Posted: 10/15/2012 10:28:08 AM EDT
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My current 24" iMac is approaching it's 5th birthday, and with Apple about to announce the new line of desktop machines, I am going to upgrade.
What I was wondering about is going to a dual display set-up using a Mac Mini instead of the 27" iMac. Basically, I was wondering if anybody is running dual displays? How do you like it? Any special issues? Would you do it again? My hope is that I can set two displays side-by-side and have a bigger screen area that behaves like a single display. Thanks.... |
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I run 2 displays off of one card that has dual outputs but I believe you can run 2 off one port with the right cabling. Just like you can run the 4 for 3D vision off of 2. I love it. I have one landscape with the desktop on it and the one to the right portrait that I put books and whatever else on. I can read a technical book in portrait to the right and use the computer or software that goes with it on the left. Depending on what you want to do you can use those small 7" displays that run thru USB as well and throw something over there like itunes or something while you use the regular monitor for your desktop. Most people go with 2 the same size but this works well for me. I put the specs, PDF on the right and do the work on the left. 
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Quoted: Quoted: With only one HDMI port, wouldn't you have to buy an adapter to run two monitors? Or does Thunderbolt also work as a display port? I believe your can hook up a display through the thunderbolt port. You definitely can. I was using two displays on a mini (HDMI/Thunderbolt), but after a few days just went back to a single Thunderbolt display. It was too distracting to mentally switch between two displays. I still have the capability, but rarely see the need or utility to go to a secoond display. If you're doing production work with mega palettes, you may see more of an advantage. When monitors were small, this made sense and was beneficial to almost everyone. Now, outside of a production environment, I'm not so sure.
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I dont have a mini - but I run a setup on my MacBook Air with 4 external monitors. One is using the thunderbolt port to hdmi. The others are using usb video adapters.
Here is a picture whin I had my MBpro hooked up. The USB adapters are pretty good for everything except full screen full motion video. 
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I use 3 21" Monitors. I am a CAD user and Engineer. So i keep my emails up one one screen, a CAD program open on another, then whatever engineering documenation i am doing at the moment on the third. Its super useful.
Most people at office have a 27" and a 21". I find 3 21" more useful for me. |
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I run two 19" DVI monitors at work and its invaluable, working in one screen, reference materials open in the other. I run a single (larger) monitor at home since I game a little. I do know some guys that run 3 screens but thats a bit much for me. I used to think that until I actually started using 3. |
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I've been running dual screens for awhile, and won't ever go back to a single screen. The cost vs. productivity increase is by far worth it for my SO. When I can afford to, the PC will get a remodel with new motherboard, another video card and I'll add the 3rd monitor, which should be the most I'll ever use. |
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I run dualhead at work and home.
At work, it's great since I am usually working off of an email request or a punchlist I can keep on one one screen while I design or code on the other. Or code on one screen and have SQL Enterprise manager up on the other. Or design on one screen and have GIMP running on the other. Or... 
I liked the setup so much I bought a second monitor for my home office. |
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I have a Nvidia GT640 that supports 3 monitors at once. I run 3 monitors, a 22" widescreen in the middle and two 19" 4x3 on the sides Virtually the same setup I have at work. It's a crazy productivity enhancement. Sadly my home setup is better than work, I am a lot more productive at home. |
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Dual screens, or more, is absolutely the way to go.
Your situation, if you get a Mac Mini, will be interesting depending on how much money you want to spend.
Right now I am using (2) Dell U2312HM 23" widescreens and I love them. Those or the U2412M 24" screens will likely be great for whatever you want. I will also recommend you get the base-model Mac Mini and upgrade the RAM yourself, as the first thing you do. |
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Dual screens, or more, is absolutely the way to go. Your situation, if you get a Mac Mini, will be interesting depending on how much money you want to spend.
Right now I am using (2) Dell U2312HM 23" widescreens and I love them. Those or the U2412M 24" screens will likely be great for whatever you want. I will also recommend you get the base-model Mac Mini and upgrade the RAM yourself, as the first thing you do. Option 1. This is for my business, so it's got some tax relief. I will get Apple Displays, whichever they have when the new Macs become available. Based on this thread, I am going to do it. |
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Quoted:
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Dual screens, or more, is absolutely the way to go. Your situation, if you get a Mac Mini, will be interesting depending on how much money you want to spend.
Right now I am using (2) Dell U2312HM 23" widescreens and I love them. Those or the U2412M 24" screens will likely be great for whatever you want. I will also recommend you get the base-model Mac Mini and upgrade the RAM yourself, as the first thing you do. Option 1. This is for my business, so it's got some tax relief. I will get Apple Displays, whichever they have when the new Macs become available. Based on this thread, I am going to do it. If I had the money I would also have two Apple Displays. Good choice. 
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Quoted: I run 2 displays off of one card that has dual outputs but I believe you can run 2 off one port with the right cabling. Just like you can run the 4 for 3D vision off of 2. I love it. I have one landscape with the desktop on it and the one to the right portrait that I put books and whatever else on. I can read a technical book in portrait to the right and use the computer or software that goes with it on the left. Depending on what you want to do you can use those small 7" displays that run thru USB as well and throw something over there like itunes or something while you use the regular monitor for your desktop. Most people go with 2 the same size but this works well for me. I put the specs, PDF on the right and do the work on the left. http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/borzak_ranger/2012-10-15134246.jpg This is exactly how my desktop is set up at work. PDF and other doc review on the right, WP, web browsing, etc..., on the left. |
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Quoted: My current 24" iMac is approaching it's 5th birthday, and with Apple about to announce the new line of desktop machines, I am going to upgrade. What I was wondering about is going to a dual display set-up using a Mac Mini instead of the 27" iMac. Basically, I was wondering if anybody is running dual displays? How do you like it? Any special issues? Would you do it again? My hope is that I can set two displays side-by-side and have a bigger screen area that behaves like a single display. Thanks.... I run dual 23" here at work and I'd take them over a larger single display any day of the week. |
| I run dual 24s on a PC. One I run Pro-Engineer and the other i use for emails, power points (ie useless garbage). Many times I run two sessions of ProE, one on each monitor, to review changes in full assemblies. I could never go back to one again. If I change jobs, I will buy my own monitors if I am not provided with them. |
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I run dual 24s on a PC. One I run Pro-Engineer and the other i use for emails, power points (ie useless garbage). Many times I run two sessions of ProE, one on each monitor, to review changes in full assemblies. I could never go back to one again. If I change jobs, I will buy my own monitors if I am not provided with them. My wife did that at her last firm. They liked the idea so much after seeing her use it for ACAD, 3DSMax and specs/code they reimbursed her for the ones she bought (they were nicer) and bought dual screens for the rest of the Architects/interns/project managers. |
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Quoted:
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I run dual 24s on a PC. One I run Pro-Engineer and the other i use for emails, power points (ie useless garbage). Many times I run two sessions of ProE, one on each monitor, to review changes in full assemblies. I could never go back to one again. If I change jobs, I will buy my own monitors if I am not provided with them. My wife did that at her last firm. They liked the idea so much after seeing her use it for ACAD, 3DSMax and specs/code they reimbursed her for the ones she bought (they were nicer) and bought dual screens for the rest of the Architects/interns/project managers. My box is retarded fast too. I run dual X5355s with 8 gigs of ram on windows 7 64bit. I have another 8 (or 16 I can't remember) slots for ram just need to get the manager to buy it. I have maxed the RAM out only a couple of times when I am running multiple full assembly databases in ProE or when doing an interference check on a full assembly that has alot of interferences. I think I need to get a better graphics card, nvidia fx3500. |
