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As I posted elsewhere (http://www.littleblackdog.com/topic47689.html), I recently got a new flat-screen (LCD) monitor for my computer.

I set it up, in conjunction with my existing (19" CRT) monitor to use as a dual monitor setup.

And it looks sweet. Especially since when you see the 20" LCD next to the 19" CRT, when they're set at similar resolutions (1650x1050 vs 1200x1024), they nearly match up in size, even when I drag windows back and forth between them.

And then my wife went and ruined it all: she asked the question "why do you need two monitors?"....

And damnit I was unable to give her a good answer. Sure, I mumbled something about checking e-mail on one monitor, and browsing the internet on the other, but that was a cop-out answer.

So lemme ask you all this: what can I use dual monitors for?

Bear in mind this: the computer is my main home computer. So that means it's used primarily for:

Browsing the internet (including LBD mostly)
Checking e-mail
Playing games (but not the latest - my newest game is Doom 3, but I play UT2004 occasionally, and I'm always playing online flash games and open source/freeware games).

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:05 am Post subject:

Lemme ask this at least: what games take advantage of the dual-monitor setup?

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:44 am Post subject:

At home I have a 20" and a 17". I use it being able to keep track of several things at the same tyme.

For instance I might have the firewalls browser window up and Visualtrace on one monitor. On the other another browser window is up and a movie is running.

Another thing might be having FireWorks up at the same tyme as DreamWeaver on one, and some web resource up on another.

While gaming I might have EverQuest 2 up on one screen and some game (web) resources up on another (Allahkazam, EQ2-Craft or whatever).
.
.
.

Games that use dualscreen?... All I can think of is Falcon 4, that has a 3rd party app called Falcon Glass. That puts some instrumentation on the other screen, but not anything the game puts there.... Can't think of anything else.

I must also say that often the second screen is powered off. Right now when I'm only checking LBD.
/Akely

Stray Dog Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 65

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/18/technology/two.monitors.fsb/index.htm

EEps · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:18 am Post subject:

That's easy...

Cause everything else you have is in 2s... Wink Smile

Two eyes...
Two arms...
Two hands...
Two legs...
Two feet...
Two ears...
Two nostrils...
Two nipples...
Two lips...
Two cheeks...
Two test tickles...
Wink Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:11 am Post subject:

I like the idea of watching stuff on one screen while keeping tabs on chat on the other... right now I have to do that with two computers if I want to. But then I don't have enough desk space for the other monitor... so that'll have to wait

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:33 am Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Lemme ask this at least: what games take advantage of the dual-monitor setup?

Serious Sam, I think.

Personally, I can testify that one's productivity goes through the roof when one has more than one monitor. I usually have my IDE on one and and either some terminal sessions or documentation on the other.

Alt-tabbing is for chumps. Wink

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject:

I use two monitors because I can do development on one screen and see results on the other screen. It gives me more real estate for an FTP window, a text editor, two web browsers, etc etc.

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:31 pm Post subject:

As for (work) productivity, I agree with you guys 100%. In fact, at work I *DO* have a dual-monitor setup, and use it regularly. So you don't have to sell me on that idea.

The thing is, my question was about my home computer, used purely for recreation. When I'm at home playing on the computer, being "productive" is the last thing on my mind. Smile

Now granted, that said, I could visualize where I'd have a VNC window open to my Linux file server on the other monitor, but that'd be only when I was doing stuff on both machines at the same time.

EEps · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Lemme ask this at least: what games take advantage of the dual-monitor setup?

Midnight Club II... Wink Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:

I have dual monitors at work (1600x1400) x2. The real estate is such that if you've gone there you will not go back. I can not miss events, I can work on multiple things as they wait i can move on and do more, in general it is much more productive.

At home I have a dual monitor setup on the Mac, and single monitors spread out in the room. The dual monitor setup wins.

Give your wife a dual monitor, she'll stop bitching about yours.

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject:

Two monitors are better than one!
Two monitors are better than one!
Two monitors are better than one!

Everyone sing!!!

Two monitors are better than one!
Two monitors are better than one!
Two monitors are better than one!

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
As for (work) productivity, I agree with you guys 100%. In fact, at work I *DO* have a dual-monitor setup, and use it regularly. So you don't have to sell me on that idea.

The thing is, my question was about my home computer, used purely for recreation. When I'm at home playing on the computer, being "productive" is the last thing on my mind.

Hey, I was talking about my home computer! I can't help it if I enjoy coding. I dick about on computers at work for the same reasons I dick about on computers at home (to solve interesting new problems), so I want to be as productive on my own projects as I am on the projects I'm paid to work on. Argument over, multiple monitors are a good thing, forever and ever amen. happy8

The only sad thing is that I don't get enough time as I'd like to work on my own projects. But whatever, with a second monitor at least I can pretend. Wink

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:04 pm Post subject:

CMTG wrote:
Personally, I can testify that one's productivity goes through the roof when one has more than one monitor. I usually have my IDE on one and and either some terminal sessions or documentation on the other.

Alt-tabbing is for chumps.

QFT!

I have a tiny 17" at work and it's killing me! I hope my request to have 2x20" will be accepted goddamn soon!

EEps · Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:39 pm Post subject:

dstg_ll wrote:
I hope my request to have 2x20" will be accepted goddamn soon!

I'm sure Bubba and Jerome will be right over to give you their 20" of full time fun... Blush Smile