Two Monitors Are Better Than One
written by John Chow
Since writing about my photo session with BC Business Magazine, I’ve received a bunch of comments and emails asking how I run two monitors at the same time and what monitors I was using.
Coming from a tech background, I was quite taken back by this. I figured everyone knows that Windows can support more than one monitor. Most video cards today have two video outputs, which allow you to hook up two monitors. To enable the seconds monitor, you just go into your display properties and turn it on. There are several options to run your dual setup. For example, you can have monitor two display the same information as monitor one. This is good if you’re giving a presentation - you work on monitor one and the customers watches from monitor two.
You can also span your desktop across the two monitors so it becomes one big monitor. This will allow you to drag windows from one monitor to the other. Having a big desktop and running multiple windows at the same time really improves your productivity. Many people think that dual monitors are just for showing off but once you’ve gone dual, you will never go back to a single monitor setup.
The LCD Monitors I Use
The monitors I use are from Dell. They are 20.1″ wide screen units that offer 1680 x 1050 resolution. When combined together, they create a 3360 x 1050 desktop. That is enough to put four 800×600 windows side by side. While most people run their dual setup like my BC Business photo session, I have tried it this way.
The above actually works very well. The screen on the left can still be used for viewing movies or playing computer games, while the screen on the right is great for reading web pages and working with MS Word files. Another nice advantage of right screen is it allows for a much better view of certain types of wallpaper. 
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I’ll be going a similar route when I purchase my Mac Pro later this year, using Dual 24″ Dell displays.
The 2407WFP (24″) from Dell is the best monitor I’ve ever used.
yeah, I bet…it might be a little too much for me, I doubt I need that big of dual monitors
Why not just use one really big monitor?
Hmm…
Why not use two really big monitors?
My partner uses a 32″ widescreen HD TV as his monitor, it works great for him.
I’ve been seriously considering this kind of set-up in my own workspace; thanks for the little intro there, John. Mandy Moore as a desktop background though…I’m not to sure about that LOL.
yeah me too….it would be nice to have two 20 inch wide screen..i do not know if I need it, but it looks nice ..
Yeah… should probably be Scarlett Johanneson.
haha
Pretty neat setup, John.. and yes, I can certainly appreciate the advantages of the screen on the right
Oh what will we do with John and his uh…wallpaper?
Haha!
That last part made me laugh. Yes I was also wondering about the monitor thing. I guess I’ll have to really try it out myself.
You should add that to the 8th habits of highly successful people.
ya 8th habit should be wall paper of a beautiful girl for increasing prodictivity lol
or guy depending on who’s doing the work on the computer
I don’t think that’s going to increase productivity guys.
Having bigger monitor makes it so easy and efficient to work on a PC, but if you have dual monitor I can imagine it must be awesome. I will try to have a setup like yours one day!.
Yup, I am working with two monitors too. As the saying goes “The more the merrier”
3 makes company.
I use a one monitor setup that utilizes two mouses and three keyboards.
Coincidentally, that’s sorta what I have right now, but it’s all going to change soon. I really want to get my hands on a second monitor — and ultimately a bigger table.
one monitor , 2 mouse and 3 keyboards…wow how many cpus are you running Kumika? Thats overkill of the monitor:)
how many hands you got over there Kumiko?
I Use 4 19″ (mostly for trading)
Jeff…you mean you don’t have your entire wall made of screens…
Matrox as been selling triplehead for some time now
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/digital/home.php
(disclaimer : I used to work for one of there card maker sub contractor in CANADA )
Bill Gates is like John Chow and he too use dual head systems :
http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/news/newsmakers/gates_howiwork_fortune/index.htm
Bill has three monitors. He’s special.
1) For Mail system
2) To do work / answer mail / browse web
3) Bill Gate fortune clock ( like the US or CANADA debt clock ) to see how much money and interest he made today by the seconds
You should ask him about that direct link to the bank windows plugin
, the article is titled *How I Work* and the picture cut out one of the monitor. Its probably in the upgrade picture serial pack 3 … 
I’m surprised it’s only 3 he has
Hmm… Eric’s Fortune Clock… I like the sound of that
One day
I wish i had the space for that…
I upgraded to dual 20″ Dells last month. It’s the best money I’ve ever spend on a computer related product.
My only regret is that I didn’t cough up the extra money to get 22’s.
i think its an obsession, after a while 32 inch will seem smaller
Speaking of which… Does anyone wanna buy my Dell 2405 fpw? I bought it for $1100 US about 1 year ago. works great, nothing wrong with it. I would sell for about $550 US.
john you’re a true evil, you take every oppotunity to make money online. i’ve got to say, this is clever: giving helpful advice while earning commission as well as promoting your own company ttzmedia…
Notice how he didn’t even say buy this. Just a this is what I do type recommendation. Well done.
that’s why Chow is the man!
Well the dual monitor setup is awesome anyway. Really helps productivity.
I have 20 inc Samsung 205BW, and i would like to have a second lcd like the right one.
I also have 17 inc flat but its becoming old day by day
Well, For me 2 moniters was a boon a year back. especially for designers where you can run Photoshop or graphic tool, and webpages hunting for stock pics on other. and And also testing images full screen.
My setup works with 2 moniters a cpu, and a laptop. Works great espcially when you want a large version of your data in ur laptop
For people who want to test the dual setup, is if you have a laptop, just connect your existing moniter to your laptop display output, and on properties select extended display and experience the dual view setup.
Mandy Moore FTW!!!!!
2 times 20.1″ 1600×1200 monitors running Fedora for me BTW!
No Mandy Moore though! That would be pushing my Engineer vs IT relations just a little too far. Just got banned from visiting Myspace and YouTube today!
wow, the dell lcds are only 400$ now?
back when i got my viewsonic 20″ they were 700 each…
wow they are only 400 dollars now? back when i got my 20 inch viewsonic it was 700 each..
hm my comments dont seem to be showing up, strange… testing
Not bad wallper on the right monitor
I am using just one monitor so far…
In somewhat related news Microsoft India is researching on a software that would split one monitor into two sections thus functioning as dual monitors.
This is mainly intended for small business.
More Info
Is that mainly so that 2 users can share 1 monitor?
I re read the article and thats exactly what it means. Its a nice idea for parts of the world where technology is still out of reach for people.
Ya i heard it, i tried to simulate this project with a virtual machine but no success
Hi John,
I use 3 Tft’s
2×20″ Acer’s at 1600×1200 and 1x a 17″ widescreen (from my laptop) … I need it for web developing :).
The only problem is, that it doesnt work very well on linux with XGL :(… that would make 12 desktops (3×4 cubes)
greetz
lol at last comment john!
What do you do when your wife walks in to see a bikini clad women as your desktop, my wife certainly wouldn’t appreciate that.
I’m conservative anyway.
Well, that your husband likes a bikini clad woman shouldn’t really be disturb any wife. If anything it would be reassuring
.
I don’t know, I doubt my fiancee would be very understanding
JohnChow.com has 4444 feed readers today… lets celebrate… … congrats…. john
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