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Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

sprocketfox.io

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Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#61

Post by rectang »

gboss wrote: post #20

I prefer to work with a single large external monitor. If my device is a laptop I keep it in clamshell mode when attached to an external monitor. I find switching applications with keyboard shortcuts and focusing on one thing at a time has improved my productivity. Using two or more monitors made it so easy for me to get distracted. To each their own though.

I use a laptop and I make heavy use of workspaces. I generally don't use an external monitor at all. However, when working at a desk, I use an external keyboard and trackpad, and put the laptop on a stand.

I dislike plugging into a monitor because it I hate the chaos of resizing everything. When I'm on the large monitor I unconsciously expand things; then when I switch back everything is on top of everything else or expanded beyond the window edges or reflowed or what have you.

I say this having worked with applications where you truly need an external monitor: image editing (where you put all your extra palettes on the extra monitor, and DAWs, where timeline and mixer views take up a full monitor each. Programming isn't like that.

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#62

Post by alexfoo »

tsfranke wrote: post #41
codingdave wrote: post #27

I just run on a 45" TV at 3840 x 2160. Sure, the response time is slow for gaming, but it works fine for movies and coding. And I have enough space that I can set each window to whatever size and orientation I want.

100% agreed. Previously dual monitor, 24" 1920 x 1080, portrait left, landscape right. left was usually for email and chat, right for coding and browser. Now it's a single 40" 4k tv as my display. Using gridmove to easily partition the screen as needed. It's like have 4 1080p screens with no border. Only downside I've come across is some screensharing apps will always share the entire desktop when sharing a single ap…

For screen sharing I use Picture-in-Picture mode of my 43” 4K monitor (Acer DM431K) to give me a separate 1920x1080 screen to share when required. That way it is at the right size and resolution for everyone.

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#63

Post by 0des »

cecilpl2 wrote: post #50

I run 7 monitors. I've got a 2x3 grid of 24" monitors on a stand, and then a 27" widescreen standing tall beside it for code or a long terminal. It's fantastic, though I could stand to have another row above. It's nice rarely having to switch windows - everything I need and use is right in front of me.

That's cool! Any chance you can post a pic of your desk? I'd love to see this

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#64

Post by rbanffy »

floren wrote: post #44

I like portrait mode, but a modern monitor is too tall when in portrait mode. I just want a couple 4:3 screens so I can rotate one (or both) into 3:4 ratio.

Huawei sells a decent 4K 4:3 monitor. It’s a bit on the expensive side for the 28” size, but the form factor is quite good.

An alternative is sourcing 1200x1600 monitors on eBay.

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#65

Post by 0des »

DennisP wrote: post #30
ASalazarMX wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tall monitors must be hard on the neck if you frequently need to see the top half of it. The ergonomic recommendation is keeping the monitors at eye level. How do you deal with that?

What I'd like: an editor with multiple tiled windows side by side, filling up a wide monitor, all showing the same text threaded through it. Line n at the bottom of one puts line n+1 at the top of the window to the right of it. Scrolling in one window scrolls them all. (Of course you could optionally split it up differently to see multiple files.)

Like a newspaper?

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#66

Post by ManuelKiessling »

klyrs wrote: post #54

I did the multi-monitor thing for years. Ultimately, I hate moving my head around that much. My current setup is a 4K curved screen, with i3wm. It's enough screen space for up to 9 usefully-sized panes, and also enough for a tall or very wide pane when the situation calls for it. The ability to reconfigure panes from the keyboard is a real game-changer.

I‘m unable to find the combination of „4K“ and „curved“ and „affordable“.

What model do you use?

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#67

Post by can16358p »

Am I the only one (fullstack programmer + designer + hobby photographer) here who's perfectly okay with a single laptop monitor? Maybe it's to do with I love being mobile, maybe it's that I use UI and text very small, but I can perfectly fit either 3 Vscode tabs, or website + PIP video, a few terminals, many views in Sketch or a combination of those in a screen (16" MBP). I'm also okay with working with Photoshop or sometimes DaVinci Resolve or After Effects too.

Honestly I don't understand why so many screens are needed, haven't felt any need for more than one in 15+ years (though I've always used max possible resolution + very small UI scaling). I even don't use multiple desktops.

Not a rant or criticism in any way, just trying to see an actual need for multiple (or rotated) monitors.

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#68

Post by beebmam »

can16358p wrote: post #67

Am I the only one (fullstack programmer + designer + hobby photographer) here who's perfectly okay with a single laptop monitor? Maybe it's to do with I love being mobile, maybe it's that I use UI and text very small, but I can perfectly fit either 3 Vscode tabs, or website + PIP video, a few terminals, many views in Sketch or a combination of those in a screen (16" MBP). I'm also okay with working with Photoshop or…

I used to feel this way, and then I got old

Re: Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers

#69

Post by geenat »

can16358p wrote: post #67

Am I the only one (fullstack programmer + designer + hobby photographer) here who's perfectly okay with a single laptop monitor? Maybe it's to do with I love being mobile, maybe it's that I use UI and text very small, but I can perfectly fit either 3 Vscode tabs, or website + PIP video, a few terminals, many views in Sketch or a combination of those in a screen (16" MBP). I'm also okay with working with Photoshop or…

With all due respect comments like this are why hacker news needs a downvote button.

Try a decent monitor setup before knocking it.

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