Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Profhacker Logo

ProfHacker

Teaching, tech, and productivity.

How to Turn Your iPad into a Touchable Second Monitor

By Jason B. Jones June 23, 2011

Monitors

One of the reasons I like to go to campus to work, even in the summer, is that I’ve got two monitors in my office (like

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Monitors

One of the reasons I like to go to campus to work, even in the summer, is that I’ve got two monitors in my office (like George), thanks to some timely grant money a couple of years back. This is excellent for copyediting, for working from digitized sources, and, really, for making my eyes feel less strained. It would be nice to have two monitors at home, but who has space for that?

If you have an iPad, there are apps, such as Air Display ($9.99) and DisplayPad ($2.99), that allow you to turn your iPad into a touchable second monitor. (See peril’s comments on this post about Air Display.) The apps basically work the same way: You install an app on your iPad, and then a utility on your computer, and from then on you can use the iPad as a display anytime you’re on the same wireless network as your home computer. You can set up either Air Display or DisplayPad as either a “second monitor” (i.e., more real estate!) or you can have your iPad mirror the display on your computer. (You can even, for example, watch Flash animations on your iPad via these apps. The horror!) Both Air Display and DisplayPad allow you to interact with apps, including via typing. Here, for example, is someone showing off Air Display:

Using the apps is almost an object lesson in the difference between touchscreen and mouse UI: it clarifies some of the stakes driving Apple’s decisions with iOS. Having said that, it can be remarkably useful to extend your computer in this way--especially if you’re using a desktop. (Let’s face it: if you have a MacBook Air, or some other ultralight notebook, portability isn’t as big of an issue!)

ADVERTISEMENT

Both apps work via your wireless network, so there are no annoying cords, and the devices can be as far apart as your network reaches. By the same token, however, if your network is slow for any reason, then the performance of both apps will visibly degrade.

Air Display is only slightly more spendy than DisplayPad, but it also has more flexibility: it works on both OS X and Windows, and you can install it on any iOS device--handy for all those times you want to mirror your 27" iMac monitor on an iPhone screen! By contrast, DisplayPad is Mac-only and iPad-only. If that is the only combination you want to use, though, in my experience DisplayPad is slightly smoother.

I use the app almost entirely for editing documents, for grading, and for typing in notes from various sources, and so the ability to control the Mac from the iPad is of less interest to me. You can see some of the challenges of using these apps for input by viewing these dueling videos of people running full-blown Photoshop on their iPad: first on DisplayPad, and second from Air Display. (Keep in mind, though, that the strength of the wifi network is the first predictor for how well the apps work.)

Do you use a mobile device as an additional monitor? What works for you? Let us know in comments!

Photo by Flickr user smemon87 / Creative Commons licensed

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Protesters attend a demonstration in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, March 10, 2025, in New York.
First-Amendment Rights
Noncitizen Professors Testify About Chilling Effect of Others’ Detentions
Photo-based illustration of a rock preciously suspended by a rope over three beakers.
Broken Promise
U.S. Policy Made America’s Research Engine the Envy of the World. One President Could End That.
lab-costs-promo.jpg
Research Expenses
What Does It Cost to Run a Lab?
Research illustration Microscope
Dreams Deferred
How Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Are Derailing Young Scholars’ Careers

From The Review

Vector illustration of a suited man with a pair of scissors for a tie and an American flag button on his lapel.
The Review | Opinion
A Damaging Endowment Tax Crosses the Finish Line
By Phillip Levine
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky
Photo-based illustration depicting a close-up image of a mouth of a young woman with the letter A over the lips and grades in the background
The Review | Opinion
When Students Want You to Change Their Grades
By James K. Beggan

Upcoming Events

Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Chronfest25_Virtual-Events_Page_862x574.png
Chronicle Festival: Innovation Amid Uncertainty
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin