How Many Monitors Do You Use?

[Janak Parekh]

Foo Fighter's recent thread on <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9034">computer setups</a> was a huge success. One common facet was the popular use of multiple monitors. Nowadays, Windows makes it quite easy to do so, and new video cards even have multiple ports, so you don't have to put in a secondary PCI card.<br /><br />So, how many monitors do you use? I use 1, but that's because I have a high-res LCD (e.g., 1600x1200). Poll time!<br /><br />(Note: I'm asking how many monitors you use on one PC, not the aggregate sum of monitors across all of your computers. If you use multiple machines, feel free to pick any one of them--I'd pick the one with the most. As always, click the Discuss link if you want to see results without voting.)

[GSibble]

I LOVE having two monitors. Whenever I'm coding, editing graphics, or working in excel or on a paper, having two monitors makes a huge difference. I'm almost twice as productive.
And Janak, using 1600x1200 is not an excuse to only have one! Both of mine are running at 1600x1200 making my desktop space 3200x1200. I will admit, even on the most senstive setting, it still takes me several minutes to move my mouse from one end of a screen to the other, but its so worth it.

[yawanag]

I wanna meet the guy using between 20-36,853. Forget the mouses, mice? he uses. I wanna see his eyeballs! 8O

[Kaber]

I said two monitors, but I guess I actually use 2 computers at the same time. This is so I can play Counter-Strike/Battlefield 1942 while "working".

Sorry Janak, I rang in early.

[suhit]

I am actually sort of surprised to see that most people have one monitor (currently the leader in the poll). From the pictures in computer setups thread, a LOT of people seemed to have a dual monitor setup :roll:. Weird!

Suhit

[Fitch]

I had two monitors for awhile. I was using it to read tutorials on one screen while I worked on the other. But after a while, it got to be just useless. I turned the second one off and haven't missed it.

[Jonathon Watkins]

.. From the pictures in computer setups thread, a LOT of people seemed to have a dual monitor setup :roll:.

I guess the people who post pics in that thread will be the ones with something to show off. :wink:

[Steven Cedrone]

I am actually sort of surprised to see that most people have one monitor (currently the leader in the poll). From the pictures in computer setups thread, a LOT of people seemed to have a dual monitor setup :roll:. Weird!

Suhit

Not too wierd: 260 people out of our 7,600+ registered users have posted to that thread (some more than once)...

I would tend to agree with what PDA Gerbil said:


I guess the people who post pics in that thread will be the ones with something to show off. :wink:


Damn, I need more "stuff"!!! :lol:

Steve

[Jonathan1]

There are 7 people so far in the 20 + range. I was under the impression that Windows couldn't handle more then 10 monitors. :?: Maybe they are counting how many monitors are in their home?

At any rate my perfect setup would be a 21" CRT in the center, 2x 17" flat panels on each side, and an external projector that can do 1024 x 768 for movie watching. Alas lacking desk space and some serious cash it’s going to be a while before I can get that setup.

So many toys so little cash...

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I'm waiting until I can afford an LCD and then I'm going dual... I have a nice 15" CRT, and I want to supplement that with an LCD. I've used Dual Monitors in the past, and it's truly productivity-enhancing. It's quite fun.

[sullivanpt]

Janak's 16kx12k LCD sure sounds $$$!

I use 16kx12k too but mine's the old fashioned CRT. But it isn't big enough to do any serious programming, that's why I have two. One to code, one to test.

Come to the think of it. I should have one more, dedicating to reading PPC Thoughts. :P

[Rirath]

I love to do 100 things at once, but for some reason I like having just one monitor and one computer. (and one PPC) Perhaps it's because the secondary would be such low quality, but I really find it's easier to work and focus with a single system.

Now, if I could afford two high quality LCDs, two 3ghz machines, or etc... might be a different story.

[Sheynk]

I would like to have 2 monitors but Im unemployed at 16 years of age and my dad does not get the concept of W?BIC

[dMores]

i worked on a friend's computer a couple of times, but always felt less productive while doing it. somehow, his 2 monitors never seemed to live up to my 19" crt.
hehe, and then i figured out he's using a crappy 1024 resolution.
but that sort of left a bad taste in my mouth regarding dual monitors.

i might check out a dual setup when i switch to LCD with almost NO border around the screen, pretty much like the sonys.

someone should "invent" LCD screens that you can place next to each other without a lot of plastic inbetween.

