======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ==== ======= ======= ====== ====== ====== ===== ==== ====== ====== ===== ====
There are some things in life so monumental that you’ll always remember where and when you were when you first discovered them. Ask your parents where they were when we landed on the moon or when JFK was assassinated. For me? I will never for as long as I live forget the first time I saw double monitors live and in person.
Like most innovations, my engineer friend, John, had them at his house way before I knew I needed them. Engineers are a crazy sort, always on the cutting edge with sprinkled madness. He was rendering things in CAD while typing, watching “People Falling Down” videos while typing away to his team dreaming up bridges. I had so many questions, namely, why the need? At the time I was ignorant with my one monitor desktop. I was still in college and the single monitor had never failed me. As a creature of habit, I was weary of learning something new.
Needless to say, I had not yet tasted the sweet fruit that is the double monitor life.
Fast forward to starting my first job. By any standard, it was a great first job to have for someone in my field. At this point, I had yet to have my own double monitor, but when I got to my workspace, there it was. A thing of beauty – two monitors, side by side.
It was like the Renaissance met the Enlightenment! I could edit one document and create an entirely new document right beside it. Who knew you could read email and respond in a different window? If I wanted to play some Wilco on YouTube while writing a quarterly report, I could do it without having to change tabs. Since then, I advocate like those campus preachers. Rather than damning people to hell for masturbation and fornication, my crusade for a world where everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which I equate to having at minimum, two computer screens to work on.
I’ve been at my new job for four months. Between my increased responsibilities and traveling across many a country road, I haven’t had nearly as much time to write as I’d like. When starting, my boss let me know he’d be ordering me a new computer. “Good shit,” I thought. I’d never had a new computer. I’ve had many shitty computers, varying from some cobbled-together functional computer to something James Cameron salvaged from his visit to the Titanic.
So when the day finally came and my new computer got delivered, I was pretty fired up. The friendly neighborhood IT guy installed it, but I noticed something devastating: only one monitor. Living the double monitor life is like having sex without a condom for the first time; once you know what it’s like, it’s hard to go back.
He must have seen my disdain. Personally, I think he was trying to avoid having to set up another monitor as the one monitor that came with the computer was pretty large. Having none of that, I told him it was essential for my life to have two monitors. For whatever reason, he gave me some piece of shit garbage little monitor. To rectify, I quickly “traded away” (pillaged away from another computer) to get a more suitable screen. Not to be outdone by simply angering me, he set my main monitor on the right side like some kind of bullshit joke. Everyone knows the main monitor goes on the left.
In the end, it all worked out. I’m fairly certain he kept my new mouse and keyboard, because my R,T, and Y keys sometimes stick from the previous user spilling who knows what in there. I’m not really one to cause a stir or create problems, but I’m definitely not about to go back to some archaic times of only having one monitor at my disposal. If I had to pilfer a monitor, so be it. I’ve even heard of a majestic, uncharted world that has three or four monitors, but I’m pretty sure those are rumors like El Dorado or Stevie Wonder not being blind. Maybe one day I will work in this world, but for the time being, two monitors is the kind of office life I want to live. Double monitor is love, double monitor is life..
Respond
Madoff
I specialize in damage control, being the drunkest at any and all functions and social assassination. Always appreciate a strong gif game. Follow me on Twitter. Sometimes I put up cool stuff about golfing at the local dirt tracks.
@BLMInvestment
Hear hear. When I started my current job, I went from a 17″ laptop to two 23″ monitors. Excel never looked so glorious.
Bloomberg terminals make me feel like the captain of a spaceship
Our Bb terminal only has 1 monitor…..I’m jealous.
Username checks out.
Got a three monitor setup in office and at home. Master of my domain wherever I may be.
Dual monitors are one of the best things to ever happen in the workplace. Makes it so much easier to crank stuff out and be in the zone at work.
Add a standing desk to that and the deals basically close themselves.
Double the monitors means double the #Lioning. There’s no reason to not be in the zone
Came here to say I refuse to go back to the single monitor life. Also, I really want that sonic drink in the photo.
The Sonic drink and American flag combo take that workspace to the next level.
Our GIS Analyst rocks 4 monitors. It’s a little intimidating if I’m being honest.
I’d LOVE to have 3, 4 would be overwhelming and not necessary.
I’ve got 3 monitors and can confirm that it’s awesome.
3 would make my desk look crowded and I hate when things look messy/cluttered.
They’re two by two so basically a giant single screen looming over him. Looks like he’s about to launch the nukes at all times.
Their raspberry sweat tea or strawberry limeades always hit the spot.
Try out the Triple Monitor set up. It’s amazing.
PDF, PGA, and PGP “at the same damn time”
Triple monitor is the way to go. I work in a law office, so the legal PDFs look glorious in full vertical form. Scanning a trial brief has never been easier.
Are the stories really true? Three ?
Preach. Engineering is a breeze with three.
We have the triple monitor at my office, dual monitors and a laptop. I feel like I spend half my day rapidly moving my mouse trying to find the pointer on my screen. it’s a thing of brilliance so I’m willing to look past the slight flaw
This is why I always make friends with the IT department. It’s essential to have them on your side
Preach. I had a boss at my old university office jobs that was amazed IT would help me out so much and then barely lift a pencil for her. It pays to be nice to IT, friends.
Alt+tabbing is for peasants.
I’m a remote employee and the company gave me a Surface Pro 4 because it’s so much easier to have on-site with clients. But they also gave me a docking station with dual monitors for the home office, and the flexibilty it gives me is incredible. My fear now is that I’m flying too close to the sun.
I’ll one up the left/right main screen dilemma. Try having the IT guys make the screen split go from the left side of the left monitor to the right side of the right monitor.
I couldn’t function with a single monitor. One of our designers has 4 monitors though, like a complete psycho. Completely unnecessary.