Dual monitors? Yay or nay?

Revolutionary

I've been offered a deal* for a 22" monitor. I already have a 22" monitor, and I'm wondering if it is really worth it to have two monitors.

I've never had any need for more desktop space, but can having a dual-monitor-system be a neat thing? Is it that convenient? Any major cons or pros?

*My 360 and two controllers. Opinions?

Jasconius

Depends on what programs you do. For games, not really, unless you do a lot of multitasking and want a browser or something in the second monitor.

Most office and productivity software is immensely better with two monitors.

I mean.

2 monitors is never bad.

It's just a matter of is the good it can do enough to warrant the cost.

Evil Multifarious

Two monitors are awesome.

However, your 360 and two controllers for a monitor is a terrible deal. You can get a 22" LCD for about 250 dollars at Best Buy right now, since they're on sale.

Revolutionary

I can get $250 australian for it or the monitor, so I think the monitor is the better bet in value, but its value in practice is in doubt.

Maybe I should try get the monitor and a little cash for it?

Dhalphir

for me, a dual monitor setup is awesome. I spend a lot of time on MSN and WoW, as well as browsing WoWWiki, WoWHead and Thottbot, and also running TeamSpeak, so its nice to not have to alt-tab, and to be able to see who's talking on teamspeak by the little dot that lights up, without having to recognise their voices.

Its also good when I'm doing something boring like grinding, because I can chuck up an episode of Family Guy or something while I'm doing so.

Evil Multifarious

The benefits of having two monitors do not really outweigh the benefits of having a really good gaming console like the 360. The only really powerful reasons for 2 monitors are:

-digital art; having the tools on one screen and the canvas on the other is critical
-animation, modeling, mapping, etc; basically anything that requires both a field of work and a lot of toolbars, like digital art does
-gaming; having your desktop open with a faq or your chat windows while playing a game on the other is very useful
-watching media; movies and TV on one screen, full size and not interfering with the rest of your computer use is nice.

Also, your dollar values seem weird. An Xbox 360 with an additional controller amounts to about $550 CAD, while the monitor is $250 CAD. If you can sell your 360 for only $250, then you should only be able to get a similarly halved value for the monitor.

Blake T

If you don't want the 360 I'm sure you can ebay it for a better price than what is being offered.

Revolutionary

I don't want the 360 anymore. But it seems like I'm getting ripped off, but the thing is didn't I buy the 360 like two years about for $450? Is it really worth that now?

Evil Multifarious

I overestimated the price, but the console itself is still $400 and the controllers are around 40 or 50 bucks.

Revolutionary

Used?

Are you serious? Are you saying it has lost almost no value?

Dog

I have two monitors. I have a hard time doing anything without them, and I don't think I would be able to switch back no matter what size the new monitor was.

I should also note that I am a multitasking whore, so having a game and a browser window up, or a game and my itunes, or IM windows, or ventrilo etc. etc. etc. is great. It's also good for doing work related things like flash, photoshop, illustrator etc.

Evil Multifarious

No no, not used. I'm saying a new 360 is $400, and a new monitor is $250. There's a price disparity there even before you throw in your controllers, and that's true when they're used as well.

noobert

You can get a 22" widescreen brand new for $350 in Aust.

A brand new 360 will cost you ~$500 + ~$50 for the controller.

So it is a pretty poor deal. Ask for an extra $100 or so to even it out.

I use a 22" and a 17". The 17" is a dedicated msn window when i am stuffing around on the interbuts. When playing WoW i use it for thott and msn, when watching something i use it for msn and the interbuts.

It really depends on how much you multi task and how little you enjoy the 360.

TychoCelchuuu

Aside fromt he whole "what is my 360 worth" issue, which I can't really shed any light on: having 2 monitors is awesome. Absolutely great. I generally have IRC on one and my main stuff on the other, but for homework, or 3d modelling/texturing, or browsing the web/reading stuff, 2 monitors is really nice. The extra space for another program or another window is helpful.

Aridhol

Having 2 monitors is awesome.


Trading an xbox 360 for a 22" LCD is stupid. You'd be getting ripped off.

Even used the 360 and a controller is around $400 canadian and you can get a 22" AND a 19" LCD(almost) for that.

McRed

I've heard running dual monitors can cause some pretty recognisable frame rate drops vs running the same game with only one monitor attached, just from having to render whatever desktop wallpaper + icons you have on the 2nd screen. What kind of % drops are we talking about? How about if the 2nd monitor is having to render fancy Vista Aero effects?

