Reasons for multiple 27" displays?

[mcpix]

While replying to another thread about the reasons to choose a 27" iMac over the 21.5", I began to wonder about those users who have multiple 27" displays.

I understand the geek appeal of 2 or more large displays, but in actual day to day use, what applications benefit the most from this set up? Is it comfortable to use on a daily basis, or is it like watching a tennis match?

 

[thejadedmonkey]

While replying to another thread about the reasons to choose a 27" iMac over the 21.5", I began to wonder about those users who have multiple 27" displays.

I understand the geek appeal of 2 or more large displays, but in actual day to day use, what applications benefit the most from this set up? Is it comfortable to use on a daily basis, or is it like watching a tennis match?

It depends on what you need your computer for.

If I were developing for an iPad, I wouldn't want to work on anything less than 2 27" screens. The ability to have photoshop, design docs, Xcode, and the emulator all open and on screen at once would be fantastic.

 

[bossxii]

I use 2x 27" Tbolt displays and it has made my daily workflow much more efficient. While I use a trackpad and Lion to have 3 or 4 desktops open. I arrange my tasks between the two monitors for various uses. The main advantage is for me is when order products for my company I have a list of several hundred parts I import into an excel spreadsheet I expand to full screen on one monitor and have dual webpages open on the other screen to monitor last price paid, stock quantities and another webpage open to look at incoming customer orders over the course of the few hours it takes to complete the ordering process.

With the one monitor I was swiping back and forth between desktops and while it worked well, I would take a question or phone call that would have me looking back a second time to verify something.

Having email, iMessage and Skype open on one screen with my calendar and notes open on the other is also very handy to have everything organized and visible at once. I spend 8 to 10 hours a day working with this setup and to it's just one of those things that makes things a bit easier and I'm sure if I had three I could find a use, but two really does have useable advantages for what I do.

Clearly each person usage will vary, I don't think I would ever take full advantage of something like this setup at home, but in the office it's amazing to have everything I need, large enough to read and work with and the space to deal with it all.

 

[bugbear99]

will be using 2+ screen on day to day work.
for example. reading doc on first, editing code on second, msn/image viewer on third

While replying to another thread about the reasons to choose a 27" iMac over the 21.5", I began to wonder about those users who have multiple 27" displays.

I understand the geek appeal of 2 or more large displays, but in actual day to day use, what applications benefit the most from this set up? Is it comfortable to use on a daily basis, or is it like watching a tennis match?

 

[Razorhog]

Right now I've got two 24" and one 19" in the middle connected to my Mac Pro. I also use multiple desktops. The reasons vary - I just like to have multiple things open. Typing a document on main screen while a website and spreadsheet open on the others, etc.

 

[flynz4]

Some applications such as Aperture 3 support secondary displays explicitly. Within A3 you can choose which views are displayed on the primary and secondary monitor.

I'm sure that for some it is just geek appeal (as you say)... but for others (like my A3 example above) it has to do with efficient workflow.

/Jim

 

[The-Pro]

I use my 2009 MP with two 30" ACD and two 23" Acer screens. I use 3D rendering programs (FormZ, Alias, Catia and Maya) aswell as Photoshop illustrator Aperture etc. Its great to have the space, makes working much faster and I can have everything open I need next to each other, no need to switch between windows, bring one to the front and then the other again.
My 2010 MP runs with just two 30" ACD. Great aswell.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I use 2 screens at work and you would be amazed at how much more productive. Lots of time not minimising or putting applications on top saves a lot of time. Also if your having to say pull info from a PDF into a spread sheet you can do it across the 2 screens which I do a lot.
My standard is email open on one screen and whatever task I'm doing on the other.

 

[dmax35]

My perverted buddy says it makes watching porn life like. Of course I told him to stop humping his screens and get a life.