[clue-tech] two monitors - the new fad

[Ken MacFerrin]

Jeff Cann wrote:
> At work, we hired a new guy about 9 months ago who is convinced that
> having two monitors is a good thing.  My boss got a second one and now
> is converted.  He bought everyone in our department a second monitor
> (these are all LCDs).  He didn't ask me if I wanted one - just a box
> was in my office one day.
> 
> I've asked the adopters why they like / need it.  I haven't really
> gotten a definitive list of benefits.  Most people like to have email
> or the trouble-ticket system up all of the time so they can monitor
> it.  I can agree to some extent.
> 
> OTH - I think that email is over-used and often just a distraction.  I
> have no email alert pop-ups or sounds to interrupt me to new email and
> I turn my email off frequently.  So, to me a second 'always on' email
> screen would be distracting.
> 
> But, trying to be open-minded, I put the questions to the cluebies:
> 
> Who's using two monitors?
> Why?
> Are you more/less efficient with your work?
> 

I have two 19" LCDs sitting here on my desk and am hooked..  I work from 
home so in one window I usually keep my VNC display open to the Windows 
laptop I have to use for my client and in the other I run my normal 
desktop apps (web, mail, terminal, etc).  It's also nice to use some of 
  this extra real estate to run some background monitoring apps so you 
can keep an eye on the network.

Another plus is that my monitors have dual dvi ports plus a d-sub port 
so if I need to do a bare-metal install I can just hook up a machine to 
one of the spare ports and use the input selector button on one monitor 
like a KVM (although I still need the extra keyboard)..

Only downside for you getting used to it at work is that it's just a 
matter of time before you'll be charging one for the house :)
-Ken