[admin]

From a Wall Street Journal Story:

Research going on at the Center for Information Work (a Microsoft research org) shows that there's a relationship between monitors and productivity. The article says, "The upshot of her [manager Mary Czerwinski's] research: Bigger monitors are better, and while two monitors are good, three are ideal."

What do you think of this? I've had dual 19" LCD's on my desktop for about a year now, and I really like it. I miss the dual monitors when using a laptop. I have no doubt they make me more productive. But three? With the move toward smaller and more portable screens (UMPCs and other mobile devices), I wonder what this means for overall productivity?

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i've got my LT and a 19 inch lcd on my desk...the extra monitor makes remote administration of my servers pretty enjoyable..because i can just look back and forth between the two screens to check info or whatever...it's pretty handy and alot less confusing...especially if using RDP on more than one server at a time...get less confused....also good for photo editing and what not as you can keep a copy of the original up on one window and the one you're messing with on the other....three monitors would kill me...i'd end up only using two

[dsenette]

i've got my LT and a 19 inch lcd on my desk...the extra monitor makes remote administration of my servers pretty enjoyable..because i can just look back and forth between the two screens to check info or whatever...it's pretty handy and alot less confusing...especially if using RDP on more than one server at a time...get less confused....also good for photo editing and what not as you can keep a copy of the original up on one window and the one you're messing with on the other....three monitors would kill me...i'd end up only using two

[Retired Tech]

Have 3 in a line but they have their own computers

[Johanna]

Hmmm... I have an ancient CRT, and its weight is what is actually holding the countertop to the table underneath it. I doubt the C-clamp is taking much weight. I think two flat screen monitors would be great- especially when I'm flipping back and forth in WE making web pages and editing graphics. But then my "desk" would fall apart. I do have KVM switch for when I work on other people's computers- lots less to lug around, and I get to use my own trackball and split keyboard. If anyone has an extra flat screen monitor gathering dust, I volunteer to test the productivity theory.
Johanna

[Hai Mac]

I think I am quite lucky to have an 19'' flat LCD at this stage (& my age), never dreamed of two . Must be quite and interesting experience. What would I do on the spare screen?

Edited by Hai Mac, 13 July 2006 - 02:16 PM.

[warriorscot]

On the rare occasion i get to have two monitors i must say its good very handy, three cant imagine how i would use it maybe just a huge screen just for useful widgets i dont know, would love it for gaming.

[james_8970]

honestly i think two monitors would be productive enough, once you'd get the thrid i think it would get overwellming and you would get a bit of everything done, but never fully finish something in a shorter period. But like warrior said it would be awsome for games! .....yet i have doubts that many computers could run 3 moniters with decent FPS.
James

[Mr. Green]

I could not imagine using three monitors. I use two myself only because I was given a second. I find myself using it quite often while playing online games and using the other to surf the net or do school work, but I just can not see what I would use a third one for.

[warriorscot]

I would probably have a third one set up to display full screen visualisations myself. Three monitors wouldnt be that bad on the computer for gaming you just set the game to have the extra extra wide resolutions and turn down some settings, ive seen some pics of it done with CSS and it looks amazing biggest advatage is peripheral vision but to set it up properly from some RTS games would be great, i would also love it for flight sims as well.

[Optikal]

I couldn't imagine living without anything less than 1/2 a dozen monitors surrounding me, when helping a friend out I often find it fustrating only having one screen to utilise. The primary benefit I find is being able to keep more apps/progs running/open at once, having to turn your glance slightly to the left or right is alot more time efficient than having to maximise or shrink the window or windows you're using. I can only imagine the time I have saved over the last 3 years. This Forum here (not sure on the rules on posting links(I'm sure someone will edit where needed))has helped me with a couple issues. If you're still mono, go dual at least..

Edited by Optikal, 15 July 2006 - 06:41 PM.

[warriorscot]

I would love lots of monitors but i have a strict policy: the display system should never cost more than the computer its connected to.

[Magosis]

I would love lots of monitors but i have a strict policy: the display system should never cost more than the computer its connected to.

this is a good point although I find I am replacing my systems more often than i am the displays so thats the otehr catch I supose, Personaly i use 3 monitors and I love it. I have one were i have my web browsing and music, I have another that is my coding tools and one more for my chat clients. befor thsi i tended to have problems keepign track of everythign as I usualy have 13-40 windows open at once.

[fleamailman]

I have been trying to downsize to a little external harddrive 40gb, I have two comps but since all that I use is on the external harddrive they don't have to be on much and I can go to any Internet cafe or library and have the same result as if I were at home so the monitor question is a nonstarter for me, the cost of three plasma screens is prohibative, productivity up perhaps but were the long term costs considered here by those who did the tests.

[Pi rules]

I think that 3 may be a bit too much; I've used two CRTs and found it to be pretty good, but my tower is on my desk and between that, my 20" CRT and my speakers, there isn't enough room even for an ancient 15" CRT I have. When I used both once, I had to place the other CRT up and it hurt my neck to keep looking at it.

[warriorscot]

CRT would be the problem there, LCD is great for that kinda thing, ill probably get a cheap LCD TV with a DVI to double as a second monitor and TV.