Are two heads better than one?

Most bloggers I read that sports dual monitors on their desktop say that it’s good for productivity. So, when I found out that the Samsung 19″ 940BW I bought 5 months ago dropped to just Php11,500USD 196INR 16,613EUR 187CNY 1,427, I got another one exactly like it.

Samsung Dual Monitor

I already got a dual-DVI PCI Express card (Powercolor X1550) I got from the Funan IT Mall, all I need to do is hook it up on the PC, plug the two LCD monitors and my screen real estate will double to 2400 pixels wide and 900 pixels tall. Alas, the motherboard does not support PCIe so I will have to delay this new set up. The other monitor in the picture is hooked up on my laptop for now (where I’m watching the new series Masters of Horror).

And about doubling that productivity thingie, I think not. It’s even distracted me from doing all the work I need to catch up on.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

16 Comments

Miguel says:

18 years ago

It’s good for coding on one screen and using the program/web site on the other. So you’ll use it for the Abe 2.0 App!
- Reply
AJ says:

18 years ago

is that a car freshener at the lower right of the monitor on the left?
- Reply
minor says:

18 years ago

i have 2 pc and 1 laptop here in my workstation, nakakalito coz in my front i have 2 keyboard and 2 mouse also :(
- Reply
jangelo says:

18 years ago

Two laptops. Two keyboards, two trackpads. :) Twice the productivity? Hmm. I’d say 50% more productive.
- Reply
JP Loh says:

18 years ago

Miguel has a good point. In fact, I want 3 screens. Your mileage may vary though. What works for others may not work for some. It’s really handy for developers and graphic designers.

Since you’re using two computers at the same time. You may want to try using Synergy. It’ll allow you to use one keyboard and mouse to control both computers.
- Reply
Jason says:

18 years ago

I’m on dual (LCD + CRT), still need the CRT to get original colors. Just like JP, I’ve been wanting to make it three! (2 LCD + CRT).

I feel very comfortable w/ 2 screens. Coding on the other, Display on the other.
- Reply
Joni says:

18 years ago

We were able to buy the same kind of 19″ widescreen LCD monitor for only Php 9,995. :D
- Reply
Randy says:

18 years ago

Mine’s like Jason’s. 1 LCD and 1 CRT coz I need to be able to see our web designer’s work on both screens but I only turn on the CRT when needed.

Dual monitor was useful when I was still coding. The editor on one monitor and the output on the other one.

Here’s my setup
http://randy.i.ph/blogs/randy/2007/05/02/webmasters-should-have-this-setup/
- Reply
JC John SESE Cuneta says:

18 years ago

Yes use Synergy it works.
Or use StarDock’s Multiplicity:
“Multiplicity is a new program that lets you control multiple computers with a single keyboard and mouse.”

And for Gamers, Triple monitors is the thing and it is a great advantage if you also have matroxÂ® TripleHead2Goâ„¢, making all three of your monitors to be “combined” as if they’re one monitor.

In my opinion and my experience, dual monitor and triple monitor do give us higher productivity rates. It is confusing at first but you will get the hang of it.

Also, if you are the Alt+select program guy, it will take a little more time to get used to :p But for taskbar lovers, or StarDock users, they will adjust to it pretty quickly.

As a webdev and content developer, dual-monitor works. As a gamer, triple monitor with matroxÂ® TripleHead2Goâ„¢ is superb.
- Reply
mr nice ash says:

18 years ago

I want a mice like that… Where can I find one?
- Reply
Kevin Yapjoco says:

18 years ago

Check out Al Gore’s setup:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1622338_1363003,00.html
- Reply
yuga says:

18 years ago

@ AJ – yup! :D

@ Joni – where did you got it? I may need another one for my brother’s PC.

@ JP & JC – thanks for the tip. WIll try that. I got a VGA splitter but the quality of the video output sucks.

@ MR Nice Ash – it’s a Logitech Marble Mouse. About Php1,100 in local stores like Electroworld, Villman, Octagon, etc.
- Reply
JC John SESE Cuneta says:

18 years ago

@Kevin.. that’s holy…
- Reply
Harold Bayot says:

16 years ago

hello my name is harold i am from the philippine i wish to have a Triplehead2go but it’s not available here so i find something to replace Triplehead2go coz it is for my Flight Simulator X Full scale Cessna T182T Garmin G1000 glass cockpit plane number N40339 and i think im the first kid that going to build a Full Scale flight simulator here in the philippines i have 3monitors 1 CPU pentum4 300mhz and i bought flight stick 3power cord i built a big and wide table for the aircraft instruments and im bulding it for 2months but im trying to finish it pero nakabili ako sa CDR-king ng VGA Video Splitter 4 slot pero hindi pa ako nakakabili ng Male and Female Cord para sa splitter mga 6,000Php or 120usd na ang nagasta ko dun eh 12yrs old lang ako walang tumutulong sa akin iemail mo nalang ako harold_b****@****.*** ty
- Reply
Dane says:

16 years ago

I’ll bet if he didn’t have a movie playing, he might not have a distraction from getting work done? Wow.
- Reply