Why dual displays can dramatically improve PC work efficiency
MakeUseOf: To expand your workspace, buy a bigger desk and put away your supplies. With a limited workspace, things can get cluttered and piled up. Even if you find what you need, you're wasting precious time searching for it.
The same goes for PC displays. This time, we will introduce the advantages of dual displays (=connecting two displays to a PC to expand the desktop).
Let's simulate a dual display with a split screen
You can also use a split screen. You can simulate the benefits of dual displays by opening two applications side by side. In Windows 8/Windows 10, just drag the software window to the edge of the screen to split the screen. Furthermore, in Windows 8, you can also move the desktop to one side and open the software in the space on the other side.
Some people might like this! "Sure, the split screen is convenient." But the working space isn't really getting bigger. I just shrunk the two windows to fit on my desktop and pushed them in.
If you have two displays, you will be able to see two windows on a larger screen. Below, we will introduce the advantages of dual display in detail.
Dual Display Advantage 1: Fewer Clicks
Suppose your desk is small and you can only put one print on it. What would you do if your boss told you to compare your report with it? You cannot put the printout and the report side by side. The same is true for displays. It is better to have two displays so that two windows can be placed side by side while maintaining a comfortable size.
Let's say you do research on a single display. Open the document page in your browser and open Word to take notes. After reading the material in your browser, click Word for your notes. When finished taking notes, minimize Word or click the browser window to return to your research. You'll have to click over and over again until you're done researching.
If you have two displays, you can keep your browser open on one display and Word open on the other. You don't have to lift your finger from the keyboard to copy the text you want from your browser. No more clicking multiple times to bring up the window you need. It will reduce your operations significantly.
The results of an experiment comparing the number of clicks between dual displays and single displays conducted by the Software Usability Lab at Wichita State University also prove it.
Dual Display Advantage 2: Easier Operation, Less Mistakes
Have you ever accidentally quit while minimizing and clicking repeatedly? This type of mistake is less likely to occur with dual displays.Also, with dual displays, you can easily finish your work with drag and drop. Let's say you've saved multiple images separately, even though you intended to put them in one folder. If you call up the image storage location on one display and open the folder that was originally supposed to be saved on another display, you can simply drag and drop the image file.
Have you ever tried to copy text from one document file to another document file, but misplaced the paste? With dual displays, simply select the text you want on one screen and drag it to the correct position on the other screen. No more copy-paste time.
By introducing dual displays, you can reduce various mistakes and improve work efficiency. Being able to easily see the two windows you're working on makes it easier to spot mistakes.
Many people benefit from dual displays
Dual displays aren't just for certain professions like programmers. Whether you're a writer, a business analyst, a video editor, an account manager, or even a salesperson, working on a computer and using the two programs at the same time can help.
On Microsoft's website, John Swenson gives his opinion on dual displays.
There is also a video showing what happens when you introduce dual displays in Windows 10. Please use it as a reference.
When Dual Displays Decrease Your Productivity
The question is, what are you going to do with the second display?
If you show a movie, a game screen, or a music video, your eyes will be drawn there instead of work. The advantage of dual displays is that you can expand your work space. If you are distracted by entertainment, you are fundamentally misusing it.
How to Be More Productive with Dual Monitors |
Sandy Stachowiak
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