Many people believe that a dual monitor setup will increase productivity, but is it really necessary? While having more screen space is an obvious benefit, it often brings more complexity than convenience.
1. More screens mean more money
The first thing most people consider when deciding to add another monitor is the purchase price. Monitors with more advanced features like OLED, large resolution or high refresh rate can be quite expensive.
While Apple's pricey Pro Display Additionally, it's easy to make mistakes and waste money by buying the wrong monitor.
2. Additional monitors take up desk space
In addition to additional costs, additional monitors also take up additional desk space. Many people also don't like using a monitor stand to free up desk space even if they have the ability. However, for those using a stand, the screen still takes up space. In any case, more monitors mean less available desk space.
3. Additional screens may cause lag
In addition to taking up more desk space, additional monitors take up more system bandwidth, which is one of the main considerations when buying a monitor for a laptop. Having an extra screen makes only a small difference, but the way most people use the extra screen can put a big strain on the system.
Note: When you have multiple screens, you tend to have more apps open at the same time than when using just one screen.
The classic example of a YouTube video or Twitch stream on one screen while gaming on another means system resources are shared for both tasks at the same time. From experience, playing resource-intensive games while running video often results in reduced frame rates and lag in the video.
Likewise, even when using multiple monitors for a productive, targeted use case like editing video on one monitor while browsing footage stored on the MacBook screen, the system is still slower compared to doing each of those tasks on just one screen.
4. Most operating systems have great multi-monitor tools
While we often use additional screens to multitask between applications, most modern operating systems have great tools for multiple virtual screens. Mac users are probably most familiar with this feature, which uses a three-finger swipe on the trackpad to switch between desktops and organize apps, but Windows 11 also has these features.
Tip: Virtual desktop allows quick switching between multiple windows and applications without the need for an additional physical screen.
Using multiple desktops and quick touchpad gestures, you can complete the task of browsing stock footage while editing video as quickly as doing it on multiple monitors – possibly faster due to less burden on the system. system when not using the additional screen.
Some tasks are still best performed when you can see multiple physical screens, but many tasks have the same convenience of using a virtual desktop instead of an additional display.
5. Multiple screens are distracting
No matter how many screens there are, you can only really pay attention to one of them at a time. Having more things open and displaying on multiple screens makes losing focus much easier.
Many people have seen major downsides to focusing when using multiple screens. If you open a video while playing a game, you will find your gaming performance is affected and you will not be able to remember much of the content in the video. Therefore, when you need to focus the most, unplug the secondary screen from your laptop and go to a coffee shop or library to focus.
Secondary screens are useful for many tasks, but there are some trade-offs when using them, both financially, physically, systemically and mentally. Those who are considering using a second monitor should try virtual desktop tools first and plan exactly how you will use the second or third monitor!
