Comments on: Dual Monitors: Is There Any Need?

By: Blah

Blah — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:31:45 +0000

A different perspective…Just because you can, doesnt mean you should. Two monitors (or 3, 4, 5…) might make some tasks easier but, at what cost? Im not even talking about the price of a monitor or your electric bill. Im talking about the draw on natural resources and the amount of technotrash in our landfills. Lets not get lasier. Lets find viable solutions to real problems. I think it would make sense for some careers but, in my office, it has actually become trendy.

By: Bret Spector

Bret Spector — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:01:42 +0000

I just don’t see the point for more than one monitor. I mean, it’s like with your internet browser. For example you could have 7 tabs open in that browser. There’s no other option for that. So why do you need more than one monitor?

By: TheRobotMonkey

TheRobotMonkey — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:11:12 +0000

This guy just dont get it, the bigger your workspace the more productive you are and monitors are a big factor in that.
Chris has even said this in a video.

By: Mitch8ell8

Mitch8ell8 — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:03:10 +0000

Dual monitors are a necessity to me. I use my secondary monitor for IRC, IM, and other web browsers when I connect my notebook. I use my primary display for current browsers, active IMs, and the occasional game.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:47:31 +0000

To be abit blunt, HELL YES there is a need for Dual monitors, since adding a second monitor to my XP setup, I have been amazed with the increase in ease of use and access to information while writting blog posts etc, Especially designing websites.

Would never go without dual monitors again.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:54:31 +0000

I’m with a small school, seeking to implement “digital signage” well but simply and inexpensively. We want to put a 1080p display on the wall outside each classroom and show a mix of picture slideshows (here are the kids in this class, some of their art or science projects, etc), short video clips (speeches, trips, etc), and some text (“Welcome {xyz}”, “Upcoming is {abc}”, etc).

So that’s eight INDEPENDENT content streams driven from one head-end PC. The rooms are in a single building, but spread over about 200 feet.

I guess I could load up a PC with three identical quad-port video cards (so all eight, console, and even some expansion would have the same driver). But then how to distribute the signals? Do I just run video extenders? Do I convert the signals to add channels to our cable television feed? Or do I convert all of this to an IP streaming server–and then tack some kind of network media player behind each display?

Is there an advantage to using Matrox, ATI, or Nvidia cards?

And what software does one use to drive all of this–Mac OS X, WinXP, Win Vista, Win2003, Win2008? Target a Powerpoint show at each monitor? Or maybe there’s an open source or at least inexpensive digital signage package?

So what would you do???

By: TheMilkWars

TheMilkWars — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:56:49 +0000

Dual monitors….. i say if your a hardcore geek with a few extra bucks, what the heck, but if not, research! everything you do on a computer, is represented on your screen. the bigger the screen, the more expensive, better resolution. dual monitors, pretty much the same but the same. so if you have a mac or linux, and youre running out of space, no need, because macs have spaces, and linux haas ubuntu. it all depends on how you use your computer

By: Franky

Franky — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:55:03 +0000

Yeah, been using dual monitors for 7 years now…thinking of getting a third and maybe a fourth and fifth. Where are those shades at…?

By: Antonin Hildebrand

Antonin Hildebrand — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:08:08 +0000

I’m also big fan of dual monitors. It boosts my productivity.

For web developers I’ve created tool called XRefresh, which is designed for dual monitor web development. This tool can refresh your browser whenever it detects file change (in selected working directory).

Screen1: browser
Screen2: CSS editor / HTML editor / whatever

By: Jordan Levy

Jordan Levy — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:19:40 +0000

I’ve been using 2 monitors for several years now and I don’t think I could efver go back to using just 1. I am a web designer so it makes a huge difference in my work productivity.

By: Richard Currie

Richard Currie — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:21:38 +0000

i started using a dual monitor setup 3years ago and have suddenly found exponential need for more desktop space! this last 6months i’ve ended up with 8monitors (4×2) around me running from 4 computers using synergy and multivista. It is the most incrediable working space and everytime i grab a laptop to go on the move i almost give up on the possiblity of getting some work done as its so innefficent!

By: Sutty5

Sutty5 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:15:20 +0000

I just installed a second monitor and i think it has made my life much more easier
and i can now run webcammax and actually be able to click things on my first screen whilst the partition of my second screen can be captured to ustream without the window minimizing out of the way everytime i click. Now i dont know what i would ever do without a second screen and i would never get rid of it. ill probably end up with about 4 screens literally.

By: John Gilmore

John Gilmore — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 11:46:42 +0000

Hi
I use 2 moitors on my Mac G4. It works really well except that in Firefox, windows won’t stay put ant often jump over from 2nd screen to first, or the top strip disappears beyond the 2nd monitor top edge so I can’t move them.

Safari doesn’t seem to have this problem but I prefer to use FFox because Safari is incompatible with so many sites.

Best

By: Randy C

Randy C — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 04:25:50 +0000

Currently using 4 !9″ monitors when it comes to filing forms hwere inst. and forms can all be up it’s the bomb! When it comes to play watching TV on one chatting on another monitoring stocks AND playing a game is unreal. The girl is jealous of this computer

By: Stan

Stan — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:54:03 +0000

“Codename Frost” has gotta realize that not everybody has a focus on games. Some people use their computers for work. It’s not about being able to switch between desktops instantly, but being able to see things you’re working on at the same time in different apps.

I’d sure like dual monitors, maybe even three. I do a lot of CAD work, and need other programs open at the same time. Oftentimes flipping and dragging between the SolidWorks and/or Corel Designer, Photoshop and one of two or three HTML editors I use. That’s to say nothing of also having having Firefox, TBird and Mailwasher open.

It never ends…

BTW, some time ago, when Chris first started writing about using more than one monitor, he wrote of ‘duel’ monitors. Sounded like he had to fight with it a lot!