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  1. #1
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    Do you program with two monitors?

    I need to change my 19 CRT monitor and was wondering if I am better with two mid-sized lcd or one big lcd like this one:

    http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...9&sku=320-4335

    Did any of you ever program with a 1920x1200 resolution? I am used to work in 1280x1024 and I am always moving windows around. Would you choose two smaller monitors or a single bigger one?

    I am currently working with Visual Studio and I always need more space. 1920x1200 would be very appreciated.

  2. #2
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    I use dual displays, on FreeBSD in X, and I have a tiling (not overlapping windows) window manager (although I can have certain windows overlap if I desire / need to).

    1600x1200 on each.

    Generally I edit code on one, run tests / access code documentation / run applications on the other.

    Having 5 virtual desktops on each display also helps keep clutter out of the way. And I can count on one hand how often I use a mouse (except when using a GUI app)

    I realize you are on windows - certainly two big displays are very nice and not all that expensive these days. Highly recommended regardless of platform.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  3. #3
    I use 2 1680x1050s.
    More than I really need, but thats what work gave me (instead of a raise )

  4. #4
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    I use two 21" LCDs to make a very wide screen. I generally code on one, Ctrl+S, alt+tab, Ctrl+R to reload the browser in the other window, then alt+tab and back to coding..

    Very very convenient to have two.
    Kevin

  5. #5
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    I have two monitors at home - one 4:3 1280x1024 and one wide-screen 1680x1050 - and sometimes two at work (15" 1400x1050 on the laptop and I sometimes claim a "spare" monitor when there is a machine not being used).

    Working on two monitors can be very handy, usually in a "code on one side, results on the other" arrangement, though some people don't get on with it.

    Also if you have a bunch of stuff running that you want to keep an eye on (build runs, log watchers, chat windows, and such) you can keep them on one monitor while you work on the other so you can glance across to see the status without alt-tabbing and so forth (though this is less useful IMO than the code/output split, I find it works better for me to do this on two monitors then resizing things to fit on one large one).

    And at home I can have a DVD running on the wide-screen monitor while sorting email and forums on the other - like I am doing right now!

  6. #6
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    *chucks his 19" crt away*

    This thread just made up _my_ mind aswell!

    How are LCDs for graphical work though? With the occasional times that I use Photoshop, I'd like to have my colours consistent with the rest of the world!

  7. #7
    A big plus on a 2 LCD screen. The idea of coding in one screen and see the result on the other screen without switching windows all the times is way better.

    I used to do this when I worked with my laptop as a desktop

  8. #8
    I use 2x19 at work, I usually code in eclipse, on tomcat. so i code on one window, reload the app and watch it reload in the cmd window then put the browser over eclipse and mess with the site and watch the output on the cmd window. It is also great when working with databases, I can have SQL*Plus open on one side and be viewing the tables/data from dbVisualizer on the other monitor. Sometimes I wish I had more than 2!

    Development with dual monitors is what dual monitors was made for!

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam-AEC
    How are LCDs for graphical work though? With the occasional times that I use Photoshop, I'd like to have my colours consistent with the rest of the world!
    A good CRT will still have better colour reproduction than even an expensive LCD - but a decent LCD can be as good or better than a cheaper CRT.

    Make sure you get a panel that does proper 24-bit colour not 6-bit-per-channel-plus-twiddling or what-ever the cheaper ones do. For general programing/admin/office use you'll not notice the difference but you will for graphics/video work.

  10. #10
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    3 displays here. Main is a 24" LCD, with a 17" CRT for various menus and a 23" CRT for browsers, etc. Colors on the LCD are spot on, but the CRTs are a little off. Not worth tweaking, since they aren't for design...

  11. #11
    Huh, not for my expenses today to have 2 monitors, now I have 17" LCD, tried to extend it with 17" CRT, the result was not what I expected, maybe using two 17" LCD whould be OK. In couple of weeks I'm going to change my 17" LCD to 19" LCD. And maybe after some time, I'll think about second one same LCD.

    Still, I like the idea to have 2 monitors extended, as people wrote above, it helps much when programming .

    In my opinion, best experience with desktop extending comes when using two *identical* monitors.

    Cheers

  12. #12
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    Thank you for you input. I'll go with the 2 monitors setup. One single very large monitor do not seem popular.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by WebDevourer
    Thank you for you input. I'll go with the 2 monitors setup. One single very large monitor do not seem popular.
    Another advantage of two monitors over one large: if a fault develops in one you'll at least have the other until you can get the problem one fixed or replaced.

    Geting identical monitors can be an advantage so it is a good idea if you are buying both new (though probably not something to worry overly much about if you are just upgrading from one monitor to two monitors - my old 19" 4:3 LG and newer 20" 16:10 ViewSonic work perfectly well). If you use ClearType or similar there is a danger of not being able to find a setting that works well on both monitors if they are not the same.

  14. #14
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    I run two different monitors myself, different resolutions, etc. And one not need use Xinerama (or whatever Windows calls it) - a single large desktop isn't the only way to go, although I don't know if Windows has limitations in that regard. X doesn't.
    “Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under
    considerable economic stress at this period in history.”

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by mwatkins
    I run two different monitors myself, different resolutions, etc. And one not need use Xinerama (or whatever Windows calls it) - a single large desktop isn't the only way to go, although I don't know if Windows has limitations in that regard. X doesn't.
    I'm not sure what the built-in support in XP is like, but nvidia's drivers (I have one of thier VGA+DVI cards and they allow the two connectors to work independantly) allow a couple of options: single wide (or tall) desktop (so the task bar and such extend over both monitors, which isn't all that useful) or two desktops side-by-side (or on top/below). I'm told that it interacts badly with software that tries to provide multiple virtual desktops, but I've never tried that myself.

  16. #16
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    if a fault develops in one you'll at least have the other until you can get the problem one fixed or replaced
    This couldn't be more ironic. My CRT is currently dead. I have an old laptop I can use. Dual monitors is the way to go.

  17. #17
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    Dual Dell 24" LCDs (2405) here, both rotated to be portrait (IMHO widescreen is useless for everything but watching movies):

    http://flickr.com/photos/tamasrepus/300646813/

  18. #18
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    For me going back to a single monitor setup is like going back to a 1 litre engine after your 3 litre turbo!

    If your sat in front of a PC 17 hours out of 24 like me, having two monitors is a must.

    Currently at the office we run dual acer AL1916W widescreens. Awesome monitors - bang for buck is the phrase. (Edit: 19")

    Matt
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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by tamasrepus
    Dual Dell 24" LCDs (2405) here, both rotated to be portrait (IMHO widescreen is useless for everything but watching movies):

    http://flickr.com/photos/tamasrepus/300646813/
    lol. This is an insane setup. I wish I had the cash to get two 24" monitors.

  20. #20
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    at home, I am using a refurbished 19" crt which I bought from Amazon for $100 - hehe. ... call me old fashion... lolz ... but I hardly use PC to work at home much this day.

    Luckily, I have 2 LCD's at work.

  21. #21
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    2 * 19 inch at work and home, can't live without it. I am thinking of getting a 3rd for home.

  22. #22
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    I use 2 monitors. One for programming, and the other usually has a browser or the result of the programming on the other screen... Eg: PHP on one screen, firefox on the other screen showing the result of the PHP.

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