3 ms·

Since this is HN and most people here have written code, I compare multi-monitor setups to a text/code editor with a single panel/pane. You just don't do it!

Since this is HN and most people here have written code, I compare multi-monitor setups to a text/code editor with a single panel/pane. You just don't do it! Sublime, N++, Atom, etc. all support multiple panes (split screen). Once you get coding enough you never go back to using a single pane. Same thing with multi-monitor. As long as you are productive (unlike the author), more screen real estate is better (obviously, there are limits) Personally, I like dual 27"s. Allows you to run 4 full size (think 8.5"x11") word docs at 100% side by side. Very nice!

patcheudor 12y ago
What the author failed to account for is the fact that not everyone does the same type of work. As a security researcher I spend a fair amount of time watching real-time code execution while simultaneously watching & modifying network traffic. In a typical solution review I might have Wireshark running on one monitor, an HTTP editor/proxy running on another hooked to the browser, another HTTP editor/proxy running on yet another monitor hooked to the web service. That's three monitors right there. Next I'll have the browser running on a fourth monitor and possibly be reviewing code and code execution on a fifth. On the sixth and seventh monitors I'll be doing research including static code analysis with the eighth and ninth monitors dedicated to coms (chat/email) and writing up my results. I routinely switch between my multi-monitor solution and a single screen laptop and there's just simply no way I can effectively do my job on one monitor these days. I'll do "simple" reviews on my one monitor laptop and stick with the multi-monitor solution for the harder stuff. http://defaultstore.com/mydesk.jpg http://defaultstore.com/mydesk.jpg
charlesism 12y ago
Keep in mind that the author is Farhad "Stop Calling Me a Troll" Manjoo. He's sort of a junior version of John C Dvorak, albeit less experienced and less amusing.

patcheudor 12y ago

What the author failed to account for is the fact that not everyone does the same type of work. As a security researcher I spend a fair amount of time watching real-time code execution while simultaneously watching & modifying network traffic. In a typical solution review I might have Wireshark running on one monitor, an HTTP editor/proxy running on another hooked to the browser, another HTTP editor/proxy running on yet another monitor hooked to the web service. That's three monitors right there. Next I'll have the browser running on a fourth monitor and possibly be reviewing code and code execution on a fifth. On the sixth and seventh monitors I'll be doing research including static code analysis with the eighth and ninth monitors dedicated to coms (chat/email) and writing up my results. I routinely switch between my multi-monitor solution and a single screen laptop and there's just simply no way I can effectively do my job on one monitor these days. I'll do "simple" reviews on my one monitor laptop and stick with the multi-monitor solution for the harder stuff. http://defaultstore.com/mydesk.jpg http://defaultstore.com/mydesk.jpg

charlesism 12y ago

Keep in mind that the author is Farhad "Stop Calling Me a Troll" Manjoo. He's sort of a junior version of John C Dvorak, albeit less experienced and less amusing.