quote:

Does it help your efficiency?

Yes it does. (2) 27" for main tasks, whatever my laptop monitor for email.

Anybody using Dell Display Manager?

I used to ALWAYS use multiple monitors (sometimes two and sometimes three at different times).

Contrary to some of the other posters here, I now use one really big monitor (Dell 38" ultrawide, almost as much screen area as two 27" monitors) instead and would not go back to multiple smaller monitors.

There are certain very specific computer tasks where a multiple monitor setup is as good or maybe even a bit better. Like some text processing tasks really benefit from two or three vertically-oriented monitors.

However, if the computer isn't being used specifically and pretty exclusively for one of those tasks, I think the flexibility of one big monitor is hard to beat.

If you've just plugged one big monitor into a computer and used it for a while, you will probably disagree.

You need one more thing added to the system.

Windows and MacOS (and I assume Linux) have utilities available that allow customizable window-snapping zones and shortcuts.

On my one really big monitor, in a moment with just the mouse, I can "snap" a window to:

- the entire screen
- the left/right half of the screen
- the top/bottom left/right quarter of the screen
- the left/middle/right third of the screen
- the top/bottom left/middle/right sixth of the screen
- the left/right two-thirds of the screen
- the top/bottom half of the left/right two-thirds of the screen

Those are the ones I have set up and that I find useful, but if you need something different, you can set up something different.

The result? The one big monitor basically emulates a multi-monitor setup of instantly reconfigurable sizes and shapes of monitors.

With an actual multiple monitor setup, sure, you can subdivide the individual monitors, but stretching stuff across multiple monitors is terrible, and even subdividing isn't as effective because the monitors are smaller so you have a lot fewer options without making windows too small to be useful.

I'm sure someone will comment "so why not add another monitor next to the 38?" Well, for some tasks, I could imagine a vertically oriented monitor on one or both sides being somewhat useful, or even a small monitor above it. The problem is, if the monitors are at an appropriate distance from the user, monitors to the side or above (and this applies to the areas near the edges of basically anything wider than a 2x27 setup as well) are WELL outside the angle that is ergonomic to spend much time looking at.

So if you're using the computer for a job where you really have to have something visible on screen at all times, but only need to glance at it now and then, a bigger/wider setup makes sense, but otherwise I really don't think it does.

I will admit to lusting after one of the gigantic 49" monitors, though.

Work issues me a Laptop. I do not like the small screen but whatever. So I bought a Samsung 27" curved and nice keyboard and mouse. I use that plugged into the laptop. I 'can' use the laptop screen as a second monitor but rarely find the need for it. I love having my 27". I can run two windows side by side.

Well, I'm going to try this out with a small (12") display. Should be perfect for a single word doc, which is mainly what I'm trying to do.



Mounting it next to my main screen with this, but in portrait orientation:

Resolution matters.

Simply having big screens is not enough. Having a high resolution so you actually have screen real estate is important.

Learn the keyboard and mouse shortcuts for your OS to navigate between windows and to snap windows to various positions.

I use Divvy as my window manager and like it.

In Windows, you can use the display settings to tell the computer the relative positions of each monitor.

Yes, three monitor setups are in my opinion the optimal design, but as someone else posted, your video card and the monitor resolutions play an important role too. My setup is one wide screen 27" oriented vertically on my left for word processing and/or project management tasks, one standard 27" in front of me for web, email, and other tasks, and one standard 27" to my right mostly to run MLB games . I didn't realize just how helpful the vertical orientation wide screen would be, but it makes life really simple when dealing with things that benefit from that orientation.

 
I prefer a single large monitor (32" 4K Eizo, since 2015). macOS has a feature called "Spaces", or Mission Control, where you can have multiple desktops. I use 5 desktops for different purposes. For example, my BusyCal calendar occupies one desktop completely, making it very easy to read. Switching desktops is a simple as Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, etc., or Ctrl-left-or-right arrow.

Having 2+ monitors is a game changer for workflow and efficiency.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
I prefer a single large monitor (32" 4K Eizo, since 2015). macOS has a feature called "Spaces", or Mission Control, where you can have multiple desktops. I use 5 desktops for different purposes. For example, my BusyCal calendar occupies one desktop completely, making it very easy to read. Switching desktops is a simple as Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, etc., or Ctrl-left-or-right arrow.

The implementation is a bit different in each OS, but Windows and Linux each support multiple desktops as well.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Creslin - Would you care to share what you do that utilizes 12 monitors at a time?

I see multiple computers so "why do you have nearly 12 Computers, Creslin?!?!" might be a better question

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
I prefer a single large monitor (32" 4K Eizo, since 2015). macOS has a feature called "Spaces", or Mission Control, where you can have multiple desktops. I use 5 desktops for different purposes. For example, my BusyCal calendar occupies one desktop completely, making it very easy to read. Switching desktops is a simple as Ctrl-1, Ctrl-2, etc., or Ctrl-left-or-right arrow.

This is exactly what I've been doing, except I use a touchpad and can scroll between the different desktops with just a 4-finger swoop. I am actually using 7 different desktops this way. And it works well, but I'm thinking I could dial in even more efficiency with a completely separate display.

Yes, two monitors for work is almost essential.

To answer the OP,

I will never to back to a single monitor. 2 is minimum. 3 is preferable. Currently using 2 because of desk constraints and since I have a laptop where the 3rd used to be which sort of acts as a 3rd monitor.

Now to the real issue - creslin, you gotta tell us why you have so many monitors. You can't just post a picture like that then ghost the thread

OK, we have achieved multiplicity. A small monitor to the right of the main display, just enough for a word doc. Think I'll like this.

The only issue is that those swing-arm mounts are really designed for much larger, heavier units. That little 12-incher isn't heavy enough to pull it down any lower. I guess it's OK, as I can still use it at that height.


My Desk - 1 by kpkina, on Flickr

Check the manual for the monitor arm - the monitor is small enough it very well may be outside the adjustment range, but most of the monitor arms have a screw somewhere to adjust the “lift” strength and/or a screw to adjust how much friction holds the arm in place.

Thanks. I played with the tension screw quite a bit, but no joy. I actually contacted the company today, and they said sorry, but a 1-pound monitor is outside their design spec. I did some digging, and that is in fact true. I've never used one of these before, and didn't know that most of them are rated for 4.4-17.6 lbs.

Not a big deal. It's certainly useable as it is, or maybe I'll find a different one at some point.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Anybody using Dell Display Manager?

I've used it in the past. I don't recall if I loved it or not, but it never seemed intuitive or very functional.

Try Divvy instead: https://mizage.com/windivvy/

I like that it's Hotkey based and fully customizable on the fly.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Thanks. I played with the tension screw quite a bit, but no joy. I actually contacted the company today, and they said sorry, but a 1-pound monitor is outside their design spec. I did some digging, and that is in fact true. I've never used one of these before, and didn't know that most of them are rated for 4.4-17.6 lbs.

Not a big deal. It's certainly useable as it is, or maybe I'll find a different one at some point.

Zip tie a box of ammo to the back of it

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Creslin - Would you care to share what you do that utilizes 12 monitors at a time?

Anticipating the response, there are a bunch of keyboards too. My guess would be running some kind of regression or compatibility testing on a bunch of different systems simultaneously.