Forum Posts Feed
Multiple Monitors
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Jan 14, 2013 at 04:28 PM
This from Bill (Madaboutdana):
> It would be interesting to hear - purely for amusement value - how many of us knowledge workers on this forum work with multiple monitors, and how many prefer just one (albeit maybe an enormous one…).
Thought I’d start a new topic to provide my answer. I use two monitors on my Windows PC at work, and I love it. In fact, I don’t know how I worked with just one (okay, I do really know, since I work on a MacBook at home). There are at least two reasons this setup works so well for me:
1. I have multipe responsibilities at the office, from designing catalogs and writing copy, to taking phone orders and doing customer service. I can keep the customer service application open on one monitor, while working on a project on the other.
2. It is so convenient to be able to reference a web page or other documens on one monitor while working on another (for example, I keep our customer database open in FileMaker, while researching contacts on the web browser in the other.
Steve Z.
Posted by MadaboutDana
Jan 14, 2013 at 04:30 PM
Aha! That suggests you have a twin-head graphics card? I wonder how many people get round to installing those. I always find it amusing that laptops/notebooks have them as a matter of course, but desktops very rarely (if ever) do.
Posted by Franz Grieser
Jan 14, 2013 at 04:36 PM
I use a dual-monitor setup (20” and 23”) on my workplace: On the higher-res monitor (1600x1200px) I run the application I am working in - LibreOffice, Word, Scrivener (depends on the job to be done), on the other I have reference material (documents, notes, ...), dictionaries and/or browser windows. I also have Outlook on the second display (usually invisible in the background while I am writing - unless I am writing an article or book on Outlook).
Franz
Posted by shatteredmindofbob
Jan 14, 2013 at 04:37 PM
Count me as a member of the dual-monitor club.
Research goes on one monitor, word processor on the other.
As for the graphics card, well, I’m a bit of a gamer, so I needed a decent one for that anyway.
Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 14, 2013 at 04:48 PM
I have two monitors (19in + 22in). In monitor 1 I do the focused activity (writing, outlining, browsing, analysis etc.). Monitor 2 is for reference and is only turned on when necessary (to reduce distraction). During writing, in monitor 2 I’d usually have ConnectedText open, as my database, Dopus for dealing with files, Freeplane with a mind map and/or VUE with a concept map. All of the latter benefit from the large screen.