Why Multiple Monitors Are More Efficient

Most people get by with just one screen on their desktop computer, but more and more people are talking about utilizing two, three or even four screens. But why you ask? What’s the point of having so many screens? Is it the same thing as why some guys need big trucks? 😉

Walk into many offices these days and you’ll see quite a few cubicles set up with 2 or more monitors. Maybe even the vast majority of them. But why? Monitor envy?

Here’s why…

Having multiple screens allows you to have more than one program open at the same time, and your able to see both of them without having to minimize them. Ever do more than one thing on your computer, and get tired of minimizing/maximizing the various programs to check their status? Ever doing research and you read a website, minimize it, go back to your document and write about it. Just to minimize that document and go back to the website? That’s extremely inefficient. Why not have both programs open at the same time? The problem is with most single monitors the resolution isn’t high enough to support having both programs visible and still see all of the programs or enough of the program to make it worthwhile. That’s where dual monitors comes into play. Now you can have both programs open, one on each monitor and work much more efficiently.

Just having a large, 24″ screen doesn’t mean you’ll be able to accomplish this same task because its a bigger screen. Unfortunately, it generally has the same pixel density and resolution as a smaller 20″ screen. So the real difference is that everything is just a little bit bigger to your eyes on the 24″ screen vs the 20″ screen. Kind of like taking a magnifying glass over it. Not a huge difference, but its a noticeable one. So its easier on the eyes with the larger screen. That is until you get into the new Ultra HD Monitors (discussed further below).

Since I do software testing, support, email, and have to keep track of my daily To Do list, and log my time in our time tracking software, I utilize 3 monitors at work to keep me at my most efficient level as possible. One screen has my Email open, the other my ToDo lists, bug tracking lists, etc, and the last (middle) one my ticket tracking software. I then open my Software I’m testing on one of the other two monitors and that allows me to follow the notes on the Ticket Tracking software while I work on the software itself. WAY more efficient than having to open/close all those programs every time I need to switch apps. Imagine jumping back and forth between 4-6 applications every couple seconds/minutes, and only having one open at any given time. No fun.

Now, once you get multiple monitors you can either leave them on their normal stands, or make things a little more space saving by upgrading to a Monitor Stand. This mounts each monitor to a single stand, decreasing the footprint used by the monitors on your desk. And if you go with a 4 monitor setup, allows you to install two monitors up/down and two side by side by to achieve an extremely handy, large 4×4 monitor display. Very popular in the gaming world.

Here’s a very popular Dual Monitor Stand that clamps to your desk, has over 1200 reviews on Amazon:

Triple Monitor Stand that clamps to your desk and has over 300 reviews:

And the Grand Daddy of them all, the Quad Monitor Stand which clamps to your desk and has over 170 reviews :

Now, multiple monitors are a must for some serious PC users, gamers, photo/video editors, etc. But with the newly released “Ultra High Definition” monitors, also called 4k Monitors or Retina screens, the resolution on them is so dense that its almost like having multiple monitors in one. I haven’t had a chance to test with one yet, but I hear they are unbelievably awesome! Here’s a link to one of those killer 4K Ultra High Definition Monitors. A PC Lovers dream!