Can you live without Dual Monitors?

[Amplifier]

Dual monitors are the greatest thing ever.

Been a while since I upgraded to two 17" CRT monitors. Now I'm running two 19" flat panel monitors. Only thing that would make my life more complete would be two 2405fpws.

Anyway, if you haven't already, get dual monitors.

That is all,
Amp

 

[Crescent13]

Originally posted by: Amplifier
Dual monitors are the greatest thing ever.

Been a while since I upgraded to two 17" CRT monitors. Now I'm running two 19" flat panel monitors. Only thing that would make my life more complete would be two 2405fpws.

Anyway, if you haven't already, get dual monitors.

That is all,
Amp

No, the only thing that would make your life complete would be four 30" apple cinema displays running off of two quadro fx 4500's. I don't have dual monitors, but I tried it once, and I didn't really take advantage of it that much. I'm pretty happy with my single 730B.

 

[ark42]

No, I couldn't stand having to move my head left and right all the time to see the two screens. I program all day long and have a lot of windows open, and alt+tab is a lot more friendlier then I would imagine two screens to be.

 

[cbehnken]

Originally posted by: ark42
No, I couldn't stand having to move my head left and right all the time to see the two screens. I program all day long and have a lot of windows open, and alt+tab is a lot more friendlier then I would imagine two screens to be.

?

Imagine having a database open while you are programming an application that uses it. I don't know about you, but having 2 monitors makes for a lot less things to keep track of in my mind.

Unless you like printing A LOT.

 

[ark42]

No. I don't do db programming, and I never print anything, but I do typically have VS open in one window and MSDN in another. Having to move my neck or head back and forth would be a lot more troublesome then just quickly tapping alt+tab when needed. VS uses tabs just like Firefox, and both support ctrl+tab for moving between those, which you couldn't put on separate monitors anyway.

 

[Munky]

I do some programming, but mostly I just use my pc for gaming and watching movies, and I don't need dual monitors for that.

 

[Amplifier]

Originally posted by: munky
I do some programming, but mostly I just use my pc for gaming and watching movies, and I don't need dual monitors for that.

You can game and use AIM/another program at the same time.

 

[CraigRT]

I only have a single 20" widescreen.
I could do 2.... but the size of them combined is more than I want on my desk... at least the single monitor is wider than normal, giving me some good real estate

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: ark42
No. I don't do db programming, and I never print anything, but I do typically have VS open in one window and MSDN in another. Having to move my neck or head back and forth would be a lot more troublesome then just quickly tapping alt+tab when needed. VS uses tabs just like Firefox, and both support ctrl+tab for moving between those, which you couldn't put on separate monitors anyway.

How far apart do you plan to keep those monitors? I've been running dual 17" LCD's for the past two years now, and if you put them side by side, you don't really need to move your neck at all, simply your eyes. It's much easier than alt-tabbing between programs, and when you are doing several things at once, it makes things much easier.

 

[concreteDonkey]

I experienced dual monitors once...
I quite liked it...
Yeah! If i had enough brass I'd definitely have two, but I'd rather have two graphics card and one monitor than the other way.

 

[solofly]

Originally posted by: Amplifier
Dual monitors are the greatest thing ever.

Only when you have one rig. Someone with two or more wouldn't need one. I used to ran dual monitors but it's been replaced by single widescreen. My gaming rig also had two monitors at one point but I've never used both at once while playing.

 

[bdoople]

Dual monitors = best thing ever.

 

[lifeguard1999]

I run dual Sony PremierPro SDM-P234/B 23" LCD Monitors. They are great and I could not be as productive without them.

 

[imported_g33k]

Yeah dual monitors are great. They make everything way more convienent if you have a lot of windows open. Put the monitors side by side and you won't need to move your head a lot. I turn one monitor off for gaming because there is a performance hit when you run two displays.

 

[reallyscrued]

Wow, the first two replies really surprised me. I have two 17inch CRTs on a 6800 vanilla. Going back to a single screen feels like being set in a prison. No other way to describe it. I should get at least one LCD though, it seems the magnetic interference between my monitors are killing each other. I won't get rid of my trinitron tubing though unless you pry it from my fingers.

 

[mooncancook]

Can you live without Dual Monitors?
I can't

are you saying you would commit suicide if one of your monitor is taken away? geez...

 

[TomKazansky]

i prefer dual monitors, but i'll do just fine on a 21"

 

[mset]

Hope you guys don't mind a question from a non-techie. I am about to try to build my first computer. I use my computer to track the futures and equites markets in real time and I want to upgrade to a dual monitor system. The data flows into my computer and goes through a program that turns it into charts, but I am told by fellow traders who are also sort-of techies that the drawing of these graphics isn't that much of a problem compared with gaming requirements.

I wonder if anyone could give me a reco for a dual head video card that would be appropriate for a non-techie; that is, something that would be easiest to install and get up and running, as opposed to something that will give the utmost highest resolution or speed or whatever.

I will be building an XP based system, 1 GB RAM. I am just now studying the 'build your own computer' thread here at AnandTech, so I am not sure about the other hardware I will use - does my choice of motherboard or CPU affect my plans for a dual monitor set-up?

Any help at all is greatly appreciated.

 

[jiffylube1024]

mset - any dual output video card from Nvidia or ATI, GeForce4MX or ATI Radeon 8500 class or above should work just fine for you. IMO ATI's dual display support is just a bit better than Nvidia's, but both work well enough. You can get a good dual display video card for under $100 these days, as long as you don't plan on doing heavy gaming .

 

[MBentz]

Dual LG L1780U's here. I would rather have one Sharp AQOUS 26" LCD TV as my monitor... however...

Dual > Life itself

 

[BFG10K]

Nah, give me a big single monitor and I'm happy. Actually what I would like is Windows to support virtual desktops like Linux does. I really do like that feature.

 

[ElFenix]

no. i tried it and found the gap between the two monitors, and moving my head around, annoying.

plus running 1600x1200 isn't giving up that much space to most dual monitor setups.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Dual-monitors at work and at home. Love having all the real estate to open up all of my apps and see them all at the same time.

 

[Fadey]

This might sound n00bish but how can u type in msn on one monitor while you play a game in another ? wouldnt the writing come in game and on msn?

 

[phragger]

Been using dual monitors for some time now. I'd feel lost without having both now. Runnin dual 19z; really would like to have dual 21z at least.