As the tech industry as grown, so has the use of multiple monitors in a workplace or home-office setting. The question is: do you need to have an intimate knowledge of technology to utilize two monitors?
The short answer is--no! Having the additional display real estate that a second screen provides can benefit anyone, even if you’re working on documents, spread sheets, or via email all day.
We get used to the daily routine of using just one screen. We may struggle when trying to fit two windows next to each other or continuously toggling between numerous layers of windows on the desktop.
Sometimes we become lost in the many layers, tabs, and desktop icons we have open at once. This begins to eat up time during the day and make our work efficiency lower. An easy solution is to set up multiple monitors.
According to a study by software developer Mavenlink, 73% of surveyed businesses say they spend over an hour per day on average just switching between different apps.
PRODUCTIVITY DATA ON DUAL-MONITORS
So, what is the actual impact of using two or more monitors on your daily productivity? Probably more than you realize.
Jon Peddie Research looked at the benefit of using two screens connected to a desktop computer or laptop for several years. It found that overall, employees in a variety of careers can improve productivity by an average of 42%.
From three studies conducted over 15 years, it also found that between 2002 and 2017, there’s been a significant rise in the use of two monitors, with a compound annual growth rate of 10%.
Over the years, more and more businesses are reliant on technology and computers to conduct their businesses. Law firms, especially personal injury firms, handle dozens and dozens of cases at once. The need to balance the many layers of documentation and communications means having dual-monitors would be extremely helpful.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES HAVING TWO SCREENS?
DO MORE IN LESS TIME
The largest advantage to using a second monitor is that you can do more in less time because you do not have to waste time combing through multiple layers and tabs to find what you need.
With an additional monitor, you can keep programs like email always open on one screen while you work in other programs on the second screen. You’re able to work more fluidly, getting to all your apps when you need them.
EXPANDS SCREEN SPACE FOR LAPTOPS
Laptops are great for portability, especially when traveling or moving between home and work (as many employees do these days). But the more portable the laptop, the smaller the physical screen space.
One obvious drawback of using a laptop is that they will have a smaller monitor. There is also the difficulty in positioning them as you work. When using them on a desk, people will often try to prop them up, but the person is still staring down at the screen in most cases.
Connecting your laptop to a monitor can significantly improve the experience and make it like working on a normal desktop PC. You can either choose to mirror your entire screen or still make use of the laptop screen for some activities while using the larger screen for others.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISONS ARE EASIER
There are a lot of tasks that require looking at data in two windows. You may be editing and comparing a finished design with the original instructions. Or you may have to pull details from notes to include in a slideshow presentation.
Trying to get two windows up on a single screen side-by-side can be frustrating. You may try to resize the windows just so, only to lose one of the smaller windows or have them overlap in such a way that you can only see small pieces of the necessary information at a time.
With two monitors, you have the physical screen space you need to fully open both windows and have them right next to each other so you can easily do your work.
MORE FREEDOM DURING VIDEO CALLS
Have you ever been screen sharing on a video call and needed to check an email or review notes? It’s difficult to do that when everyone can see your one screen. We often “sanitize” our screens (like turning off alerts, etc.) before we go into a meeting to ensure nothing that should not appear is popping up.
With dual screens, you can choose which screen you want to share during meetings, and still have apps open on the other screen that no one can see. This is especially useful if you need notes or emails to be open for your call, but do not want people to see personal communications or notes.
AN INEXPENSIVE SOLUTION
Purchasing another display is a fairly low investment when looking at technology. A monitor can be purchased from anywhere between $125 to $250 on average. And with a 42% average productivity boost, it can have a pretty sweet ROI.
There is also no big learning curve with this upgrade. Once the monitor is plugged in and the PC is set to see the additional screen, it’s good to go. Users can simply drag apps and documents from one screen to another as if they had one large screen.
NEED HELP IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY?
