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Double Your Fun with DoubleSight
Lothar writes "If you are looking for another reason to throw out that old CRT and upgrade to LCDs here it is. The
DoubleSight DS-1900 packs two 19" LCD panels in a neat package and will take up less total space than that cathode ray tube whic has created the permanent bow in your desk. You will end up with 2560x1024 pixels of screen real estate, enough to increase productivity substantially, but you won't have to sacrifice too much space due to the reasonable size of the display's footprint. Just another reason to go LCD..."
Why this is a reason to switch LCD? You can do same with CRT as well. You'll also have better colors if you pay same amount of money.
But I can't argue that real desktop real estate will be better with CRT.
Ah, but if we are going to go this route, I'd rather go for this offering.
(Sorry, the site is rather awful, check out the source, eww)
For example:
1) Writing code with your editor on one screen and a spreadsheet or word processor document on the other.
2)Preparing a report on one while surfing the web for references on the other.
3) Reading e-mail with your list of messages on one screen and the current message on the other.
4) Reading Slashdot on one screen with The Article on the other.
(Okay, I'll admit scenario #4 is a little farfetched.) :-)
--Greg
Personally, I'd rather get a single, widescreen display. I caught Dell's 2005FPW on sale for $400 a couple of weeks ago, and it's been outstanding, moving up from a dying 17" CRT @ 1600x1200.
I'd used widescreen displays previously on notebooks, but it was nice to finally get that kind of screen ratio on my desktop. The biggest thing about widescreen is breaking users of the habit many have of maximizing and subsequently minimizing *every* window they use and instead simply sizing the window down and leaving everything open. A widescreen allows you to work in a manner similar to a dual monitor setup, but without forcing your brain to constantly context-switch between the two displays. It's really a great compromise, IMO.
It does not look that exciting: large res image here.
It is much cheaper do one yourself with your own LCD's and a stand like these: horizontal or vertical.
The DoubleSight DS-1900 packs two 19" LCD panels in a neat package and will take up less total space than that cathode ray tube whic has created the permanent bow in your desk.
The bit that gets me is, it takes up more space, not less. My desk space is limited by width rather than depth. Moving from a CRT to an LCD doesn't give me extra room at the sides, it gives me more room behind or in front of the monitor. Unless these LCDs are going to be in front of each other, it's not taking up existing CRT space. If I had width-space on my desk for another monitor I'd get another CRT and save spending ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS on a monitor. That's assuming the cheap, short cables that come with monitors would actually reach the computer.
Other than the blurring/dead pixel issue, LCDs are pretty good. The image is a lot sharper and less harsh on the eyes than CRTs. Although the colours and resolutions aren't so good, for most people not doing graphic design and not playing games, they're pretty good for word processing or spreadsheets or something.
Now all they need to do is reduce the price.
What used to be luxury displays will soon become commodity, much to the shagrin of the Apple Cinema fans (who fall back on the "aluminum style" defense).
Anyway, 24" is about the size limit a person can tolerate for a desktop display if you don't want to have to physically pan your head around to take it all in. The price drops can't come soon enough for me, as this is the huge, low-response display I (and everyone else) have been drooling over for months...
Power to the Peaceful
For years, people have been talking about paperless offices, but that can't happen until computer displays are as convenient and as pervasive as paper already is. That means you not two displays, but dozens in an office. They'll cover your desktops and walls the way printouts, memos, yellow-stickies, posters and memoes already do. Not feasible yet, but we're getting there.
Having multiple monitors to code is handy, but I wouldn't call it essential. People have been doing without for ages, and I still can code comfortably and productively with a mass of windows (fiddling with mouse focus rules is a godsend, though; being able to type in a window you can't see really helps maximize the available real estate).
:)
Granted, I only seriously write server applications and other programs where the most interesting output are some scrolling log messages, but if you're doing GUI, wouldn't multiple computers work even better? After all, your programming environment is interfering with the testing environment.
The pivoting part is important, at least to me. I run dual LCDs at work and each of them is on a pivoting base. We have a highly colaborative environment and it's very common for me to want/need to show something on my screen to a coworker. I can actually swivel one of the displays and then hit a hot key so that both the coworker and me are looking at the exact same material, but then reverse the process and have the ability to use both screens as one giant display. If I had a single base that contained both screens, this wouldn't be possible.
Another technology that makes this expecially usefull is USB mice and keyboards. I actually have an extra set on my desk in just the right position so my coworker can do input when they're looking at my swiveled display. Ever have someone try to reach accross you so they can use your mouse to show you something? Ever switch chairs so someone else could "drive" and then realize you have stuff you need to show them too? Dual displays keyboards and mice are amoung the best investments I've ever made to enchance teamwork in our workplace.
TW
2x 1280x1024 - So why 2560 x 1024 ?
I would have made it 2048x1280 - 1:1.6 is a more natural aspect ratio.
The onbly large resolution screen that is made right that I have seen is the Apple 30".