How the fuck do people get used to large monitors?



bobby_custard said:
Alternatively the MS Windows Start button on your keyboard is your friend. As was pointed out on here recently START+left or right arrow half maximises a program window to that side of the monitor.
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You mean the Windows key. Windows/up to maximize, Windows/down twice to minimize, and you can also drag any window with your mouse to the left or right edge of the screen so it snaps to do the same 50% width thing. You can also drag it to the top to maximize or stretch the top edge of the window to the top of the screen to make it 100% the height of your screen without changing the width.

Windows key/tab to switch windows in 3D view. Alt/tab to see all the windows open and switch between them.

If you learn the hotkey shortcuts to your programs, even just the basics, especially those in the Windows, Adobe Suite & Office, etc. you'll improve your productivity immensely.

Windows 7 users go here and click "Show All".

Keyboard shortcuts

Windows logo key
Open or close the Start menu.

Windows logo key +Pause
Display the System Properties dialog box.

Windows logo key +D
Display the desktop.

Windows logo key +M
Minimize all windows.

Windows logo key +Shift+M
Restore minimized windows to the desktop.

Windows logo key +E
Open Computer.

Windows logo key +F
Search for a file or folder.

Ctrl+Windows logo key +F
Search for computers (if you're on a network).

Windows logo key +L
Lock your computer or switch users.

Windows logo key +R
Open the Run dialog box.

Windows logo key +T
Cycle through programs on the taskbar.

Windows logo key +number
Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the program is already running, switch to that program.

Shift+Windows logo key +number
Start a new instance of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.

Ctrl+Windows logo key +number
Switch to the last active window of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.

Alt+Windows logo key +number
Open the Jump List for the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.

Windows logo key +Tab
Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.

Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.

Ctrl+Windows logo key +B
Switch to the program that displayed a message in the notification area.

Windows logo key +Spacebar
Preview the desktop.

Windows logo key +Up Arrow
Maximize the window.

Windows logo key +Left Arrow
Maximize the window to the left side of the screen.

Windows logo key +Right Arrow
Maximize the window to the right side of the screen.

Windows logo key +Down Arrow
Minimize the window.

Windows logo key +Home
Minimize all but the active window.

Windows logo key +Shift+Up Arrow
Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen.

Windows logo key +Shift+Left Arrow or Right Arrow
Move a window from one monitor to another.

Windows logo key +P
Choose a presentation display mode.

Windows logo key +G
Cycle through gadgets.

Windows logo key +U
Open Ease of Access Center.

Windows logo key +X
Open Windows Mobility Center.
 
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Netphase said:
30" at 2560x1600 in normal landscape with a 20" at 1600x1200 in portrait on each side is the best of both worlds. :thumbsup:
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This.

Except I don't run my 20s in portrait. I have one stationary angled in toward me, and the other on a swivel arm so I can adjust based on how I`m using that monitor at the time.

I never maximize any application, and overlap them so I can click and swap between them.

I really like Spaces on OSX to optimize this even more, and split apart environments. Shortcut Keys for spaces, and Command-Space for quick app opening, and hot corners assigned to do various things.

I made the switch to OSX almost a year ago, took about 6mos to get used to it but productivity went up for sure. Biggest learning curve for me was how Apple handles file movement, overwriting, etc... glad I have backups :)

At my office I use 27" apple displays, and they took some getting used too but I LOVE the gloss vs. Dell's Matte. I've been using dells 30 since they released them years ago, and would never consider anything other than a 30" Gloss for my office since at home I need matte due to some 6' windows.

My next upgrade will be selling the 27"s at the office and upgrading to the new ones so I can daisy chain them, and run 2 at once. Right now I have one setup for my win7 system, and the other on my MBP.
 
I went to two 27" this year and can't go back for design/web stuff where I need multiple windows open but when I am writing and need to focus on one thing for a long time I like my laptop with a 13" screen so there are no other distractions.
 
