Posted: 8/10/2010 7:59:54 PM EDT
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Okay- so I started my new job yesterda working for a virtual high school. A tip was brought up today that we really should get a second monitor, that it speeds up our grading exponentially, only that's all that was said of the matter and we didn't have a chance to revisit the topic.
SOOOOO––- is having a second monitor worth the expense and the space in my limited desk space? |
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I cant fathom not having two monitors. Some of the work I do, I wont do on my laptop when I travel, it is just sooooo much more efficient with two monitors. How I use dual monitors every day in my work: 1. I do lots of customer remote demo sessions. I can put the customers screen on one mointor, and then have my research tools, email, web, etc, on the other monitor. 2. I do lots of lab work and documentation. I can be working in my lab on one screen, and very quickly write instructions and screenshots into a document on the other screen. 3. I do lots of document revisions. I can have two copies of the document open, and edit different sections while referencing other sections on the other monitor. 4. I can take a training video on one monitor, and multi-task through the boring parts on the other screen. 5. I often have 5 instant messaging sessions going for people reaching out to me for help. They type slow. I can have all their IM sessions on one screen, while I do work/research/lab testing on the other screen. You save time from flipping via email, web, and other tools, especially if you have 2-3 applications that you interact with constantly. I am looking forward to having 4 monitors.... at some point in the future. |
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A virtual high school? And why aren't they paying for your setup? Yep–– Virtual schools are all over the nation- in fact most states have public virtual schools for K through 12th grades. It is, however, still public school, so thus limited resources and they have provided me a nice laptop, printer/fax machine and cover the cost of my cell phone and internet access but the second monitor would be at my cost- but since I'm no longer spending 2K a year out of pocket on my physical classroom supplies, I don't mind spending one or two hundred to buy something that will boost my productivity :-) |
| once you have two monitors long enough you will want to get a third...then the third does not give you enough space and you end up with four. At least thats how it was for me started using two for graphic design and development once i started video got a third now i'm about to get a forth. |
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I cant fathom not having two monitors. Some of the work I do, I wont do on my laptop when I travel, it is just sooooo much more efficient with two monitors. How I use dual monitors every day in my work: 1. I do lots of customer remote demo sessions. I can put the customers screen on one mointor, and then have my research tools, email, web, etc, on the other monitor. 2. I do lots of lab work and documentation. I can be working in my lab on one screen, and very quickly write instructions and screenshots into a document on the other screen. 3. I do lots of document revisions. I can have two copies of the document open, and edit different sections while referencing other sections on the other monitor. 4. I can take a training video on one monitor, and multi-task through the boring parts on the other screen. 5. I often have 5 instant messaging sessions going for people reaching out to me for help. They type slow. I can have all their IM sessions on one screen, while I do work/research/lab testing on the other screen. You save time from flipping via email, web, and other tools, especially if you have 2-3 applications that you interact with constantly. I am looking forward to having 4 monitors.... at some point in the future. Wow- this is helpful info! Thank you! It sounds like I can possibly have the test or lab key open on one screen and then be grading the student's work on the other screen? I do a lot of copying and pasting of starter feedback and that does take a lot of time- plus then there's a third window where I'm writing the comments in the gradebook. Am I understanding the concept properly? We also use Elluminate for our live class sessions and I'm frequently having to minimize the screen to check different things while that is going and its literally like turning my back on a class of students physically because things happen fast. Would I be able to pull up videos on one screen and not impact the other screen running the Elluminate session? Does this ever become a issue of being too much for the computer to handle? What are the cons of having more than one screen going? Does it ever get distracting? Do I need any special software/hardware or anything else? Thanks so much for the info so far everyone! |
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TOTALLY worth it. Got them for everyone in the company. Mine are 22" on end, so they are portrait. Since I work with documents and web pages, it makes sense. I actually have two PCs, each with 2 monitors on my desk. Worth the space. run a 30" as my center display in landscape mode then a 22" in portrait mode on each side works well. |
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TOTALLY worth it. Got them for everyone in the company. Mine are 22" on end, so they are portrait. Since I work with documents and web pages, it makes sense. I actually have two PCs, each with 2 monitors on my desk. Worth the space. run a 30" as my center display in landscape mode then a 22" in portrait mode on each side works well. okay–– I've got dumb questions.... I understand landscape and portrait modes as it pertains to document layout- but how does this work with monitors, how you change the layout and what's the benefit of doing it? |
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Multiple video cards used to be the key, most require software support. Just having more area doesn't always make a difference. Some high end cards have multiple monitor support. For example, working on a technical model, I have the bill of material on my right screen in portrait with the model in center landscape with the drawing on the left screen. I rarely do the actual model work, mostly checking doing redline work to send back to drafting so they learn their mistakes. As such, I would have no idea how this helps your grading unless you are completely paperless. Then that would make sense to have the student's work on one, a key on another and the roll on a third. |
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I run dual monitors, and the only hang ups I've had is that some apps like to open full screen which translates to both screens. Not really a deal breaker, but does require running them in a "window" so the app can be re sized down to one screen. We've also seen some co-workers try to run conference software without testing it first. They are used to sharing their entire desktop and think it will just grab the "1st" desktop - it grabbed both screens making the conference a disaster due to the massive amount of refreshing going between both screens AND the screen compression that occurs as it tries to render both of your screens on viewers single monitor..... Again, easily worked around - just try with a friend before that first real conference. |
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Multiple video cards used to be the key, most require software support. Just having more area doesn't always make a difference. Some high end cards have multiple monitor support. For example, working on a technical model, I have the bill of material on my right screen in portrait with the model in center landscape with the drawing on the left screen. I rarely do the actual model work, mostly checking doing redline work to send back to drafting so they learn their mistakes. As such, I would have no idea how this helps your grading unless you are completely paperless. Then that would make sense to have the student's work on one, a key on another and the roll on a third. Yes, Keith- grading is totally paperless- My gradebook and comments section for grading papers (all submitted electronically) are electronic and require different windows. It does take a lot of time toggling between windows. My dad gave me his monitor that he no longer needed when he purchased a laptop a month or two ago. The monitor was less than a year old. I'm getting ready to try and hook it up and see how everything goes.... hmm.... I'm sure I can tear this up somehow.... |
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OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I can't believe how easy this is!!!! I literally just plugged the monitor into the laptop and in the start menu, it asked which option I wanted for the "projector". I clicked extend and now I have two monitors. Its very unusual feeling, but I can see how it might be helpful. I need to play with the color a bit because they are a little different, and that's just something weird that would bug me.
I do have a question though.... When I plugged the other monitor into the laptop and set up extend. It automatically sets up the external monitor to the right side of my screen, but I'd really like for it to be the left side. Is there anything I can do to change this? |
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OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I can't believe how easy this is!!!! I literally just plugged the monitor into the laptop and in the start menu, it asked which option I wanted for the "projector". I clicked extend and now I have two monitors. Its very unusual feeling, but I can see how it might be helpful. I need to play with the color a bit because they are a little different, and that's just something weird that would bug me. I do have a question though.... When I plugged the other monitor into the laptop and set up extend. It automatically sets up the external monitor to the right side of my screen, but I'd really like for it to be the left side. Is there anything I can do to change this? right-click on the desktop, properties, settings, then just drag the second monitor to the other side in the window that comes up (might be slightly different if you're not using XP, that's what I'm on right now). |
