Definitely 2 monitors! Easy to set up and makes life so much easier for multi-tasking. CAD on one and everything else on the other. Had 3 at one time and will go back to 3 monitors as soon as I can. I will NEVER go back to a single monitor!

 

I have two 30" monitors at 2560x1900 pixels, and a third 17" monitor placed in portrait mode next to these larger two monitors. I use the 17" monitor for stable screens that I watch over frequently, like my Outlook mailbox and MS Lync contact list. The two 30" monitors are used for all other dynamic work, including ProEngineer. When using ProEngineer, I will often have my left monitor to display an assembly while I work on a child part in the right monitor. Then it is an easy matter to reactivate alternate windows by moving the mouse cursor between the windows and refreshing. You can look a both part and assembly results at the same time, without having to bounce between ProE windows layered on a single monitor.

Another good use of multi-monitors is so you can multi-task. I will often have a virtual meeting slide being presented by someone on one monitor and do some meaningful work on the other monitor. This can be a hindrance to paying attention to the meeting however, so you need to be good at paying attention when you need to and tune-out when virtual meeting content is not pertinent to your role.

Also, I use a Logitech wireless trackball to navigate all of my monitors. I began to develop bursitis in my shoulder with all of the mouse-lifting I did some years ago and shifted to a trackball. I've had no issues since. Not only is the trackball more ergonomic, it is also faster. With a large ball in the device, you can quickly scroll from the left side of my left monitor to the right side of my right monitor in less than a second. Maybe a good laser mouse with accleration can do the same thing, but I have gotten really fond of using the trackball.

All-in-all, I believe multi-monitors are the way to go if you want to maximize performance. I also have adjusted to looking left and right to do the multiplexing required. No ergonomic issues there......

 

I use dual 21" 1080p lcd's.
I find its easier and faster to multitask. Using Win 7 pro I fully take advantage of everything Windows Aerosnap can do.

By using the mouse as well as the keyboard I can slam windows where I want very fast without having to manually resize anything. I can snap up 4 windows easily across the dual screen. For Aerosnap you have to press the windows key and an arrow key to have windows stick to the inside edges of the dual screens.

I always have active
Solid works
Excel
Web
Company database

 

I've used 2 monitors in the past, but am currently (for now), back to one.

CONFIGURATION: 1 24" 1920x1200 (set to run 1920x1080 w. black bars top and bottom to match laptop panel) set as my primary, and a laptop panel (1920x1080) as the 2nd. Early on, my primary monitor was a 20" regular format (1600x1200). This worked OK, but the 2nd configuration is nicer (exact resolution matches)
MAIN USAGE MODES:
- Tried to use 24" whenever possible / for all main work
- As w. other postings, I used the 2nd one for reference files, help files, etc. It definitely was useful.
- On rare occasions, I'd run a program across both windows (EX: MS Excel w. two windows of the same document open.) BUT - menus were only on one monitor (in my case, the 2ndary due to my configuration.)
COMMENTS/ISSUES:
- At least when the 2nd screen is a laptop, it's really important that the screen resolutions match, IMO (See specific issues below)
- I was able to work w. a setup w. matched heights but different widths, when I had a non wide screen as primary. In that case, if I un docked, there was not an issue w. a window overflowing the screen.
- Many programs "remember" what your last window size is (esp. if it's not maximized), which can cause problems if you go to a smaller monitor. REMEMBER THIS ISSUE IF OTHERS OPEN YOUR FILES!

 

GarethW

I have been using dual monitors, both on my engineering computer and my photography computer, for more than a year and I cannot praise it enough.

Just one example, I will open two windows of AutoCad, one on each monitor and then I can put my design on one monitor, and my references on the other. Further I can open other windows, for instance Excel, and still find room for it to share on the second monitor.

If I had space and hardware, I would consider three monitors!

Just do it!

 

So Gareth, are you convinced, have you turned to the dark side and plugged in another screen?

 

Yes, Gareth, have you?

 

Of course. Why wouldn't you. I did and do.