Quid

I loved having two monitors. Throwing a movie up on one and doing whatever on the other was always the greatest convenience.

ViolentChemistry

Having two monitors was neat, but I never really ended up taking much advantage of it. Multiple desktops have become somewhat useful to me lately though and without needing to use up the space required for a second monitor.

Acolyte57

Definite yay for dual. Though screen real estate is not as big an issue as before, since widescreen monitors and high resolutions really help, I feel that I can't function without at least 2 seperate screens to work on. If you use 1 screen for the app you're currently working on, you can use the other to hold any base materials without having to switch. It might not seem like much, but that switching can eat up productivity and focus on your work. Nothing like working on a report and having your background articles on 1 screen, while Word is running on the other. Or Photoshop, with all the tool windows and stuff on 1 screen and the actual file you're working on on the other. Or even as simple as running iTunes fullscreen on your secondary monitor while doing your work on your primary. It's not life-saving or anything, but damn handy.

On the other hand, I've also tried 3 and 4 screens and that never really made an impact. I basically used those as a dumping ground for widgets or IM or media players, not for actual use. For me, 2 screens is all I can consciously and actively keep track of/use.

BlochWave

Yah, I've got two monitors at work and it's really handy

but I've got like three Excel spreadsheets, two simulation programs, a browser window, and my email up at the same time and constantly needing to compare two of them

Having been exposed to dual monitors and only having one at home, I haven't particularly missed having it at home. I don't think you can do things like have a browser open on one monitor while playing on another, they usually just deactivate the unused monitor, and unless the game has a 3000x1200 resolution setting, it's gonna look like ass spread out on two monitors(plus the gap!)

Even if the monitor doesn't deactivate, doing stuff on the other is like alt+tabbing out of your present one

However, having a huge ass sprawling wallpaper is sweet

Acolyte57

Actually, the other monitor still works. I use it to keep track of MSN messages while gaming, but I can't act on them until I end the game. alt-tabbing usually screws up the games I play. Some games also have a multi-screen option, the last one I played was Supreme Commander where the secondary screen had a big view of the map.

ViolentChemistry

Acolyte57 wrote: »

Actually, the other monitor still works. I use it to keep track of MSN messages while gaming, but I can't act on them until I end the game. alt-tabbing usually screws up the games I play. Some games also have a multi-screen option, the last one I played was Supreme Commander where the secondary screen had a big view of the map.

Sometimes you can only project certain kinds of video onto the "primary" monitor (though you can pick which one that is), and so if you try to play a game or movie on both screens one of them is just an empty black box.

BlochWave

Yah I would think that newer games, and upcoming games, might start working in non-vital but neat features for two monitors, like Supreme Commander apparently. Another thing to keep in mind

Ragix

An open question to those who play games and keep track of open windows/faqs/msn on the other monitor.
How the heck do you manage that? doesn't running a game on your primary monitor kinda "kick" the wallpaper and part of the second monitor to the side?
I tried playing with a dual-monitor setup, (primary is to the left of the secondary monitor) and every time I run a game, the second screen gets pushed to the right side. And your cursor can't escape to the second monitor while running a game. It just gets stuck in the primary monitor.

Also every time I tried to use msn/scroll down an open page, the game has to be minimized .. so it's no different than alt-tabbing.

Acolyte57

Yeah, I've seen the 'kicking' effect happen at friends' places, but I happen to have the primary on the right, so I have no experience with it. The mouse IS usually locked to the primary screen, or at least you hope it is - it can really screw your game if it isn't. Clicking outside the primary screen usually drops you out of the game. As I said, I use it passively - I can't use MSN or anything. But I can keep track of incoming messages and emails.

Ragix

Oh, so if I use the right monitor as my primary one, the kicking effect wont occur and I can still use the secondary one passively?

I'm gonna try hooking up the second monitor and see for myself. If it works, you receive a cookie. Else, flaming death for wasting mein precious time ;-)

Acolyte57

No promises but it works here. No kicking effect, and the only thing I can think off that differs is that my primary is on the right. When the resolution resizes, I think it wants to move the displays around but the effect is 'anchored' to the left screen. So it only 'kicks' if the resolution on the left screen changes.

Ragix

56k Warning

That picture screams "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

Here, have some deliciously tasty cookies

that are better than sex

Any tips for improving the setup?

Edit: sorry for the thread hijack

Acolyte57

Get Ultramon, which extends your taskbar to the second monitor. That's all you need.

Ragix

Acolyte57 wrote: »

Get Ultramon, which extends your taskbar to the second monitor. That's all you need.

Thanks a lot. This might come in handy