I’ve long been addicted to the usefulness of multiple monitors when I’m working. Had a triple monitor configuration with my PowerBook G4 (native TFT screen; built-in DVI out; CardBus Card VillageTronic to give me a third screen). Kept a triple monitor configuration, somewhat awkwardly, with my first Intel MacBook Pro: built-in screen + Thunderbolt port for second + a different VillageTronic doohickey that used DisplayPort technology to give me a somewhat mediocre-performance 3rd screen.
Employers where I currently remote in changed the requirements and made my MacBook Pro 2011 obsolete because I couldn’t run 10.14 natively (and running it in Parallels just wasn’t practical; neither was shoehorning 10.14 using DosDude’s hack).
So since then I’ve acquired a used MBPro vintage 2018 rig and I’ve gradually increased my video space to five screens:
The fourth and fifth are accidentals. I wanted FireWire, I have legacy equipment. I acquired a breakout box from StarTech and it came not only with the desired Firewire ports but a passthru Thunderbolt port plus a video port. Since I had it, I attached an extra screen and it just worked.
Then I needed additional plain-old regular usb ports, because this computer doesn’t come with any. Attached an adapter to the passthru port and it let me attach mouse dongle thingie and also ethernet instead of being on Wifi. Nice. But, hey, it also had an HDMI port, so I got a cable and attached yet another monitor and no kidding I have a five monitor configuration now.
That makes my neck and shoulders hurt just looking at it. Are you doing much sustained work looking at that monitor to the left or the two up high?
I still have two large monitors at my work office, but for my work office I’ve now switched to one large wide-format monitor. I’m starting to like the one monitor setup since Win 11 makes it so fast to put two or three apps side by side. That along with virtual desktops gives me multiple work environments with one easy to use monitor arrangement.
I don’t stare at the overhead ones for prolonged periods, but the one on the left gets a lot of active use. Although I’m usually staring at the one in front of me, which contains the data in PDF format, while entering it in Access which is on the lefthand screen, so although I’m glancing at it all day long I’m not STARING at it all that much.
I’m in GIS. Mapping. Mostly I do data analysis and DB management though.
I always have many, many windows open and was used to dual 21 inch monitors at work.
When we all went home for COVID, work was setting people up. 16 people set up 300 people to work from home in some fashion or another in 72 hours. It was insane.
As GIS, I am a sub group of IS. I just bought my own workstation and set it up to work from home. I went with one large (43") curved monitor. It took some getting used too, but I really, really like it. And no bezel right down the middle. I can use the entire space.
Now, I was used to sort of divide my productivity workspaces between different screens. This goes on the left, this goes on the right. I still mostly do that, but it’s not on a physically left/right screen.
That is exactly what I was talking about above. I like my one huge monitor at home vs dual 24s at work. And Win 11 makes it trivial to quickly arrange multiple windows in different formats. It takes a couple seconds to have 4 windows quartered, or 3 across the width (if you haven’t used it, hover over the resize icon just to the left of the close X). The curvature took a day or so to get used to.
One thing I had to sort out with the big screen is making video trainings for others in my department that still have duel monitors. I have to change my resolution to match (or get closer to) theirs before recording.