[Janak Parekh]

Janak's 16kx12k LCD sure sounds $$$!
They're not cheap... yet. But they're going down quickly in price. You can get a ViewSonic VP201m 1600x1200 flat panel for around $1,300 or so. Even the Apple Cinema 23", with a resolution of 1900x1200, is down under $2k.

It's only a matter of time. :)

--janak

[GSibble]

I am actually sort of surprised to see that most people have one monitor (currently the leader in the poll). From the pictures in computer setups thread, a LOT of people seemed to have a dual monitor setup :roll:. Weird!

Suhit

Those people that post on there are the people who actually have something to show off :lol: Those poor, sad people with only one monitor or system are too embarassed to post anything!!!

[ThomasC22]

There are 7 people so far in the 20 + range. I was under the impression that Windows couldn't handle more then 10 monitors. :?: Maybe they are counting how many monitors are in their home?

There are cards that can do it. I once had the displeasure of setting up a 14 monitor system for a person (stock broker) and it had several PCI cards connected internally (sort of like 3dfx's old SLI). Drivers provided the ability for the extra monitors.

That was in Windows 98 but I would assume solutions are out there for XP too!

As for me, I have two mostly so when I code an application on my 21" I can pull it over to the 17" and make sure it still looks good (it also helps me use my TV Card :))

[dMores]

Those poor, sad people with only one monitor or system (...)
Hey !!
:x

[www.snackster.net]

I use two 19 inch monitors and now I doubt I could live without them. I find it useful to be able to work on two monitors or watch a movie on one and kind of work on the second :wink: There have been times when I wished I had three monitors since two doesn't seem like enough :roll:

[PapaSmurfDan]

I was using a 19" primary and a 17" secondary on my computer. Then my 19" decided to die on me :(. However, having a resolution mismatch is a pain when you are trying to get the two screens alligned in windows.

Dual monitor setups really do kick up productivity. Being stuck with one monitor right now, I can't code as fast nor research data as efficently. Even for simple day to day tasks, having a 2nd smaller monitor is nice. Its even nice to watch tv in one and browse the net on the other. There is no W?BIC for a mutli-moniter setup. Now if games would only take advantage of dual-headed video cards I would be happy.

If 19" LCD's were cheaper :)

[Hyperluminal]

I have a 15" UXGA (1600x1200) notebook screen, and it's nice.
I'd consider getting a second moniter though, although then I'd have to upgrade to XP Pro. :D

[Jason Dunn]

I've been using dual 17" LCDs for a while, and I could never go back to one monitor - but I found that with two CRTs, even though they were the same make and model, I couldn't get their displays to match exactly, which made is VERY distracting to jump back and forth on.

[disconnected]

Also, some of us with only one monitor are non-techie types that wouldn't even know how to upload a picture anywhere (or maybe that's just me :oops: )

[Mr. Anonymous]

I used a spare 17 inch CRT in addition to my main 19 inch CRT for a while, but then the newness wore off and I found that I hardly ever used the second monitor. So now I'm back to one.

However, I do find having a second computer (my iBook) next to my PC is a lifesaver for googling while I'm playing games.

[ricksfiona]

I'm waiting until I can afford an LCD and then I'm going dual... I have a nice 15" CRT, and I want to supplement that with an LCD. I've used Dual Monitors in the past, and it's truly productivity-enhancing. It's quite fun.
Me too. I have a 19" CRT and want to get that beautiful Sharp 18" LCD. Cost is still too high for me. Eventually, I want two 18" LCD's.

[ThomasC22]

Me too. I have a 19" CRT and want to get that beautiful Sharp 18" LCD. Cost is still too high for me. Eventually, I want two 18" LCD's.

Just so you know, the cost (http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-2295747-404-9664325.html?tag=pdtl-list) isn't necessarily THAT HIGH anymore (ok, still a little high, but not as bad as it was)

For me, I really do like CRT better. Always have. But sadly, the future seems a little stacked against me in that respect.