My first post of 2011 is about a rather strange use for the iPad… as a secondary display for your laptop or desktop.

DisplayLink is an iPad app and companion desktop application which allows you to use your iPad as a second display for a laptop or desktop in the same way as you would plug in another monitor.

Both devices need to be connected to the same WiFi network (if you are using Windows 7 then my previous post on setting up a hotspot will be worth reading) and then you simply download the app on your iPad (£1.98 at the time of writing) and download the free companion software to your PC.

You set a password for the iPad (for security reasons), launch the app on both devices and, hey presto, your iPad turns into a second monitor. You can extend your PC desktop onto it, which means you can drag any application from your main desktop onto the iPad.

At this point you might reasonably be asking why bother?. After all, an iPad is a fairly pricy alternative to a second monitor.

To be honest the first reason is the simple “because I can” factor. The app works really smoothly and it is pretty cool to see the desktop extending onto the iPad.

Secondly, if you are considering a dual monitor setup (and you should in my view as it makes pretty much any task quicker and more straightforward) then it is worth paying a couple of pounds to evaluate the benefits.

Finally (and this is why I really like it) it is great for sharing and reviewing stuff. I already have a dual monitor setup, but with DisplayLink I can just drag an email or document which I want to share with a colleague onto the iPad display and pass it over to them… if they are sitting across the desk from me for example. No more of that awkward “leaning over the shoulder” stuff! As @filemot pointed out on Twitter though when I tweeted about this just make sure they pass it back!

I can see this being really useful for lawyers where it would be handy to show a client or another lawyer an email in your inbox, but without giving them an eyeful of other confidential information. It’s like having a chunk of your monitor you can break off and pass around.

I was also impressed to see that the iPad display also worked with Ultramon, which is a great little utility I use to control the dual monitor setup. It adds extra controls to your windows allowing you to flick them from one display to another as well as minimise them (and many other things).

I wouldn’t say that DisplayLink is the most important iPad app I have seen, but it works extremely well and it is a good illustration of how a tablet can alter the way in which you use and share electronic documents. If you have a couple of pounds to spare it is definitely worth checking out.