Just a few weeks ago, while on a business to trip for a conference in Las Vegas, I was sitting
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in my hotel room at the Caesars Palace trying to juggle using multiple applications on my 15 inch laptop screen. It was almost unbearable. I honest didn’t realize just how dependent I’ve become on my dual monitor setup that I have at home.
No, let me preface the rest of this article by telling you that if you’ve never used a dual monitor setup, then you really are missing out on not only a higher level of productivity, but even more importantly you are missing out on a more pleasurable computer experience in general.
So how do I leverage having multiple monitors to my advantage? Well really it is quite simple. How would you like to have one monitor with email app and the other with your browser at all times? Do you need to link to a web page in an upcoming email? No problem, just drag the link across one monitor and on to the other. Simple! Need to pull numbers from a web page and plug them into excel- just do the same thing- drag across one monitor and on to the next. And if you don’t believe me you can read dozens of stories on this site and others that talk about why people have been upgrading for years to a dual monitor setup (and sometimes significantly more monitors!)
It’s time to just do it. If you are considering upgrading today, you’re actually lucking, as most modern computers have video adapters built into the motherboard or a separate card with multiple ports for multiple monitors. So hooking up a second computer monitor may be as simple as plugging the additional monitor into the back of the PC, connecting the cable and turning the monitor on and setting it up in your windows control panel.
Don’t have dual ports or using a laptop? No fear, there are dual monitor setup solutions available for you too. You can contact the guys over at multi-monitors.com to find out which video card you’re going to need to upgrade or if there is an adapter available (such as the DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go for laptops.) And if you still can’t get exactly what you want, then you actually have the option of buying a new custom multiple monitor computers from these guys. OK, let’s be honest here. Your computer is either really old or a piece of junk that you bought from Best Buy anyways. Is it not time you upgraded to a professional dual monitor setup PC that was built by guys that want you to have the best system, not just a PC mass manufactured for the masses?
Now that we’ve settled that let’s talk about how you can setup your new dual monitor setup without taking up your entire desk. Have you considered a neat, new dual monitor stand? You can mount multiple monitors to a stand which will help with both arrangement and space/organizing problem that you might have. And the cool thing about using a multiple monitor stand is that you can actually mount multiple screens that are different sizes and they can weigh up to 25 pounds. That is awesome, right? You bet it is. Assembly of the stand may take around an hour and the instructions on how to do so have been equated to similar to IKEA instructions. Just have your Allan wrench ready and be prepared to organize a whole lot of screws, clicks and other widgets that may look like something George Jetson sold for Stanley Sprockets! Actually, the toughest part for most people was removing the original bases from the monitors that you decide to use. Fortunately there are quite a few videos showing you how to do this on YouTube (I will let you do the search yourself. Trust me; there are a bunch of videos.) The only thing that I suggest during this process is finding a partner (HONEY, CAN YOU COME HERE?) to help you out while you do this. The cool thing is once you have the monitors mounted, you can actually stuff the cables and cords inside the metal tubing, making everything look really slick. Now I’ll be honest, a good stand will probably set you back anywhere from $170 to $200, but you will be glad you made the investment when it’s done.
Once you have the monitors physically setup, then the next task is getting Windows to recognize them. Now, depending on which version of Windows you are using this can vary from difficult to easy. Windows 7 and Windows Vista tend to be very simple. In fact, beginning with Windows 7, it is actually designed for multiple monitors. However, Windows prior to vista is a bit more challenging to navigate. Fortunately there is a program called UltraMon to the rescue. This truly is the ultimate monitor tool. It will set you back an extra $40, but it works great for a variety of reasons. And it’s better than any other utility out there. Take my word for it. It Rocks! It also helps move (quickly) applications from one monitor to another and then recognizes and corrects the display size differences. You can actually have separate task bars on each monitor and assign various hotkeys for each monitor as well. Trust me when I say this program is worth every penny!
And I am not alone in loving this awesome application. I introduced my friends to this program and every single one uses it too. Also worth noting that there is a trial version available, so you can try before you buy.
So, if I was going to sum this up in 35 words or less, I would say, go upgrade to a multiple monitor, make sure you get a really awesome stand and try Ultramon, you’ll love it.
