Typically, personal computers have always been shipped with one monitor by default – which used to be the old and clunky CRT models, taking up the majority of your desk space. LCD monitors arrived not long after, and provided a great means of saving space while benefit from a flat-screen solution to your display. As monitors grew larger and could support bigger resolutions, screen manufacturers were soon looking at ways to support dual screening, and even triple screening of video output – which has ultimately been savour for business users.

The Issue

The problem with using a single monitor for business usage is that there is often a need to multi-task between many different programs – sometimes over 10 at a time. Having one monitor to carry out all of the multi-tasking needs is simply not time efficient, with the need to keep flicking between windows to get at the information you require.

Some basic examples of multi-tasking situations on a PC:

– Analysing spreadsheet data while compiling a report
– Emailing colleagues and clients while researching online
– Talking via instant messenger (MSN, Skype, etc) while browsing the web

By using a dual-monitor setup, you can easily and efficiently split the tasks into separate monitors and monitor/action them accordingly, while still having one main point of focus.

The solution

The solution to the problem, as above, was to develop graphics cards capable of handling dual monitor setups – with nVidia and ATI doing a particularly good job at releasing these features.

With a typical dual monitor setup, there is usually one main (large) monitor as the central point of vision, with a secondary (smaller) monitor combined at the side. The main monitor is the one usually used for the primary task – be it internet browsing or writing a report – with the secondary monitor being used for secondary tasks such as monitoring email, or a reference spreadsheet. With modern operating systems, such as Windows 7, switching windows between monitors is effortless, should you need to rearrange your setup to become more efficient.

The future

The future of monitor setups could see up to 4 or 5 monitors being typically used in business environments. Even today, there are images online of people have a 5 monitor setup, as below:

– One main central monitor (largest)
– Two smaller monitors either side of central unit
– Two even smaller monitors combined above the 3 monitor setup

Utilising the space above the main monitor setup allows for a quick lookup point, and would typically be handy for monitoring social media mentions, stock activity and statistical data.

Even at home, people are beginning to understand the benefit of having more than one monitor, and it is becoming the norm to have more than one – although the laptop is still a predominant figure at home, which somewhat restricts the usage of a secondary monitor.

If you’re in business where your staff are actively using computers all day, try becoming more efficient with a dual monitor setup, which will aid productivity all round.

Author Bio: IT support Manchester from axon IT – delivering small business cloud computing solutions and offsite data storage to companies throughout the UK. Check out axon-it.com for more information.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: dual screen monitors