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Ask HN: Do you use 1 ultra wide or 2 dual monitors?

6 points by oumua_don17 5y ago

If you could add why and pros and cons if you have used both setups?

cmusfan 5y ago
Single laptop screen user here. I use zen mode as often as possible and try to focus on a single task instead of multitasking. Before the pandemic I used a 4k rv as a monitor at work and kept the laptop screen shut. Even then I tried to work on one thing at a time. I wasn't able to bring it home.
- brtkdotse 5y ago
  I switched away from dual screens when one broke and I noticed my neck was a lot less sore. Running a single 27” 4K (at 200% DPI) and couldn’t be happier.
  - netizen-936824 5y ago
    You don't need to have dual monitors in side-by-side, there are other configurations that don't contribute to neck soreness
LarryMade2 5y ago
two I have main computer direct to lefty and a switch to go between multiple PCs (including main) on righty, do a lot of tinkering, programming, and stuff so the main might be videos or docs while the secondary is being worked on or visa versa.
aqaq2 5y ago
byoung2 5y ago
1 ultra wide monitor is good for gaming. Dual monitors are good for separating tasks, e.g. browser and emulator on one screen and IDE on the other. This is also better for screen sharing, so you can share one screen and keep clutter on the other screen. I use dual monitors.
yen223 5y ago
1 laptop screen + one 4K 27" external monitor. I like to keep the laptop screen because it is a much better screen than almost any affordable monitors out there. The laptop screen is also a convenient sharable screen for video conferencing. The external monitor is just there to give me a bit more screen real estate.
airbreather 5y ago
2 x 55 inch 4k curved screens.
rails 5y ago
Nowadays I use a single 27" 4k Monitor. The reasoning is, that I want to avoid multitasking. Multitasking is a major cause of stress for me and lowers my productivity at the same time.
mrlonglong 5y ago
I use three, one 4k 32" and a pair of 1440 25" displays with Linux on X11/Gnome. I love it, although there is one issue, I can't have 32 bit colour on the 4k display, some limitation with X11 I'm given to understand. I would be quite happy if someday it could have a mixture of 24 bit colour on the two smaller ones and 32 bit colour on the 4k display.
snehesht 5y ago
If you're on linux and planning to get two dual monitors, go for 2560x1440 instead of 4k ( fractional scaling works on latest distro's but it's not that great ) I have a 38inch Alienware AW3821DW and two 4k dell monitors. I have the ultrawide in middle, other two on both sides oriented vertically, this config gives a lot of work space with moderate head movement.

6 points by oumua_don17 5y ago

If you could add why and pros and cons if you have used both setups?

Single laptop screen user here. I use zen mode as often as possible and try to focus on a single task instead of multitasking. Before the pandemic I used a 4k rv as a monitor at work and kept the laptop screen shut. Even then I tried to work on one thing at a time. I wasn't able to bring it home.

brtkdotse 5y ago
I switched away from dual screens when one broke and I noticed my neck was a lot less sore. Running a single 27” 4K (at 200% DPI) and couldn’t be happier.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  You don't need to have dual monitors in side-by-side, there are other configurations that don't contribute to neck soreness

LarryMade2 5y ago

two I have main computer direct to lefty and a switch to go between multiple PCs (including main) on righty, do a lot of tinkering, programming, and stuff so the main might be videos or docs while the secondary is being worked on or visa versa.

aqaq2 5y ago

byoung2 5y ago

1 ultra wide monitor is good for gaming. Dual monitors are good for separating tasks, e.g. browser and emulator on one screen and IDE on the other. This is also better for screen sharing, so you can share one screen and keep clutter on the other screen. I use dual monitors.

yen223 5y ago

1 laptop screen + one 4K 27" external monitor. I like to keep the laptop screen because it is a much better screen than almost any affordable monitors out there. The laptop screen is also a convenient sharable screen for video conferencing. The external monitor is just there to give me a bit more screen real estate.

airbreather 5y ago

2 x 55 inch 4k curved screens.

rails 5y ago

Nowadays I use a single 27" 4k Monitor. The reasoning is, that I want to avoid multitasking. Multitasking is a major cause of stress for me and lowers my productivity at the same time.

mrlonglong 5y ago

I use three, one 4k 32" and a pair of 1440 25" displays with Linux on X11/Gnome. I love it, although there is one issue, I can't have 32 bit colour on the 4k display, some limitation with X11 I'm given to understand. I would be quite happy if someday it could have a mixture of 24 bit colour on the two smaller ones and 32 bit colour on the 4k display.

snehesht 5y ago

If you're on linux and planning to get two dual monitors, go for 2560x1440 instead of 4k ( fractional scaling works on latest distro's but it's not that great ) I have a 38inch Alienware AW3821DW and two 4k dell monitors. I have the ultrawide in middle, other two on both sides oriented vertically, this config gives a lot of work space with moderate head movement.