Increase Productivity with Dual Monitors

I used to think that individuals that had 2 monitors were eccentric nerds. I am not afraid to admit it. I recently however for some reason pulled out an old 15” LCD I had lying in the closet and dusted it off and attached it to my laptop. Originally I was going to do it just as a primary monitor, but then I remembered I could “span” the monitor or stretch my desktop across it. It just happened to be that that day I was doing some blogging and I had to cut and paste from a website I was quoting. I must admit that not only was it faster, but it felt faster. I could tell I was being more efficient.Microsoft estimates that multi-monitor setups can improve productivity between 20-50%. Recently many businesses have started using a dual-monitor setup for their employees in order to increase productivity. Using two monitors effectively doubles the space available for running applications. It provides multiple benefits. I would like to share some of the reasons I prefer having two monitors instead of one and give you an overview of how to set it up.

“If you look at this office, there isn’t much paper in it. On my desk I have three screens, synchronized to form a single desktop. I can drag items from one screen to the next. Once you have that large display area, you’ll never go back, because it has a direct impact on productivity. ” -How I Work: Bill Gates

It is common knowledge that multi-monitor setups are standard fair at Microsoft and Google.

Comparing is Easier

Comparing data becomes easier when you have two monitors. There are many situations when you will need to compare two spreadsheets, documents, websites, etc. Before I had a dual monitor setup on my computer I would have to switch windows over and over again sometimes getting lost in the process. Multiple monitors made it much easier than using alt-tab to switch back and forth between documents. By utilizing the dual monitor setup for comparing I saved tremendous time.

Programming is Faster

Programmers can work faster with two monitors. Code on one monitor. Display the output on another. For web designers this is especially true. This makes it really easy to make changes and test them quickly to see the results.

More Desktop/More multi-tasking

You can start multiple projects easier. For example say I start budgeting on one screen for one project. On the other monitor I may do say budgeting for my new car. ) You get the drift. When I have time I can switch between.

How to Setup Dual Monitors

The first thing you will need is a video card that will support two monitors or two separate video cards so that one monitor can be plugged into each one. I recommend using a card that supports two monitors on it’s own to save slots in your PC. There are many inexpensive cards out there.

Next, you will need two monitors. Using two monitors that are the same brand and model is recommended so that the colors, brightness, and contrast match on both monitors. I would also recommend using two flat panel monitors will use less electricity and usually have a smaller bezel which makes it easier to place them close together. Flat panel monitors are easier on the eyes too because they don’t have as much flicker as CRTs. Once you go LCD you won’t go back. The other advantage is you’ll save deskspace.

Now, once you have both monitors hooked up to the computer there are a few different options to choose from.

You can setup your monitors so they both display the same thing. The way that most people set it up is to have your desktop span both monitors. This allows you to run a program and drag it to the other monitor as if it was one monitor, thus the term span.

Cost?

I mentioned that having a dual-monitor setup is cost-effective. Larger monitors are more expensive. Setting up a dual 17” monitor setup is equivalent to one 20” monitor. A dual 19” setup is the equivalent of one 30” monitor. The prices in the graphic are out-dated, but the principal holds true. 2 smaller monitors are much cheaper than one large monitor.

Conclusion

Using a dual monitor setup is a cost-effective way to increase your productivity. Once you use this, you’ll never be able to go back to a single monitor again (unless its huge).

I myself am going to be upgrading soon. I’m in a bit of analysis paralysis right now trying to choose between getting a 20.1″ with a 17″ wing. I’m going to eventually be using a 3 monitor setup – 1 widescreen 20″ with 2 17″ monitors in portrait mode.

Below is my target setup.

*Update: The price of the above system with the monitor stand is roughly $980 with shipping, Samsung LCD panels, and the stand.

$300 Center 20″ Widescreen Samsung 206BW

$180 Left 17″ Samsung 720N

$280 Right 17″ Samsung 720N

$220 MoView triple monitor stand

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$980 Total <– This is why I’m starting with the center screen then adding on later. The stand is the big ouch factor. To save you could just get 3-19″ regular aspects for roughly $550 and line them up with a single stand.

If anyone knows a good source for multiple-monitor stands please leave a comment or email me. I know a few people including myself that are interested. I know where to get good pricing on panels – tigerdirect.com or dell.com, but don’t have any good source for the stands (read cheap).