Desktop land grab: Essential tips for multimonitor productivity

July 11, 2013

Two is definitely better than one when it comes to monitors. A single display may suffice for basic computing, but multiple monitors make a big difference for heavily graphical work, intensive multitasking—and of course, serious gaming. LCD prices continue to drop, too, making multimonitor setups more affordable. But before you go on a monitor-buying spree, make sure your computer can support more than one display. This usually isn’t a problem with recent desktops, but it can be with laptops. After confirming that your system is multimonitor-ready, check out these tips for setting up those displays to maximize your productivity. Prepare before you purchase More monitors take up more space, so start by measuring your work area. The average-size desk is unlikely to comfortably accommodate more than three large (23- to 27-inch) monitors side by side. (If you’re short on space, consider buying a single extrawide display instead.) Once you’ve decided how many monitors you need, try to buy them all at the same time rather than piecemeal. The model you buy today may not be available in two months, and pairing different models can leave you to deal with variations in bezel thickness, screen resolution, or even screen size. The result, all too often: Monitors don’t line up properly, navigating your displays becomes unnecessarily difficult, and your productivity suffers. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2044039/desktop-land-grab-essential-tips-for-multimonitor-productivity.html#tk.rss_howto