I have been experimenting with multiple monitor setups for some time, using 2 - 6 monitors. Currently I have 5. I like having Email+IM on a vertical monitor on

I have been experimenting with multiple monitor setups for some time, using 2 - 6 monitors. Currently I have 5. I like having Email+IM on a vertical monitor on the side. If someone contacts me, I always have this communication screen, and I can respond to people without forgetting what I was working on. On my laptop, I press Cmd-Tab and everything is gone. I also like having a second monitor above my main monitor just for source control. It's always there, so I can review changes while leaving the source files I was working on visible on my main monitor. I also work a lot with VMs, and seing them all at the same time makes it easier to work with them. It's much easier if you can lay out your work on a big area, and when every task has its own designated place. I also work a lot on a single laptop when I'm not at the office, and I feel way less productive. I spend way more time trying to remember what I wanted to do, because stuff always disappears when I press Cmd-Tab.