Why concurrent use of multiple monitors decreases productivity

Many developers and people who sit at a computer for a long time believe that multiple monitors can significantly increase productivity. This is even confirmed by statistical studies Increasing Productivity: How Dual Monitors Can Save You Time and Money. … But Corey House disagrees. On the contrary, he argues that using multiple monitors distracts from work and does not contribute to concentration.

Cory House author of Pluralsight, Principal ReactJS Consulting, Software Architect, Microsoft MVP.

Two or more monitors increase efficiency. This is supported by research, right? But just keep in mind that this research was sponsored by Dual Monitors Boost Productivity, User Satisfaction. monitor manufacturers such as Dell and NEC. Despite the fact that sitting in front of several monitors you look incredibly cool, I still sold my monitors and left only one. And I am not alone in this belief.

Instead of spending money on a couple of displays, it's best to put just one monitor on the table. And that's why.

It's easier to focus this way

Can people focus on just one lesson at a time. Think You’re Multitasking? Think Again. … It doesn't make sense to keep in front of your eyes both the article you are working on and your Twitter email. You will constantly be distracted by shifting your gaze from one monitor to another, and as a result, you will not be able to properly focus on anything.

I'm a developer, so I write code all the time and read the documentation a lot. But I very rarely need to read the documentation at the same time that I am writing the code. First I read, then I write.

Corey House

Less fiddling with windows

It is not very easy to arrange windows so that it is convenient to work with them, even on one screen - provided that it is large. If you maximize the window to full screen, it will take up a lot of space. If you open several windows at once, then it will be inconvenient to read the contents, running your eyes from edge to edge. This means that you will shrink the window you are working with to an acceptable size and keep it in the middle of the screen. In this case, the meaning in a wide monitor simply disappears. And with multiple monitors, dragging and dropping windows becomes torture.

Jeff Atwood, in his article “The Large Display Paradox,” has long suggested the use of special applications that make it easier to move and rescale windows. Corey House suggests just using one monitor of an acceptable size.

With a single screen, I don't have to choose what to place and where. I don't waste time dragging and zooming windows. I deploy the application I'm working with, and all the unnecessary disappears. I get to work without being distracted by anything.

Corey House

Virtual desktops

Virtual desktops, which have been on Mac and Linux for a long time and added to Windows 10, could replace additional monitors entirely. To switch from one virtual table to another on a Mac, simply swipe the touchpad or Magic Mouse with your fingers. You don't even need to turn your head and peer at the contents of the adjacent monitor.

I am not distracted by window management on desktops. On the far left table I always have a browser open, on the far right - the editor. I just treat virtual desktops as physical screens.

Corey House

Continuous workflow

If you have multiple monitors, then every time you change to a laptop, you will feel uncomfortable. With one monitor, you don’t have to worry about positioning windows; they can be positioned the same on both a 24-inch all-in-one and 15-inch MacBooks. Again, virtual desktops can be configured the same on any screen. Wherever you work, the windows will be in their familiar position.

I often work in cafes, libraries, parks, on the street, on an airplane … When I had multiple monitors, I wasted time organizing windows whenever I disconnected my computer from the docking station. Now I don't feel any discomfort. The windows remain maximized on the desktops where I left them.

Corey House

One monitor is enough

Corey advises choosing one 24-inch monitor because you don't need more to work efficiently. 24 inches is enough for any application deployed to full screen, but two windows, each occupying its own half of the screen, will fit snugly enough on this monitor. Finally, you will be less wiggling your neck, looking closely at what is open at the edges of the monitor. Remember: maximizing the window to full screen means focused.

Less is more.
Quality is better than quantity.
Better take care of the convenient placement of the windows.

Corey House

The New York Times journalist Farhad Manju (“Discovering Two Screens Aren’t Better Than One”) and developer Patrick Dubrow (“Multiple-Monitor Productivity: Fact or Fiction?”) Are of the same opinion as Corey.