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  3. Dual monitors, a week in.

Dual monitors, a week in.

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  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

    OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

    If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

    G Offline
    G Offline
    gavindon
    wrote on last edited by
    #17

    I use 3 at work. My laptop at home with one extra attached for 2 there. Almost feel useless with only one screen nowadays.

    Treat stressful situations like a dog, if you can't eat it, play with it or screw it, then just piss on it and walk away. Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • D Dan Neely

      I'm curious what you're doing to get good use out of three? I've got that setup both at home and in the office and found major diminishing returns on the 3rd. At home #3's mostly turned into a dedicated chat monitor and almost never used for anything else; at work I'd put the relative use levels at 55/35/10% with #3 only getting a significant share of the work when I'm working on documentation updates (copy being edited; copy marked up by reviewer; reference documents, reply to reviewer, etc). I actually had 4 screens at work for about 2 weeks but took the 4th down to reclaim desk space when I never used it for anything.

      Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

      G Offline
      G Offline
      gavindon
      wrote on last edited by
      #18

      For me, its typically, left monitor with outlook open at all times with inter-company chat window on top(when I'm being messaged at least) Middle monitor with VS open when I am coding, terminal windows when I am working on servers/remoting into pcs, and right monitor with tutorials or manuals when I need such things, doubling as an output monitor while testing code.

      Treat stressful situations like a dog, if you can't eat it, play with it or screw it, then just piss on it and walk away. Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

        OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

        If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

        S Offline
        S Offline
        S Douglas
        wrote on last edited by
        #19

        At home, two computers, dual monitors and synergy to tie them both together with one keyboard / mouse!


        Common sense is admitting there is cause and effect and that you can exert some control over what you understand.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

          OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

          If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

          L Offline
          L Offline
          lewax00
          wrote on last edited by
          #20

          ...You mean there are developers out there with one monitor still (or at least, until recently)? I have no idea how they get anything done... But at work I have two mis-matched monitors (too lazy to put in a request for matching ones). Not really sure what sizes, I think 21" (1600x900) and 23" (1680 x 1050). Honestly, my spare monitors at home are better... (same sizes, but both are 1980x1080). The monitors I actually use at home are two 27" 2560x1440 IPS displays. I can comfortably fit 4 windows per monitor in a pinch (and with WindowPad, getting a window to take up 1/4 of the monitor is a shortcut away). Only downside is some website layouts start to breakdown at those resolutions (especially sites that load more as you scroll to the bottom, the problem is the bottom of the page is above the bottom of the window to begin with, so without resizing the window, you can't trigger it). And you need to up the font sizes on a lot of things to make them easily readable...I still wouldn't go back though.

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

            OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

            If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

            L Offline
            L Offline
            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #21

            I have 2 x 30" now and it is a bit too much. I find I have to swivel my chair, not just my head, to get from one side of the setup to the other. I think ill go back to one 30" and one 20" in landscape. That seems to work well.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

              OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

              If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

              J Offline
              J Offline
              JimmyRopes
              wrote on last edited by
              #22

              OriginalGriff wrote:

              Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

              Me too. :-D

              The report of my death was an exaggeration - Mark Twain
              Simply Elegant Designs JimmyRopes Designs
              Think inside the box! ProActive Secure Systems
              I'm on-line therefore I am. JimmyRopes

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • D Dan Neely

                I'm curious what you're doing to get good use out of three? I've got that setup both at home and in the office and found major diminishing returns on the 3rd. At home #3's mostly turned into a dedicated chat monitor and almost never used for anything else; at work I'd put the relative use levels at 55/35/10% with #3 only getting a significant share of the work when I'm working on documentation updates (copy being edited; copy marked up by reviewer; reference documents, reply to reviewer, etc). I actually had 4 screens at work for about 2 weeks but took the 4th down to reclaim desk space when I never used it for anything.

                Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                D Offline
                D Offline
                dandy72
                wrote on last edited by
                #23

                Dan Neely wrote:

                I'm curious what you're doing to get good use out of three? I've got that setup both at home and in the office and found major diminishing returns on the 3rd.

                I do use 3 monitors, but that's where I've drawn the line. All three are 24", 1920x1200, with one pair used in portrait mode, and the third in landscape mode. The landscape-mode one is running VS fullscreen (or videos, when I'm not coding), one of the portrait-mode ones shows a bunch of floating windows from VS (output window, locals, call stack, search results, etc), and the last one typically shows Outlook, OneNote, browser windows, logs and all sorts of utilities. Years ago I had a 4th monitor, but I really didn't know what to do with it...not to mention I was constantly turning my head from the left-most monitor to the right-most. 3's definitely my sweet spot. I've also tried a 27" monitor, and the conclusion I had drawn at that time was, "same resolution, bigger pixels", so I couldn't justify the extra expense. I'm happy with my current setup. Although...bring on the 4K monitors already. :-) At one point I also had VS spread across the two portrait-mode monitors, with two sets of tabs opened side-by-side--great for seeing long listings all at once, with enough of a margin on each monitor to dock a window. Also, Remote Desktop with "Use all my monitors" is great for working with any computer, including those that simply don't have the hardware to support more than one or two (laptops, and even headless systems, come to mind).

