No Comments
It’s About Time You Started Using Dual Monitors
Quite frankly, I’m shocked at the number of people NOT using dual monitors.
I’ve been doing it so long and it comes so naturally that I was shocked when a friend of mine commented how strange it looked.
For persons with knowledge-centric jobs that require handling computer tasks while having to constantly keep track of updated information online (like Twitter and Facebook stocks and biz blogs) having dual monitors definitely increases productivity. The jury is still out on how much it actually improves productivity since the numbers in studies have ranged from 9% to 50% but everyone agrees that there is definitely an improvement.
Some persons may read this and think that this setup is only for super techies who spend all day around computers in their IT jobs. This isn’t the case. If you’re not sure whether this applies to you, here’s one way to think about it. While using your computer, think of how many times you:
- Check online blogs for latest updates
- Research while typing up a document
- Cut and paste content
- Enter data from one document into a form or spreadsheet
- Toggle between pages to track changes or compare data.
If you do these on a regular basis, a second monitor can help you with that. Since I do social media marketing, for example, I can develop strategies for clients on one screen while keeping updated on what’s happening on Facebook and Twitter (it’s work, I swear) on my other screen so I never miss a chance to jump in and have a conversation with the fans.
What about having more than two monitors? Well, the jury hasn’t gotten back to us on that one yet either. Most say that it tends to get pretty counterproductive after three monitors, unless you job description includes ‘data whore’ somewhere.
A tip on purchasing a second monitor: make sure the screen size and resolution are similar to the screen you already have. Significant disparity in these features may actually confuse your eyes and lead to less productivity when you find yourself having to adjust between screens.
Have we convinced you to try out dual monitors? Do you already use two monitors, or more? What has your experience been like? Tell us if you think it really helps productivity or just becomes another distraction from the task at hand.
Submit a Comment