I work in multiple programs at the same time. I’ll have Word open, sometimes Photoshop, and always an open window for Chrome and Safari. I only realized today that I should be able to operate two screens at once. My fairly new iMac has what are called Thunderbolt ports, two of them, consequently I should be able to run two external monitors. But let’s just stick to one for now.
At my local Best Buy I found an inexpensive monitor with a bright screen and a brand name I had never heard of: AOC. (external link). But it was only $120 so I wasn’t taking much of a chance. I also bought the necessary adaptor for the monitor to work with an iMac. It’s called a DVI Mini DisplayPort Adaptor and it was around $20. When I got home I found that the box did not include the necessary DVI cable to hook everything up, so I had to go back to the store, spend another $15, and, finally, I got my system working.
Everything came together as soon as the power and monitor cable were connected. I was a little disappointed that the new monitor was brighter than my iMac. So I went into “System Preferences” and discovered that I had my main screen dialed too far down. I brought the level of my iMac up a tad and now both screens match.
It’s nice to work on the main screen with my first task, while having the second screen waits on my different e-mail accounts. In the future I will have a Word document on one screen, while I compose a blog entry on the other. Maybe I can’t write or edit faster, but I can now be more efficient.
One reply on “Getting more efficient with two screens”
I have found two screens to be a big help, too, if you have the desk space for it. I keep less-used but necessary programs (like email) on one screen and the ones I’m using heavily on another. If I’m using two programs heavily, and especially if I’m going back and forth between them, it’s really nice to have one on each screen.
I tried it with my work laptop and a large monitor, but didn’t find that nearly as helpful. The small laptop monitor is just too difficult to see back there waaaay at the back of my desk. That’s the reason I got the large monitor in the first place!