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He uses only one monitor? http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png Perhaps it lets him stay focused. He also doesn't use a debugger if I

He uses only one monitor? http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png Perhaps it lets him stay focused. He also doesn't use a debugger if I remember correctly.

srik 12y ago
I know right? More screen real estate doesn't translate into productivity every time. I was aghast (and subsequently enlightened) when I heard Rob Pike saying he uses a 11" Macbook Air. That was actually the same computer I had at the time and definitely contributed to not worrying about throwing money at a larger screen.
- thomasahle 12y ago
  Then again, Rib Pike probably doesn't work in eclipse.
- wsc981 12y ago
  In this article[0] Rob talks a bit about his setup. [0]: http://rob.pike.usesthis.com http://rob.pike.usesthis.com
  - jiggy2011 12y ago
    It says he uses a Macbook Air but doesn't mention whether or not he hooks up an external monitor sometimes.
Retr0spectrum 12y ago
I was also surprised. I guess you can only really look at one monitor at a time, and switching workspaces with keyboard shortcuts can be about as fast as turning your head.
- notduncansmith 12y ago
  Even better with MacBook: four-finger swipe to the side, done.
  - LyndsySimon 12y ago
    Blasphemy! Ctrl+arrow all the way.
amarraja 12y ago
Aaron Swartz offered an interesting insight into this on The Setup [1] I don't have any extra displays. When I was little, I'd read Adam Engst talk about how great a second monitor was and lust after one, but never could bring myself to buy one. When I went to work for Condé Nast they gave us all nice big external Dell monitors and I found that I just couldn't get in the habit of using two screens. Everyone talks about how great it is to have more screen real estate, but apparently for what I do it doesn't really matter. I spend nearly all of my time on the computer staring at a block of text of one sort or another (emails, web pages, code) and no matter how big my screen is, I can't read more than a couple words at a time. Everything else on the screen is mostly a distraction. But maybe I'd feel differently if I wasn't so nearsighted. I've found working on just my 15" laptop leads to much less procrastination (sometimes). [1] http://aaron.swartz.usesthis.com/ http://aaron.swartz.usesthis.com/
- rohit89 12y ago
  In my case, an extra display is a huge help when I need to refer to a doc/spec/tutorial etc.
- nawitus 12y ago
  I've noticed that two monitors are helpful in web development. I typically have the browser on one monitor and the IDE on another.
  - notduncansmith 12y ago
    I used to find this really helpful, but with LiveReload it doesn't make much difference. I always swipe back to my browser before the change has been injected, so I'm not saving any time with 2 monitors.
- clarry 12y ago
  I also find having lots of stuff open distracting. One screen and virtual desktops so the browser, irc and other crap can be kept off the code view really helps me focus. Colour noise also distracts me, and browsers really are good at throwing a lot of it at you. When I'm coding, my display is effectively monochrome with dark grey terminals and lighter grey text with a warm reddish orange cast. As far as coding goes, living in a monastery with a laggy internet connection, using a slow netbook with 11" screen was one of my most productive times.
Untit1ed 12y ago
Generally I find that two monitors is useful so I can have a browser or android emulator open in one and the code open in another and easily switch between them... I'm guessing Linus doesn't do a lot of UI development so it doesn't really matter for him.
- jakejake 12y ago
  Same here - I like having my IDE full screen on my main monitor and my browser or emulator on the other. I recently had the brilliant idea to try three monitors, figuring that if two are good then three would be better. This only lasted about a week, though. I found it just to be way too much mouse movement (yes, I use a mouse, get over it!) going all the way from monitor #1 to monitor #3. So my observation is that monitors are like martinis, one isn't enough and three is too many.
  - to3m 12y ago
    When working on console games I've always found it useful to have one screen (in this case, a TV) dedicated to your program, and 2 left for use with your PC. When working on PC stuff I've also used a similar setup with a second PC as well (with its own keyboard and mouse, no Synergy/KVM/etc.). So I was expecting having 3 plugged into a single PC to be just as useful! But I had the same experience as you. I used it for about two weeks before I had to admit that the extra monitor was just one too many. I do wonder if it's just the aspect ratio of the desktop area though. I feel like if I had two landscape monitors on top of one another, and one portrait to the side, that would be more manageable. (The horizontal arrangement of monitors is more common, but actually I think the vertical one is much better. I currently have my laptop sat under my main monitor, and it works very well. With a horizontal arrangement I've always found myself ending up with a preferred monitor straight ahead and spare less-used one(s) to this side. After all, who wants to keep having to turn their neck? But with them stacked on top of one another, all you need do is glance up and down, and they're all equally useful.)
yoodenvranx 12y ago
I used to have two monitors but then I discovered Xmonad and lrealized that virtual desktops for me are much better than a second monitor. The biggest pkus is that i have the monitor right in front of me and don't have to turn my head to the side.
- tekacs 12y ago
  I used xmonad s.t. each screen had its own virtual desktop (until I got fed up of its slowness and Haskell's cabal package management). At least in my case, my screens are usually very centered and I sit far back enough that I never turn my head. shrug
yaph 12y ago
I was offered a 2nd monitor several times and refused because you put less strain on your neck when you look straight ahead. I imagine this could even be more of a problem with a walking desk. Apart from that, more incoming signals don't make you work better.
- kleiba 12y ago
  If I get the choice, I prefer one large monitor over two smaller ones, simply for the reason that you can put windows in the center of your visual space. Besides, for some reason windows often seem to pop up unexpectedly on the wrong screen for me, whenever I use two screens.
- kleiba 12y ago
  If I get the choice, I prefer one large monitor over two smaller ones, simply for the reason that you can put windows in the center of your visual space. Besides, for some reason windows often seem to pop up unexpectedly on the wrong screen for me, whenever I use two screens.
- stinos 12y ago
  On the other hand: given the major drawbacks of a sedentary lifestyle, I wouldn't be surprised if having multiple monitors and switching between them, which makes your neck move, would actually be better then keeping your neck still the whole time. Worth investigating..
  - yaph 12y ago
    No matter how many monitors you're using, if you don't take breaks and move around, it's gonna be bad for you.
TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago
Who needs debuggers when you have OpenGrok and printf()? ;)
dm2 12y ago
It looks like he probably has the monitor on his desk available to connect to that computer also, but they won't both fit on the standing desk. I have three 24 inch monitors connected to my desktop computer. The middle one is where I do 99% of my work. The left one is where I usually have a YouTube or Netflix video up distracting me. The right one is where I drag a window over for 20 seconds while I rearrange stuff. Most of the time it's 100% empty. My brain is certainly a single-core processor. TL,DR: One is surprisingly sufficient.

