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The wonderful world of Dual Desktops

Dual Desktops I just recently noticed i had an "old" 17" Dell monitor gathering dust at my parents' house – yeah, i had forgotten all about it –, so i thought about bringing it to Lisbon and setting up my own dual desktop system. Now, i had never really worked in such an environment but i could obviously see the advantages. Increased desktop area is always nice – the virtual, not the real desktop –, but what i was really curious about was how to take advantage of it in real everyday situations. That's exactly what i'm going to explore in this post.


First of all, a few considerations.

If you're going to setup any additional monitors, it's advisable to choose similar ones. I'm not talking about aesthetic similarities. If you have two (or more) monitors sporting different refresh rates and a different dot pitch, then you'll notice the difference and when working for a long period of time, your eyes will get strained a lot faster. Brightness and contrast matter as well. You should try to set them both to similar levels. Basically, these are the key points: color levels, refresh rate and dot pitch. I don't find screen sizes all that important, unless there's a big difference. I'm using a 19" and a 17", and i have no complaints.

Another advantage is the pricing. If you're purchasing new hardware, you can find two 17" screens cheaper (or slightly more expensive, if you aim for HQ screens) than a single 20" screen. This can be an important factor when choosing what to buy with your new computer. With my current display settings (19" @ 1280x1024 and 17" @ 1024x768) i get a total resolution of 2304x1024, which results in a grand total of 2 359 296 pixels. An increase of over 60%.

Well, before delving into everyday use cases, let me just give you a little tip. Don't setup both monitors perpendicularly to you. Have them sligthly angled. It will improve the experience. Since an image is worth more than a 1000 words:


[monitor placement]

Everyday Uses

Browsing the web

If you're like me, you tend to have a single browser window – filled with open tabs – and a couple other windows, depending on what i'm doing at the moment, but usually, i have my IM Clients open with all inherent conversation windows. I also keep iTunes open and on top of every window. It's easy to clutter your screen – if you only have one – and spend more time alt+tabbing than anything else – ok, i'm exaggerating a little. Anyhow... with the extra desktop size and the division provided by the 2nd monitor i can now arrange the windows in a better way.


Browsing the web in a dual monitors setup

Monitor #1

  • Firefox Web Browser

Monitor #2

  • MSN Messenger
  • Google Talk
  • n conversation windows
  • iTunes (mini-player)

Adobe Photoshop ®

I'm sure many of you have used photoshop and felt that those helpful windows – Layers, Text, History, etc – however useful are always getting in the way. Once again, lets use the advantages of the dual monitors. Let's have the main window on the big monitor and arrange all the windows in the 2nd one. Not only will this leave the main window clear, it will also allow you to have much more windows open – you know, the ones you didn't open because it would fill up the screen easily. And since my iTunes is constantly playing when i'm at the computer, i'd like to keep it in sight for easier track-skipping and pausing.


Working on Adobe Photoshop ® in a dual monitors setup

Monitor #1

  • Photoshop Main Window
  • Tools Window

Monitor #2

  • Layer Window
  • Navigator Window
  • Character Window
  • History Window
  • ________ Window
    (your choice)
  • iTunes (mini-player)

Web developing / coding

This is pretty obvious. You can now have your code sitting in one screen and your results in the other. A browser or a shell. I've never been too keen on compiling inside the IDE, so i always compile my code in a shell. It's handy to be looking at your compile errors and "alt+tabbing" with your neck muscles. It makes a difference, believe me. Also you can have the manuals/specifications/documentation in one screen and the editor in the other – that is, if your IDE doesn't include proper documentation in the first place. As usual, iTunes in mini-player mode must be in its perch, that is, the 2nd monitor.


Coding in a dual monitors setup

Monitor #1

  • IDE / Text Editor

Monitor #2

  • Results Window
    (browser/shell)
  • Documentation
  • iTunes (mini-player)

Other combinations

I'm discovering new combinations every day, but i won't go into greater length here – there aren't that many, to be honest. I know some 3D games already support the option of multi-desktop, although i've never tried or seen it in action.

I'm also asking you to share your own combos. I'm sure if you work in a dual desktop, you'll have something to say about this. Let us hear it.

Conclusion

Despite the additional space it takes on my desk – a 19" and a 17", both CRT – , i still think it was a smart move to put the old "dust-gathering" 17" Dell to work. I've noticed an increase in productivity, namely in the situations i've mentioned in this post. I'm still discovering the new world of dual-desktops, but it feels like once you go dual, you never go back.

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