Thursday 21 March 2013

My desk is fuller again.

This time, it's not because I cluttered it with stuff (though yes, that has also happened) but because I am now working with a second screen in addition to the (not overly large) one that my laptop has. And what can I say? It's lovely. Really, really lovely - I can have several texts open at once, glance over, get my information and write something in another open window.

It feels like total, complete, utter luxury. I remember that time when 17" was a huge monitor, and when flatscreens were a sensational new thing that took up so much less space. I remember seeing a spread of more than one monitor, with the extended desktop, and being told that while that was cool it was only necessary for graphic designers or folks working a lot with AutoCAD.

I have sort of worked with two screens before, only that one of them was on my computer and the other on a second one, that having internet access, and I'd use the one for writing and the other for online dictionary searches and looking up stuff. Which meant that all kinds of weird using-the-wrong-mouse-or-keyboard moments did happen. But somehow, until recently, I did not really think about getting a second screen all for myself. Total luxury of virtual real estate.

I'll probably get used to that luxury very soon and be bewildered whenever I do not have my second screen. It's still a little weird, I'm adjusting angles, and the colours of the two screeens don't match exactly but oh, I do not mind. Finally I do not need to switch windows again, and again, and again for a simple piece of work. Hooray!

2 comments:

Harma said...

We have two screens for years now and I love it. I can Skype on one and look for a link I want to send on the other. I can put Word on one screen and make or select pictures to add to my work on the other. It worked great when I wrote my booklet.

A Life Long Scholar said...

On my work computer I have three screens--one large on in portrait orientation, one large one in landscape orientation, and my laptop screen. I read pdf and word documents on the tall monitor, have spreadsheets and maps open on the wide, one, and any information I want to be able to see at the same time as the other two on the laptop. I love it!