Duet Display has been updated to allow you to use your iPad as a second monitor for your Windows-based computer since Tuesday. The Duet Display app boasts a zero-lag high performance solution developed by a team of ex-Apple engineers initially working with devices that run Mac OS X.

The Duet Display app lets you use a standard charging cable, which could be an old-fashioned 30-pin connector or the Apple Lightning cable, to connect your desktop and your iPad, differentiating the app from older ones that could only connect through Wi-Fi.

Your iPad could even be a better display option than your laptop or desktop monitor. Duet Display can completely utilize your iPad's full resolution, so if you have a brand new iPad tablet, it could end up having more pixels than your original screen. In addition, Duet Display is a touch-enabled app, meaning you can interact with your Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer by using the touch screen of your iPad.

To use Duet Display, you need a server app running on your Windows computer, which is actually free to download.

Afterwards, you would have to purchase the Duet Display app from the iTunes App Store, originally priced at $15.99, but the app is currently on sale at $9.99 to celebrate new support for Windows. That is a 40 percent discount for new users.

Run the server app on your Windows laptop or desktop then just connect the iPad to your PC using the standard USB cable. Open the Duet Display app. The software should recognize the iPad as a second screen, just like a plug and play function. Now, you can use your Windows PC mouse to interact with Windows apps on the iPad or just use the tablet's touch screen.

Another thing that you should do to maximize the Duet Display app is to set the frame rate at 60 frames per second to ensure the smoothest performance for scrolling and for fast moving videos. On Windows, the installed companion app stays in the system tray in the bottom right corner of your desktop to provide a user-friendly settings menu to control frame rate and resolution.

The app takes up less than 9MB of storage space.

"The Windows version is much better than the Mac version, actually. It's got better touch support, and on Mac you're limited to two resolutions. Windows adds in-between resolutions," Rahul Dewan, creator of Duet Display, said.

Photo: Yuichiro MASUI | Flickr