He uses only one monitor? http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png http://i.imgur.com/FFE1ysu.png Perhaps it lets him stay focused. He also doesn't use a debugger if I remember correctly.

srik 12y ago

I know right? More screen real estate doesn't translate into productivity every time. I was aghast (and subsequently enlightened) when I heard Rob Pike saying he uses a 11" Macbook Air. That was actually the same computer I had at the time and definitely contributed to not worrying about throwing money at a larger screen.

thomasahle 12y ago
Then again, Rib Pike probably doesn't work in eclipse.
wsc981 12y ago
In this article[0] Rob talks a bit about his setup. [0]: http://rob.pike.usesthis.com http://rob.pike.usesthis.com
- jiggy2011 12y ago
  It says he uses a Macbook Air but doesn't mention whether or not he hooks up an external monitor sometimes.

Retr0spectrum 12y ago

I was also surprised. I guess you can only really look at one monitor at a time, and switching workspaces with keyboard shortcuts can be about as fast as turning your head.

notduncansmith 12y ago
Even better with MacBook: four-finger swipe to the side, done.
- LyndsySimon 12y ago
  Blasphemy! Ctrl+arrow all the way.

amarraja 12y ago

Aaron Swartz offered an interesting insight into this on The Setup [1] I don't have any extra displays. When I was little, I'd read Adam Engst talk about how great a second monitor was and lust after one, but never could bring myself to buy one. When I went to work for Condé Nast they gave us all nice big external Dell monitors and I found that I just couldn't get in the habit of using two screens. Everyone talks about how great it is to have more screen real estate, but apparently for what I do it doesn't really matter. I spend nearly all of my time on the computer staring at a block of text of one sort or another (emails, web pages, code) and no matter how big my screen is, I can't read more than a couple words at a time. Everything else on the screen is mostly a distraction. But maybe I'd feel differently if I wasn't so nearsighted. I've found working on just my 15" laptop leads to much less procrastination (sometimes). [1] http://aaron.swartz.usesthis.com/ http://aaron.swartz.usesthis.com/

