Second monitor - what for?

[effpeetee]

I have two spare monitors and it has occurred to me to add one to my existing set-up. Why would I do that, and are there different reasons to so do?

My main board has a video output and of course my added video board also. How can I use them? Any advice gratefully received.:thumbsup:

ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT [Display adapter]

Frank

[_Aerospace_Eng_]

A lot of web developers, programmers like having more than one monitor. It can allow them to be more productive by improving on multitasking. For a web developer the most common example is they have their coding environment on one monitor, and on the other they have a browser. They just need to make a change, and refresh the browser without having to actually minimize their coding window. It helps for other things too. Suppose you are working on two files at once or you want to compare them. Sure there are tools that can do this but some times just looking at them yourself helps.

[brad211987]

If you do many things at once on your computer, I would highly recommend multiple monitors. It is easy to set up on Windows XP/Vista/7 as well as Ubuntu (and probably other distributions of linux as well). In all of the above cases, you simply need to plug in the additional monitor and you will find options to configure the display in the same place you configure your screen resolution.

Most of the time you will want to select the option that says "extend my desktop to this monitor" or something similar to get the desired expanded desktop. Best results will come from having both monitors set to the same resolution, but its not required. In fact, I'm currently running at 1920 X 1200 on my laptop screen with an external monitor running at 1280 X 1024.

[effpeetee]

Thank you both. I'll have to clear the desk and get on with it.
I'll probably need some more help later though.

Frank

[oracleguy]

An extra monitor is nice, I have two on my work PC and am going to add a third soon. It is nice being able to edit files on one screen and have a browser, IM, email and putty windows on a different monitor.

[ScottInTexas]

Careful. You're going to get used to it and when you only have one, you will be wondering how you can carry around a monitor and your lap top. I use one to view legal documents and edit data on the other. My job would take twice as long or I would have to write everything out, then edit data because switching from one view to the other is too much trouble.

[jfreak53]

I have been using two for quite some years now. I love it. I notice how much I miss having two when I have to work on my laptop full time, like I am this week. I really miss my two monitors when working :( ha ha

I am a programmer and other things as well. For programming it is great, code on one side and memory testers realtime on the other. For web it is the same, browser on one side and code on other. Plus I also do tutorial videos with audio, it is wonderful being able to record on my second monitor at a lower resolution and not have the taskbar at the bottom amoung other things. I love it!!

I am in the process of upgrading my regular 23 inch to another new monitor and I will move things over and get a 3rd one yey :D

But it is great, once you have one you will miss it when you don´t get to use it ha ha

[effpeetee]

You have all made my mouth water. I'll get with it immediately.
What have I been missing.

Is it addictive? Will I become a Monitor-junkie.

Frank

[brad211987]

You have all made my mouth water. I'll get with it immediately.
What have I been missing.

Is it addictive? Will I become a Monitor-junkie.

Frank

Yes.

I honestly have a difficult time functioning effectively when I don't have a second monitor plugged into the laptop because I typically have one plugged in at least 98% of the time that I am on a computer.

It also helps that Windows 7 added some nice UI features that make things really easy with multiple monitors, such as the Aero snap features. If you get it all set up and want a little extra, look at Ultramon (http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/). I used it quite a bit when I was on XP, but since moving to Windows 7, I haven't found the need for it as much.

[Spookster]

I could not be as productive at work without my second monitor. As everyone has already pointed out I can have coding windows open on one monitor and documentation such as system requirements open on the other or IM windows or whatever else. I don't have dual monitors at home yet but if I did I could play my video games in one monitor and have things like Skype, Steam, etc in the other window so I don't have to keep alt tabbing to get to those other windows.

[firepages]

hmmm actually Spookster has 3 monitors, two of them with pictures of the Spookster himself looking approvingly at the third which basically runs a program to check that the other two monitors are displaying the pictures correctly ;)

long time no annoy Spookster !

[Spookster]

hmmm actually Spookster has 3 monitors, two of them with pictures of the Spookster himself looking approvingly at the third which basically runs a program to check that the other two monitors are displaying the pictures correctly ;)

long time no annoy Spookster !

Shows how much you know. I am green minded these days so now I persuade my minions to hold my photos in front of me which are printed on recycled paper. Almost time to recycle my minions.