External Monitors

I've been thinking about getting an external monitor for some time now, but I need something clearing up.

If I get an external monitor for my macbook, will it just magnify the screen exactly how I see it on my macbook already, or will it give me a bigger area to play with?

I ask because as a Journalist student, I use programmes such as Quark and InDesign, but I can't get a decent enough picture of my entire page design at a decent level of zoom. I either have to look at a really zoomed out image to see the whole page, or a zoomed in version if a third of the page.

If I'm just getting completely confused by the whole thing, please set me right, and possibly suggest some good external monitors that I may be able to purchase. (Remember, I am a student - so nothing majorly expensive!!)

Thanks!

This is interesting and it will be good to see what other people say. if you buy a larger screen then it will be physically bigger, it will replicate your desktop but you will have a large area to play with. I connected my mac book to a 37" tv and was able to "see" alot more as there was more space. You can also have the two monitors working simultaniously (so you can drag stuff from one screen to the other). A good suggestion would be DELL. I have a E2209WFP about £150 and it's excellent. Samsung also make a good monitor. Hope this helps.

If you select to mirror your MacBook Pro screen select detect monitor. It should detect the monitors highest resolution and give you the option to use it rather than yor MacBook highest resolution.

The max res on my MBP screen is 1280x800. I purchased a 24 Cinema display and use it's max resolution 1920x1200 when I have my MBP connected to it.