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • T thrakazog

                  2 is great. 3 even better. 4 is pushing things a bit.

                  Play my game Gravity: IOS[^], Android[^], Windows Phone 7[^]

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  Brisingr Aerowing
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #24

                  200 26" monitors is overkill. One of my friends did that, and I think he has more than 200 now.

                  Bob Dole

                  The internet is a great way to get on the net.

                  :doh: 2.0.82.7292 SP6a

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                    OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

                    If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    Peter_in_2780
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #25

                    I have a lappie with 1680x1050 and another 1680x1050 stacked above. The external is bigger, so small print stuff goes upstairs. I couldn't live for long without the pixels. Cheers, Peter

                    Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                      OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

                      If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                      A Offline
                      A Offline
                      Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #26

                      I'm up to four monitors now (a pair of 24" and two 19" satellites) now, and I wouldn't go back either. The main two usually have VS and SCC windows open, with remote sessions, explorer windows etc. delegated to the two 19" monitors on my right. Once you go beyond two monitors I suspect some sort of monitor stand arrangement is pretty essential - I use a pair of Ergotron dual stacking monitor arms[^] to not only fly the main two monitors, but also stack the two 19" monitors on top of each other and angle them appropriately.

                      Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"

                      OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • D Dan Neely

                        I'm curious what you're doing to get good use out of three? I've got that setup both at home and in the office and found major diminishing returns on the 3rd. At home #3's mostly turned into a dedicated chat monitor and almost never used for anything else; at work I'd put the relative use levels at 55/35/10% with #3 only getting a significant share of the work when I'm working on documentation updates (copy being edited; copy marked up by reviewer; reference documents, reply to reviewer, etc). I actually had 4 screens at work for about 2 weeks but took the 4th down to reclaim desk space when I never used it for anything.

                        Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        Clumpco
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #27

                        I use three monitors, but on two computers. My main "work" computer has the usual dual monitor setup, the third monitor is either connected to my laptop (at work) or my workhorse PC at home (I do a lot of video editing/encoding). With the most excellent Mouse Without Borders[^] I can easily code, test and chat without all that alt-tabbing going on. Having chats etc. on a seperate machine avoids annoying focus-stealing pop-ups from ... err... stealing the focus.

                        J 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                          OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

                          If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                          P Offline
                          P Offline
                          pt1401
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #28

                          I've been using dual monitors at both home & work for a couple of years, and would hate to go back to using one. Problem is I'm moving employers at the beginning of March and I'm not sure whether the new guys have multi-monitor setups. I haven't actually signed the contract yet, maybe I should make 2 monitors a condition of signing? It really is that big a deal...why cripple my productivity for the sake of £100 ?

                          OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • P pt1401

                            I've been using dual monitors at both home & work for a couple of years, and would hate to go back to using one. Problem is I'm moving employers at the beginning of March and I'm not sure whether the new guys have multi-monitor setups. I haven't actually signed the contract yet, maybe I should make 2 monitors a condition of signing? It really is that big a deal...why cripple my productivity for the sake of £100 ?

                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriff
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #29

                            I wouldn't make it a condition, myself. Instead look shocked when you arrive if they don't have multiples and quickly search the internet for "multiple monitor productivity" - you'll find research claiming a 42~51% improvement which is enough of a business case to persuade most management very quickly - particularly when the cost per station is easily less than £200. Just remember to cast doubt on the numbers - I feel they are heavily inflated myself and you might have to meet them! :laugh:

                            If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                            "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • A Anna Jayne Metcalfe

                              I'm up to four monitors now (a pair of 24" and two 19" satellites) now, and I wouldn't go back either. The main two usually have VS and SCC windows open, with remote sessions, explorer windows etc. delegated to the two 19" monitors on my right. Once you go beyond two monitors I suspect some sort of monitor stand arrangement is pretty essential - I use a pair of Ergotron dual stacking monitor arms[^] to not only fly the main two monitors, but also stack the two 19" monitors on top of each other and angle them appropriately.

                              Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"

                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriff
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #30

                              Three I could see (no pun intended) - it would be simple with peripheral vision and minimal head movement. But four? I'd need to put one of them above the centre one, and then I'd have to crank my head right back to see it clearly if I ever go back to varifocals. :laugh:

                              If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                              "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                              A 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                Three I could see (no pun intended) - it would be simple with peripheral vision and minimal head movement. But four? I'd need to put one of them above the centre one, and then I'd have to crank my head right back to see it clearly if I ever go back to varifocals. :laugh:

                                If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                                A Offline
                                A Offline
                                Anna Jayne Metcalfe
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #31

                                It's pretty simple - One (24") in the centre, one (24") on the left, and two (19") stacked above each other on the right - all angled towards me. If you think of the right hand pair as basically a portrait oriented monitor the same size as the other two - and then cut in half horizontally - the layout should be clearer.