rohit89 12y ago
In my case, an extra display is a huge help when I need to refer to a doc/spec/tutorial etc.
nawitus 12y ago
I've noticed that two monitors are helpful in web development. I typically have the browser on one monitor and the IDE on another.
- notduncansmith 12y ago
  I used to find this really helpful, but with LiveReload it doesn't make much difference. I always swipe back to my browser before the change has been injected, so I'm not saving any time with 2 monitors.
clarry 12y ago
I also find having lots of stuff open distracting. One screen and virtual desktops so the browser, irc and other crap can be kept off the code view really helps me focus. Colour noise also distracts me, and browsers really are good at throwing a lot of it at you. When I'm coding, my display is effectively monochrome with dark grey terminals and lighter grey text with a warm reddish orange cast. As far as coding goes, living in a monastery with a laggy internet connection, using a slow netbook with 11" screen was one of my most productive times.

Untit1ed 12y ago

Generally I find that two monitors is useful so I can have a browser or android emulator open in one and the code open in another and easily switch between them... I'm guessing Linus doesn't do a lot of UI development so it doesn't really matter for him.

jakejake 12y ago
Same here - I like having my IDE full screen on my main monitor and my browser or emulator on the other. I recently had the brilliant idea to try three monitors, figuring that if two are good then three would be better. This only lasted about a week, though. I found it just to be way too much mouse movement (yes, I use a mouse, get over it!) going all the way from monitor #1 to monitor #3. So my observation is that monitors are like martinis, one isn't enough and three is too many.
- to3m 12y ago
  When working on console games I've always found it useful to have one screen (in this case, a TV) dedicated to your program, and 2 left for use with your PC. When working on PC stuff I've also used a similar setup with a second PC as well (with its own keyboard and mouse, no Synergy/KVM/etc.). So I was expecting having 3 plugged into a single PC to be just as useful! But I had the same experience as you. I used it for about two weeks before I had to admit that the extra monitor was just one too many. I do wonder if it's just the aspect ratio of the desktop area though. I feel like if I had two landscape monitors on top of one another, and one portrait to the side, that would be more manageable. (The horizontal arrangement of monitors is more common, but actually I think the vertical one is much better. I currently have my laptop sat under my main monitor, and it works very well. With a horizontal arrangement I've always found myself ending up with a preferred monitor straight ahead and spare less-used one(s) to this side. After all, who wants to keep having to turn their neck? But with them stacked on top of one another, all you need do is glance up and down, and they're all equally useful.)

yoodenvranx 12y ago

I used to have two monitors but then I discovered Xmonad and lrealized that virtual desktops for me are much better than a second monitor. The biggest pkus is that i have the monitor right in front of me and don't have to turn my head to the side.

tekacs 12y ago
I used xmonad s.t. each screen had its own virtual desktop (until I got fed up of its slowness and Haskell's cabal package management). At least in my case, my screens are usually very centered and I sit far back enough that I never turn my head. shrug

yaph 12y ago

I was offered a 2nd monitor several times and refused because you put less strain on your neck when you look straight ahead. I imagine this could even be more of a problem with a walking desk. Apart from that, more incoming signals don't make you work better.

kleiba 12y ago
If I get the choice, I prefer one large monitor over two smaller ones, simply for the reason that you can put windows in the center of your visual space. Besides, for some reason windows often seem to pop up unexpectedly on the wrong screen for me, whenever I use two screens.
kleiba 12y ago
If I get the choice, I prefer one large monitor over two smaller ones, simply for the reason that you can put windows in the center of your visual space. Besides, for some reason windows often seem to pop up unexpectedly on the wrong screen for me, whenever I use two screens.
stinos 12y ago
On the other hand: given the major drawbacks of a sedentary lifestyle, I wouldn't be surprised if having multiple monitors and switching between them, which makes your neck move, would actually be better then keeping your neck still the whole time. Worth investigating..
- yaph 12y ago
  No matter how many monitors you're using, if you don't take breaks and move around, it's gonna be bad for you.

TazeTSchnitzel 12y ago

Who needs debuggers when you have OpenGrok and printf()? ;)

dm2 12y ago

It looks like he probably has the monitor on his desk available to connect to that computer also, but they won't both fit on the standing desk. I have three 24 inch monitors connected to my desktop computer. The middle one is where I do 99% of my work. The left one is where I usually have a YouTube or Netflix video up distracting me. The right one is where I drag a window over for 20 seconds while I rearrange stuff. Most of the time it's 100% empty. My brain is certainly a single-core processor. TL,DR: One is surprisingly sufficient.