There are several productivity boosts that you can get by using the right technology tools, and they don’t have to cost a fortune or take hours to set up. Ask us how we can help you!
From: Zack Davis <zack@archi-tech-ture.com> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2022 12:35 PM To: Taylor Davis <taylor@archi-tech-ture.com> Subject: Upcoming blog post
Are Two Monitors Really More Productive Than One?
When you see those people with two monitors, you may assume they do some specialized work that requires all that screen space, or they just really like technology.
But having the additional display real estate that a second screen provides can benefit anyone, even if you’re doing accounting or document work all day.
We get used to being boxed in by the screen size we have. This can lead to us struggling when trying to fit two windows next to each other or continuously clicking between layers of windows on the desktop.
Most of us have experienced clicking around to find the window we actually need in a layer of different applications. This is one of the things that eats up time during the day and that using dual screens can help eliminate.
According to a study by software developer Mavenlink, 73% of surveyed businesses say they spend over an hour per day on average just switching between different apps.
PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH ON DUAL-SCREENS
So just how much can using a second monitor improve productivity? Probably more than you realize.
Jon Peddie Research looked at the benefit of using two screens connected to a desktop computer or laptop for several years. It found that overall, employees in all types of jobs can improve productivity by an average of 42%.
From three studies conducted over 15 years, also found that between 2002 and 2017, there’s been a significant rise in the use of two monitors, with a compound annual growth rate of 10%.
The company’s namesake put it simply by saying, “The more you can see, the more you can do.”
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ADDING A 2ND SCREEN?
DO MORE IN LESS TIME
The biggest advantage to using a second monitor is that you can do more in less time because you’re not struggling to get to the windows you need when you need them.
With an additional monitor, you can keep programs like email always open on one screen while you work on other programs on the second screen. You’re able to work more fluidly, getting to all your apps when you need them.
EXPANDS SCREEN SPACE FOR LAPTOPS
Laptops are great for portability, especially when traveling or moving between home and work (as many employees do these days). But the more portable the laptop, the smaller the screen space.
One big drawback of using a laptop is that they will have a smaller monitor. There is also the difficulty in positioning. When using them on a desk, people will often try to prop them up, but the person is still staring down at the screen in most cases.
Connecting your laptop to a monitor can significantly improve the experience and make it like working on a normal desktop PC. You can either choose to mirror your entire screen or still make use of the laptop screen for some activities while using the larger screen for others.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISONS ARE EASIER
There are a lot of tasks that require looking at data in two windows. You may be editing and comparing a finished design with the original instructions. Or you may have to pull details from notes to include in a PowerPoint presentation.
Trying to get two windows up on a single screen side-by-side can be frustrating. You may try to resize the windows just so, only to have your configuration lost when you have to maximize a screen to click a menu item or scroll.
With two monitors, you have the screen real estate you need to fully open both windows and have them right next to each other so you can easily do your work.
MORE FREEDOM DURING VIDEO CALLS
Have you ever been screen sharing on a video call and needed to check an email or review notes? It’s difficult to do that when everyone can see your screen. We often “sanitize” our screens (like turning off alerts, etc.) before we go into a meeting to ensure nothing that should not appear is popping up.
With dual screens, you can choose which screen you want to share during meetings, and still have apps open on the other screen that no one can see. This is a big advantage if you need to check for an email or message someone while you’re sharing your screen.
FAIRLY INEXPENSIVE PRODUCTIVITY BOOSTER
Purchasing another display is a fairly low investment when looking at technology. A monitor can be purchased from anywhere between $125 to $250 on average. And with a 42% average productivity boost, it can have a pretty sweet ROI.
There is also no big learning curve with this upgrade. Once the monitor is plugged in and the PC is set to see the additional screen, it’s good to go. Users can simply drag apps and documents from one screen to another as if they had one large screen.
NEED HELP IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY?
There are several productivity boosts that you can get using the right technology tools, and they don’t have to cost a fortune. Ask us how we can help you!
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.