Fatbat said:
I think you need 24 inchers to do this properly and 4:3 monitors are hard as hell to come by these days.
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24's in portrait are taller than a 30. Dell 2007FP 20's fit the Dell 30's almost perfect. Here is a couple pics of 30" Dell 3007 or 3011's with 20 inch Dell 2007FP's in portrait on each side...

9zJre.jpg


5zaOb.jpg


Neither picture is my own setup.
 
I've been experimenting for years. From the single 17" CRT I started out with way back when all the way to a custom 12 monitor wall when I traded stocks. For IM, I've found that 3 19" monitors is just perfect. If you sit further away you can do 4 19", but it depends on your desk. I think the big monitors, and extremely high resolutions, are overrated. I run my 3 monitors off a single video card at 1280x1024 and it serves me very well. ;)
 
dsiomtw said:
I've been experimenting for years. From the single 17" CRT I started out with way back when all the way to a custom 12 monitor wall when I traded stocks. For IM, I've found that 3 19" monitors is just perfect. If you sit further away you can do 4 19", but it depends on your desk.
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They still make 19" screens? I thought 22" were about as small as you could get now.
 
bcc423 said:
Get used to not using applications maximized to full screen.
Instead, resize browsers and shit to half the screen. That way, you won't have to move your eyes (and head) left to right all the time over wide angle.

It's for the same reason books have margins.


Three 21.5" screens and no neck pain whatsoever.
Before that, I was using laptops for years. I would use a laptop with an external screen attached. But always used the laptop's screen as the main screen and external to watch movies while work.

Transitioning to larger screens was tough at first, but once I stopped trying to use all windows maximized, I realized how cool it is to have more room on the desktop.
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seohug said:
Use the real estate of large monitors to display more windows, rather than maximizing. Adjust the monitor to how you sit and you can't go back.

I agree that laptop screens being small keeps you focused on one window, but you can still stay focused and save time by having just what you need up on large monitors.
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bobby_custard said:
Get a pair of 22s and rotate them through 90 degrees so they are like two A3 sheets in front of you but bigger. You'll need to pencil in an artificial 'above the fold' line at the side of the display but once you've tried a vertical monitor rather than a horizontal monitor you probably won't want to go back.

Alternatively the MS Windows Start button on your keyboard is your friend. As was pointed out on here recently START+left or right arrow half maximises a program window to that side of the monitor.
Click to expand...

The screen, keyboard & touchpad are so closely integrated in laptops that I dont have to nod my neck up n down when typing. Also, the small screen of laptops makes sure I only move my eyes across the 15" screen.

Another plus point is portability. I dont have to worry about where my stuff (images, LPs, bookmarks, passwords, documents, scripts, php files, excel sheets, ad scrapers, utilities) is located across the different setups I use at my home & my office, or when I'm travelling. I even use the laptop when I'm shitting.

Focus! If you guys suggest going for multiple displays or using multiple windows on the same big screen how to fuck do you even focus with so many distractions? "Ohh look 202 spy view is so cool I'm gonna dedicate a seperate screen for this" "I need a calculator, a clock, sticky notes & a todo list to always display on my screen" Yeah good luck with getting your "main job" done! with one window open, all my focus is on the task that I'm currently working on. Dollar icons in p202 spy view may be cool for kids, but I dont want to distract myself with those.

To each their own. Designers need to use multiple monitors but at the same time ppc-affiliate marketers like me just need a couple browser tabs for traffic sources & affiliate accounts. Making LPs for campaigns dont necessarily require large monitors. I have seperate desktop PC setups both at home & office with 22" displays. These are good for entertainment but for work I'm going back to using laptops. For me big displays just add 'oomph' factors when you want to show off to your friends or relatives.
 
FatalError said:
Come on man stop trying hard. Just cuz you randomly picked up that image doesnt mean everybody sits like that.

Now YOU observe:

laptop.jpg
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Actually if you had a decent chair like an embody it kind of forces you to sit in it properly. Going from my shitty office chair that didn't go high enough or egonomical enough completely changed when I got an embody. Eliminated all my back and knee pain. Well worth the money.

Most people don't understand spending $1000+ on a chair until they sit in it 40+ hours a week.
 
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