                                Anna :rose: Tech Blog | Visual Lint "Why would anyone prefer to wield a weapon that takes both hands at once, when they could use a lighter (and obviously superior) weapon that allows you to wield multiple ones at a time, and thus supports multi-paradigm carnage?"

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                                • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                  OK, so I added a second 22 inch monitor a week ago, and I thought I'd just tell you what it's like. I wouldn't go back to just one. Seriously, if you have only one monitor - even a fairly big one - you would not believe how much easier it makes life if you have two. The research I saw claims a 42~51% improvement in productivity - I don't think I'd go that high, but it certainly does make some things a lot easier. It's not just the extra real-estate you add, it's a better, more organised way of working you add. I have VS and Chrome open on my "old" 22 inch in landscape, both maximised so I have the full screen to play with, but with utilities, Outlook, MediaPlayer, my desktop shortcuts and the app I'm working on running on the other. So I can see the app run and look at the code without doing anything other than move my eyes. If I want to look at a technical manual or MSDN I can have that open on the second monitor while coding on the other. I can switch apps from side to side with simple keystrokes. What did this cost? £110 for the monitor, £3 for the HDMI cable and £7 for a wall mounting bracket (and a very, very nice bracket it is too) - my original video card supported multiple monitors, so I didn't need to lay out £30 on a new one. Add a few quid for postage, and half an hour installation and you're there. Is it value for money? Definitely. If it doesn't make me actually more productive (and I think it does, just not 50% more) then it makes it easier to concentrate on what you are doing without chasing the right window round the screen and trying to find a way to show both apps at the same time. Which has got to improve productivity all on it's own. I don't know if you want a Portrait and Landscape combination - I did - but if you don't then you just need the desk space. Talk to your boss. Get a second monitor - I'm sold on 'em!

                                  If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

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                                  Rob Grainger
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #32

                                  I'm about three weeks into using three monitors - two of which pretty well match your setup, the third I have in Portrait mode which is absolutely awesome for: 1. Documentation 2. Editing code I always have VS on one of my landscape monitors, but for a heavy editing session can drag a edit window to the portrait screen and view oodles of code at a time.

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                                  • T thrakazog

                                    2 is great. 3 even better. 4 is pushing things a bit.

                                    Play my game Gravity: IOS[^], Android[^], Windows Phone 7[^]

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                                    Michael Kingsford Gray
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #33

                                    I vehemently disagree with the "4 screens is pushing it". I have 4 x 24" screens, and find myself wishing for two more, because I can be far more productive in Visual Studio. The more screens, the merrier!

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                                    • R Rob Grainger

                                      I'm about three weeks into using three monitors - two of which pretty well match your setup, the third I have in Portrait mode which is absolutely awesome for: 1. Documentation 2. Editing code I always have VS on one of my landscape monitors, but for a heavy editing session can drag a edit window to the portrait screen and view oodles of code at a time.

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                                      Jan Holst Jensen2
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #34

                                      Where are all the usual posts about "multiple monitors are bad for your productivity" ? Has the anti-multiple-monitors brigade given up ;P ? I use a single 19" 1280x1024 monitor when I work at home, a single 17" 1280x1024 at one customer, and my laptop screen 1280x800 at a second customer. I have ample screen space to code, me thinks. And it forces me to concentrate on one thing at a time, which should be good for productivity, right ? The only time I miss an extra monitor is when the MS Office help window pops up and insists on being on top of everything X| . Oh, to flick it somewhere to the side... perhaps I should try using my laptop display as secondary screen when I code VBA.

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                                      • J Jan Holst Jensen2

                                        Where are all the usual posts about "multiple monitors are bad for your productivity" ? Has the anti-multiple-monitors brigade given up ;P ? I use a single 19" 1280x1024 monitor when I work at home, a single 17" 1280x1024 at one customer, and my laptop screen 1280x800 at a second customer. I have ample screen space to code, me thinks. And it forces me to concentrate on one thing at a time, which should be good for productivity, right ? The only time I miss an extra monitor is when the MS Office help window pops up and insists on being on top of everything X| . Oh, to flick it somewhere to the side... perhaps I should try using my laptop display as secondary screen when I code VBA.

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                                        Rob Grainger
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #35

                                        For me, the big win is having MSDN or similar alongside the dev environment. Another use, is debugging.. having the app and IDE on separate monitor helps more than you'd imagine. But if you're happy with your setup, that's fine too.

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                                        • R Rob Grainger

                                          For me, the big win is having MSDN or similar alongside the dev environment. Another use, is debugging.. having the app and IDE on separate monitor helps more than you'd imagine. But if you're happy with your setup, that's fine too.

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                                          Jan Holst Jensen2
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #36

                                          Yeah, debugging GUI apps can surely benefit from dual, or just bigger, monitors.

                                          Quote:

                                          But if you're happy with your setup, that's fine too.

                                          And I am sure that lots of people are happier with loads of monitors. Just wondered where all the heated debate that used to follow any mention of multiple monitors went :-)...

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