October 14, 2011 at 12:22 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Does It Help
October 14, 2011 at 3:50 am
2 monitors are best for me by far - and 3 would be ideal
October 14, 2011 at 4:04 am
Some of my colleagues have preferred a widescreen - no, I do not get that. Dual anyday, but each to their own.
October 14, 2011 at 4:53 am
Definitely 2 monitors.
I often have to review scripts - sometimes many, many scripts. Being able to have a file manager one one screen and SSMS on the other is a great help.
Or SSMS on one, BOL on the other, or SSMS and a web browser.
I've used dual monitors for years at home and wouldn't want to work any other way now.
Finally got a Tablet as well to replace the mouse at work. No more RSI.
DBA (Dogsbody with Bad Attitude)
October 14, 2011 at 6:01 am
Definitely 2 monitors. I do alot of DB and SharePoint work and I have found the most helpful setup for me at work is to have one machine and one monitor in dev and have another setup in production with one monitor that way I can look at changes in dev and compre them when I apply in production or have to troubleshoot issues from one domain to the other.
I feel hadicapped a little when I only use one monitor now... 🙂
October 14, 2011 at 6:01 am
2 monitors is definitely better, though I'd like to try 3!
I've a 27" and 24" screens, both 1920* resolution, but it still never seems enough with the vast quantity of information and surrounding tools to see, esp in Visual Studio 2010.
October 14, 2011 at 6:13 am
At Logica, we are issued with laptops rather than desktop machines, an arrangement I
am happy with. They provide monitors too so we don't have to use a small laptop screen,
but everyone I know has it set up as 2 different screens. My work monitor is 1280x1024,
but I use a 1920x1080 at home. Using the laptop without another monitor seems very restrictive
now. I would cheerfully use 3 or even 4 monitors, if the hardware and OS supported it.
October 14, 2011 at 6:28 am
I have used a two monitor setup at home for the past eight years.
Started as a vanity test to impress a potential customer. After just two days of using the setup I was hooked.
Being an accidental DBA, with most of my work done in Visual Studio as a software developer, I estimate that the time I saved alone in the first month paid for the investment.
Without a doubt... it helps.
October 14, 2011 at 6:43 am
I am blessed by having the best of both worlds. Ok, I know I am bragging, but it’s nice. I have a 27inch wide aspect for apps like management studio, where I can have all the property windows open I want and a 19 inch to see incoming email etc. Next to that I have a 3rd screen connected to a monitoring server displaying critical performance and other information. I agree that the dual screen setup saves time, but as Justin said, it is still not enough.
5ilverFox
Consulting DBA / Developer
South Africa
October 14, 2011 at 6:50 am
Our team just went from a desktop with twin 17" monitors (or laptop on dock + single 17") to twin 24" monitors and WOW, the difference in efficiency and just reduced eyestrain is amazing. I can have multiple Excels plus Mgt Studio plus Outlook open at the same time and not go blind or crazy...
October 14, 2011 at 7:05 am
for me, both, I have a wide screen(24) in the middle and two 20s (one portrait and one landscape) I find this gives me every viewing option I could want. On the rale occasion I work from home I'm on a table with a small screen and it kills me trying to get things done.
I should put this request on MS.Connect... with multiple monitors I'd love to have the results pane of SSMS undockable so I could veiw my script on one monitor and the results on another.
October 14, 2011 at 7:08 am
You will have take my second monitor from cold, dead hands. I have invested in a second monitor for my home office so I am not frustrated when I work from home.
I use the screen on my notebook (small) in addition to a wide format (1680x1050) monitor. The wide format is great for avoiding the pesky scroll bars when developers create screens that are just a bit too wide.
A third monitor or another workstation would be nice on "go live" days when we keep system monitors running non-stop.
October 14, 2011 at 7:36 am
Definitely 2 (or more). I use RDP a lot and that is the primary use for the second screen. With high use programs like Outlook, SSMS, IE, RDP, SQL Compare, Beyond Compare, and monitoring tools the more monitors the better. I even invested in a 3rd party tool called Actual Multiple Monitors for more efficient use of the second monitor. When I work at home with one monitor is does have the feeling of being less productive.
October 14, 2011 at 8:02 am
Back in college, I got a lot of odd looks when people saw my two (and later three) 19" CRT monitors on my huge desk. Working after college, I brought in my own second monitor for several years, until the rest of the department caught up and I was finally able to take it home. I now have two 24s at 1920x1080, along with my 17" laptop, all chained together using InputDirector (a more secure alternative to Synergy).
FWIW, I have two recommendations for multi-monitor users: A little tool called WinSplit Revolution that allows you to slice and dice your screen space with hotkeys and save your preferred window locations per window; and stagger the distance each monitor is from you by several inches. This forces your eyes to refocus whenever you switch. At first it's disorienting, but then your eyes adjust. The constant refocusing is good for them.
October 14, 2011 at 8:28 am
Two monitors definitely work better for me....
Martin
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