Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

two-monitors ergonomics

(1/14) > >>

urlwolf:
I know people here (mouser) rave about two-monitors.
I just started using them, and I think I have a problem with ergonomics.
My neck is getting a workout.
Side-to-side is too wide. one-on-top-of-another, too high...
Anyone has a solution? Websites about ergonomics on this?

mouser:
it helps to have one monitor in the center for main work, and then the other(s) for just keeping stuff open for reference, so most of the time you are focused on your main center monitor.

nudone:
last week i went to 3 monitors: 17" portrait, 24" and 17" landscape. as mouser says, main 24" is central but i am using both peripheral monitors just as much when doing "real" work like web design.

i expected problems but i assume it would be with eyestrain. so far, everything seems fine - maybe moving my eyes around more than looking at a single monitor actually helps them???

i have been attempting to take more breaks and get out my seat so maybe that is something you need to try - if possible. i've also been told that monitors should be at arms length - which mine aren't if i'm sitting upright - but i think it's worth investigating (or i will if find problems with this current screen layout).

i'd be interested to hear how you develop your setup as i can forsee problems ahead with long periods of use - i may have just not used things enough to notice yet.

(i must say i've also found the extra screen space very productive - it's definitely the way to go if you can justifiy it. i'm tempted to even go for a fourth monitor as i'm sure it would be very useful.)

AndyM:
last week i went to 3 monitors: 17" portrait, 24" and 17" landscape
--- End quote ---

what resolution(s) are you running on each monitor?

nudone:
all are in native resolution, so:

17" portrait is: 1024 x 1280.
17" landscape is: 1280 x 1024
24" is 1920 x 1200.

i've gone for these sizes, partly by choice and partly by convenience. i got the 17" portrait as it was almost the same height as my main 24" and also was wide enough to view the standard(ish) web browser width of 1024 pixels. for a while i thought this was more than enough for my needs (two monitors).

then i realised i had room for an extra graphics card (just a cheap pci-e one at £30) that i could connect a spare monitor to. this 3rd monitor has allowed me to set up a screen for running wider windows on - like FireBug.

i wasn't expecting this 3 monitor layout to make much of a difference as i was so used to flicking with Alt+tab, but i think the difference is obvious within a few hours of working with them. i used to view it as a bit of an extravagance to have a multi-monitor setup but i now believe that if you are making a living from using a computer then several monitors are (probably) an essential part of your toolkit.

p.s.
i do use the 24" like a two monitor setup too. so that's a bit like having 4 screens in total. i can easily have 10 windows open at a time so you can see how annoying it is Alt+tabbing between them all.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page