If you're looking to put more visual ooomph into your desktop setup for gaming or just needing more display screens as added workspace, it's often easier to get yourself a new desktop monitor to add to your already impressive gadget collection.

But, tough economic times have forced tech enthusiasts to consider other solutions, and if you have an Android smartphone or tablet, you won't need to look any further. With some help from ScreenSlider, a nifty Android app, you can use your Android device as a monitor display extension.

ScreenSlider allows you to view items that are currently running on your desktop monitor on your Android device, even if you're in another room. It's like having an extra, portable display or screen–perfect for multitasking or keeping track of activity on social networks while you stay focused on the main task on your monitor. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection and the proper LAN setup on a Windows PC or laptop.

The app features easy controls on your Android device: pinch-to-zoom, two-finger panning while zoomed, three-finger scroll, and press-and-hold for right mouse click. You can use the built-in Android keyboard and speech-to-text recognition to input text into Windows apps. The app runs on devices with Android 2.2 or later.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get this cool feature up and running:

1. Download the ScreenSlider app from the Android Market for just 99 cents — a 50% discount from the original US$1.99 price for a limited time. If you have installed a previous version of the app which did not have the auto-update feature, it's important to uninstall the old app first before installing the newly upgraded version.
2. You will also need to download and install a separate ScreenSlider app to your PC. It's available for free download from the developer's website after entering a valid email address.
3. Launch ScreenSlider on your Android device and enter a device name once requested.
4. Right-click the ScreenSlider app on the system tray of your Windows PC/laptop and select “Find Devices”.
5. Double-click your device on the list once it is detected over your Wi-Fi connection. A dialog box will pop up, prompting you to enter the code shown on your Android device in order to pair your device and PC.
6. Click “Agree” for any license prompts that might come up during installation. The screens might flicker for a bit while the app is initializing, but once that's done, the app should be ready for use.

Congratulations! You can now use your Android device as an extended monitor for your PC.