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How can you do productive work on these little laptop screens?

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Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I bought an old laptop a few years ago that I mostly use as a Teamspeak client. I've been messing around with it, and I'm wondering how the hell people get real work done on these things.

I have three 22" monitors at work and I still easily fill them up and want more. Not to mention with the horrible keyboards and mice that come with laptops...

I'd pull my hair out trying to work with a spreadsheet or write a program on a laptop. Forget doing my actual job on one. Viva 60" of desktop space!
Click to expand...

What do you do for a living?
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: jpeyton
It's sad you have to do so much work that you need to fill three 22" monitors with it.

There are plenty of jobs that pay a lot better than yours and require little computer work beyond e-mail/Office.
Click to expand...

Well, I make maps. It's a visually intensive process. Map on one monitor, database tables strewn about the second one, guidance on the third. If I could, I'd have spreadsheets and tables on the fourth, source on the fifth, sixth, and seventh, e-mail on the eighth, and the little bit of coding I have to do on the ninth. 😀

As for money, yes, I could make a lot more money doing similar things. The people I work with and the place I live in make up for that... For now.
Click to expand...

Originally posted by: LikeLinus
What do you do for a living?
Click to expand...

regardless of what he does, maybe he reads the thread on all his fancy screens? 😉

I have a 17in CRT at work. Alt+Tab is my friend.
 
I have a notebook with a 15.1" screen that runs 1920x1200 and love the fine dot pitch. Now if they would make 17" 2560x1600 screens life would be splendid. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I bought an old laptop a few years ago that I mostly use as a Teamspeak client. I've been messing around with it, and I'm wondering how the hell people get real work done on these things.

I have three 22" monitors at work and I still easily fill them up and want more. Not to mention with the horrible keyboards and mice that come with laptops...

I'd pull my hair out trying to work with a spreadsheet or write a program on a laptop. Forget doing my actual job on one. Viva 60" of desktop space!
Click to expand...

I do pretty okay with my 1920x1200 17" laptop. Resolution is what matters, not raw size. In fact I'd take my 1920x1200 17" screen over a 1680x1050 22" any day.
 
Originally posted by: Rubycon
I have a notebook with a 15.1" screen that runs 1920x1200 and love the fine dot pitch. Now if they would make 17" 2560x1600 screens life would be splendid. 😀
Click to expand...

Wow, who makes that? It sounds like it would be a nice traveler.

 
Originally posted by: ebaycj

Wow, who makes that? It sounds like it would be a nice traveler.
Click to expand...

Haha it's a near 10 pound monster! Dell XPS 1gen going on 4 years old but still kicking. I thought it was a goner when it stopped working after a few serious sweep tests. It was taken apart, cleaned and re-assembled and it fired right up! I guess all the vibration loosened a harness inside or something. 3.4GHz NORTHWOOD power. 😀
 
I had a hard time convincing folks at work i needed dual montiors... i was using my laptop monitor on a docking station + a 19" monitor, but now i have dual 19" monitors and keep my laptop closed and docked. If you've ever used dual (or triple) monitors and try to go back to single, it sucks.

As far as my job, I do regular IT stuff, but i'm a MS SMS server admin and i CONSTANTLY have to have that console open, along with ADUC, Notes, Domino Admin, word, excel, etc. I prefer to have Notes, ADUC, Domino on one monitor and the rest on another.

Alt+Tabbing is so 1990s....
 
Why didn't you just post "hey guys, I have 3 22" monitors at work" instead of phrasing it as a question that makes you look stupid?
 
If you mean little laptop screens as in those 12.1" screens or 13" screens.. sure. You can't even freaking type on them. Well the 13.3" widescreen macbooks have standard sized keyboards, but that's why I go with 14" laptops. Perfect mobility, the size of a textbook and yet large enough for productivity.

12.1" laptops are stupid. I mean can you seriously not handle 1 lbs more of weight? Do you seriously want your wrists to fall apart using the keyboard? What's the point?
 
Originally posted by: LikeLinus
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I bought an old laptop a few years ago that I mostly use as a Teamspeak client. I've been messing around with it, and I'm wondering how the hell people get real work done on these things.

