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Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

sprocketfox.io

321–330 of 341 posts

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#321

If you've got an ultra wide monitor, maybe spin it and go for persistence of vision effect and a huge circular display? Could double as a fan to help spread all the heat generated by the GPU having to redraw it nonstop!

Most compositors already do redraw constantly, because it takes almost no work on a modern chip. An extra shift and rotate would not be noticed.

Well, normally only when something changes.

For a rotating persistence-of-vision display you need to redraw everything as soon as it's physical position has shifted a "pixel". i.e. non-stop, regardless of whether the content has changed or not.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#322
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the contrary, I have a 49" 32:9 monitor, and for a laptop it's wonderful. The support for a single monitor is just way better than any dual (or more) setup. I can just connect it directly to my laptop, and it just works. When I had two displays I needed a docking station, and truth is most of those out there suck. Unless you go for the top models, and then you've lost all the money you saved on cheaper monitors. I…

The advantage I've found with multiple monitors is the ability to independently switch the "desktop" that's showing on each. I can have a desktop for coding, a desktop for reference docs and previews, another for working on non-coding tasks, one with general browsing, one for chat/email/calendar, etc. I've not found a satisfying way (on Mac OS on my Macbook or with various WMs — Sway is my go-to) to quickly replicate…

I do this too. Main monitor has sets of desktops for “primary” tasks (e.g. IDE windows) while the secondary has several “auxiliary” desktops (one for email, one for chat, one for documentation, etc).

The ability to mix and match these between monitors is seriously powerful and basically eliminates window micromanagement and seriously curbs alt/cmd-tabbing. Everything stays put as switching desktops becomes the primary form of navigation.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I needed a docking station, and truth is most of those out there suck Ain't that the truth. The "top of the line" CalDigit docks are incredibly expensive and buggy. ...and they're on their 3rd or 4th iteration. Plus not much competition, so not much choice either. If I could go back, I would have also gotten a single ultrawide monitor. Plus Macbook Pros multiple monitor support sucks relative to windows AFAIK.

In my experience CalDigit docks are really solid. The only issue I've ever encountered is caused by my laptop demanding more power than the dock will provide: when I hit a power usage spike sometimes my laptop will briefly drop connection with the dock, causing my display to momentarily lose signal. This is easily fixed by plugging my laptop into a separate USB C power supply.

Same. I’ve had great luck with both the TS3+ and TS4. What few minor gripes I’ve had with them have been resolved by firmware updates.

It’s other brands, especially USB-C (rather than Thunderbolt) stuff that I find extraordinarily flaky.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried to google as well (like another commenter), I did find a lot of 1:1 ratio screens though; I wouldn't mind that I think.

I use a phone with a 1:1 screen. Unihertz Titan in case you're curious.

The blackberry passport had a square screen as well, I thought it was pretty great.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

looking at the datasheet [0], it has a lot of specialized ports that I would never need, but I wouldn't be surprised if an ATC tower somewhere needed it for obscure compatibility reasons. 5x BNC for analog input, for example. also multiple serial ports for remote controls of some kind, and SNMP support. the field-replaceable backlight seems to be a big selling point too. 0: https://440148.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.n…

Typical enterprise logic: $20K for an ordinary display that can be "repaired in the field" and comes with "support", instead of $200 for a display that can be replaced in its entirety for... $200.

Biggest change in mentality I saw moving from SMB to enterprise is that in SMB I just kept bought through consumer, often on sale, sometimes used, and kept extra stock.

Enterprise as little as a 8gb sodimm is treated as un-obtainium and costs like $200 or something because it’s special compatibility tested and supported ram. I would see hundreds of 1080p monitors replaced with… hundreds of new 1080p monitors from a different vendor because management bought everything as a package deal form the vendor. The monitor was treated as an essential part of the vendors enterprise offering and one couldn’t very well use another vendors monitors with their docks.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most compositors already do redraw constantly, because it takes almost no work on a modern chip. An extra shift and rotate would not be noticed.

Well, normally only when something changes. For a rotating persistence-of-vision display you need to redraw everything as soon as it's physical position has shifted a "pixel". i.e. non-stop, regardless of whether the content has changed or not.

> normally only when something changes

Do they bother? Throwing a dozen windows together is really easy.

> For a rotating persistence-of-vision display you need to redraw everything as soon as it's physical position has shifted

You do have to redraw. Which means you have a non-moving buffer that covers the entire display area, and you have to render it to the screen every frame.

That's one big quad. A scaled up SNES could do that with mode 7. It's utterly trivial.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was involved in the US air traffic control system upgrade in the early 90s as a software subcontractor. They were using Sony 2k square CRT monitors. If I recall correctly, they cost about $20k each - in 1990 dollars - partially due to the hardware subsystem for antialiasing. Googling, I see that this is the replacement monitor: https://www.aydindisplays.com/2k-x-2k-air-traffic-control-di...

Why would anyone make an LCD specifically for ATC displays!? From what I can see, it’s just an ordinary LCD monitor! Sure the 1:1 aspect ratio is a bit weird, but that’s not worth $20K…

I don't know what those LCDs cost. It was the Sony CRT that cost $20k in 1993.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#328
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do I check whether my display is having fine PWM modulation?

Look for an in-depth review of your display model. Just checked for my Asus VG278QR and I found out that the background illumination isn‘t reduced by PWM.

Yep, Asus is pretty good on that. I have their IPS gaming monitors - great for coding too.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar setup here since about 2015. 5K iMac in the center and a thunderbolt display on either side (2560x1440). IDE, terminals, and/or primary task in the center, application output on the left side, documentation/browsers/e-mail/calendar on the right. My only complaint is one of the thunderbolt displays is getting flaky. It likes to briefly turn itself off and on again, and unfortunately Apple's braindead software…

I have one of those Thunderbolt Displays and it’s been a trooper. Sitting at around a decade old now and still works great. Its connector is getting worn out but as long as I don’t bump the TB2 → TB3 adapter it’s connected with it’s solid. It’ll be a bummer when it finally goes. In addition to being a secondary monitor it also gets used to test how graphics appear on“normal” DPI displays (main monitor is a Studio Dis…

Interesting fact: you can use the other Thunderbolt port and a regular Thunderbolt cable (with the Thunderbolt 2-3 adapter) instead of the permanently attached one (the one with the MagSafe power cable) so there’s less stuff dangling.

Re: Ideal monitor rotation for programmers (2021)

#330

is this a joke? I have 2 to 4 monitors for full stack web dev (win10) and having separate monitors instead of 1 big one is just 100% win

+1 for team separate monitors for webdev. Although I am on macOS, I use 2x 24" (with thin bezels put next to each other) plus laptop screen. The handling of the OS "window manager" is just smoother for separate screens as opposed to ultra wide: separate workspaces per screen, shortcuts (via BTT) to move windows to a specific screen and maximize etc. Too bad apple decided that using two external monitors is a "pro" fe…

I've used mbpro ~2018 before and must say that wtf was going on when apple decided that multiple monitors is pro feature... I have windows pc and have been using 4 monitors with it for years, and with windows laptop 3 is smooth.. Osx still has really weird functionalities when it comes to multi-monitor setup. Like it was not meant to be used more than 1 monitor
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