at my desk, but this works quite nicely when I'm at a Starbucks where I am right now, working on a Bible study for church. 

 

 

Duet Display actually works with Windows or Mac computers. In addition to the iOS app (linked above), you also download a program to your computer that needs to be running at the same time that the Duet Display app is running on your iOS device. When using an extended display like I am in the photo below, I can drag windows or other objects between the two screens. The trackpad (or a mouse) works on the extended display just as if it were simply a monitor that the Mac was plugged into. In fact, that's what this app does--it makes an iPad into a second monitor. Of course, any iOS notification will still display on top of the Duet screen, but it doesn't affect anything I'm doing unless I forget and touch the notification. If I do that, the iPad will switch to whatever app sent the notification. 

 

For Duet Display to work, it has to connect via a Lightning cable, which I find works much better than the older programs that used wifi. I should note, however, that on my previous 12" retina MacBook, the iPad would gradually lose battery--but very slowly. With my new MacBook Pro, the charge is evidently much stronger because it slowly charges the battery on the iPad.

 

The screen clarity is quite good, too. It's not exactly as sharp as my MBP screen, but it's better than the screen of a MacBook Air. There are multiple resolutions and framerates that can experimented with, and Duet Display will even use the discrete graphics chip in my MacBook Pro to power the display on the iPad Pro. 

 

Duet Display will run on any iOS device (iPad or iPhone) that will run iOS 7 or higher, and the software is designed by developers who used to work for Apple, so they know what they're doing!

 

Anyway, I'm not connected to the Duet developers, so there're no kickbacks here. But I wanted to pass this along in case something like this would work for any Accordance users. 

 

Links: 

 

Duet Display on the iOS App Store

 

Duet Display on the Web

 

[Michel Gilbert]

Hi Rick,

 

Interesting. I don’t know Macs as well as PCs, so this might be a silly question. Can you plug your iPad Pro into your Mac mini and use it as the only monitor? Would you try it for me, restarting your mini with just the iPad plugged in?

 

Thanks.

 

Regards,

 

Michel

[Fabian]

I have requested this to a friend which has also Accordance and he works now with his iPad Pro. And he is very happy. So dump up.

[Michel Gilbert]

Hi again,

 

I found out that you can use an iPad as the primary monitor for a Mac mini. Thanks for pointing out this app.

Regards,

Michel

[Fabian]

Is on Sale for 50% off.

 

And has now a touch bar function.

[Julia Falling]

Rick – Thanks for posting this.  It can be useful even with a 9.7" iPad.  Additionally, it has Family Sharing – that essentially cuts the price in half for us.

[A. Smith]

Is on Sale for 50% off.

 

And has now a touch bar function.

Saved me $10, bro! Thanks!