I have three 22" monitors at work and I still easily fill them up and want more. Not to mention with the horrible keyboards and mice that come with laptops...

I'd pull my hair out trying to work with a spreadsheet or write a program on a laptop. Forget doing my actual job on one. Viva 60" of desktop space!
Click to expand...

What do you do for a living?
Click to expand...
I make maps. There's a big push for four monitors per computer at work, but it won't happen. I think we hit diminishing returns above three.

ArcGIS on three monitors

Anyway, I'm not bragging here, it's not like three monitors is a big deal for graphic design stuff. I've tried using Word, Excel, and IE on a 12" monitor and it's a PITA in Windows.
 
I hear you. I have a dual 21" desktop setup and could not imagine doing real work on a laptop, but you can do it if you force yourself.

😛
 
I use my laptop (12.1" screen) in class for lectures, and outside class for general use (internet, music, word processing). It's perfect b/c it's so small and light (3.5lbs). I also love the keyboard on it. You're also correct, too. I can't imagine doing anything serious on it.
 
have a 27" LCDTV here next to this work laptop but I find a way to keep work on the work laptop. It is just fine for web-coding at 1024x768.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
Why didn't you just post "hey guys, I have 3 22" monitors at work" instead of phrasing it as a question that makes you look stupid?
Click to expand...

Except I completely agree with the OP. I've got a dual monitor setup at work and triple monitors for working at home. I got a laptop about 8 months ago to try to work on it before I got the dual setup at work. I gave the laptop to a co-worker after a few weeks because it was hard to do real work on it.

For my web developement I have database on one screen, code on main screen, previews on other screen. Database and previews share a screen on a dual setup. Trying to work on a laptop after that isn't fun. I may give it another try one day though.
 
geez, three 22"
that isn't "normal"

we just finally got one LCD 19" last year when we moved to a brand new building

we only have one LCD at home, 17" and it isn't even mine

not everyone cycles displays every couple of years, some people have to use them 6-8 years
 
Originally posted by: dbk
I use my laptop (12.1" screen) in class for lectures, and outside class for general use (internet, music, word processing). It's perfect b/c it's so small and light (3.5lbs). I also love the keyboard on it. You're also correct, too. I can't imagine doing anything serious on it.
Click to expand...

I have a 12" screen and love the size but it blows trying to actually use it 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Originally posted by: jpeyton
It's sad you have to do so much work that you need to fill three 22" monitors with it.

There are plenty of jobs that pay a lot better than yours and require little computer work beyond e-mail/Office.
Click to expand...

Well, I make maps. It's a visually intensive process. Map on one monitor, database tables strewn about the second one, guidance on the third. If I could, I'd have spreadsheets and tables on the fourth, source on the fifth, sixth, and seventh, e-mail on the eighth, and the little bit of coding I have to do on the ninth. 😀

As for money, yes, I could make a lot more money doing similar things. The people I work with and the place I live in make up for that... For now.
Click to expand...

You make maps? What do you do exactly? I map oil leases and I just have one 19" LCD. Some of my fellow mappers have 21" CRTs. We could ALL have drastically improved productivity if we had dual LCDs, but for some reason they don't want to pay for that. Maybe we'd map too fast and therefore get less money from our clients.

If I had 3 monitors I could have ArcGIS on one, the issues spreadsheets on the second, and the legal documents on the third, and not have to print them.
 
Old thread bumps?

I miss high resolutions. Due to moving and budget problems I bought a 17" LCD with 1440x900 res, downgrading from a 22" @ 1680*1050 and before that a 20" 1600*1200...
 
Originally posted by: Parasitic
Old thread bumps?

I miss high resolutions. Due to moving and budget problems I bought a 17" LCD with 1440x900 res, downgrading from a 22" @ 1680*1050 and before that a 20" 1600*1200...
Click to expand...

How much money could you possibly have recovered by selling a 22" and buying a 17"?
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
It's sad you have to do so much work that you need to fill three 22" monitors with it.

There are plenty of jobs that pay a lot better than yours and require little computer work beyond e-mail/Office.
Click to expand...

You are an idiot.
 
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