Personal Computers: Using A Second Monitor

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
Håkan Dahlström (CC-BY-2.0)

Adding a second monitor to your computer can benefit you . . . at home and at work. Larry Meiller and his guest talk about how it can help.

Featured in this Show

  • Why Dual Computer Monitors Are On The Rise

    Computers with dual monitors may not be anything new, but according to Peter Greene of InfoStar.com, they’re increasingly a regular feature on desktop packages sold today.

    That may be because more consumers are realizing that dual screens have the potential to boost a user’s productivity. A study at the University of Utah found that people with more screen size, such as those with two monitors, demonstrated more productivity than those with only one monitor. Greene concurred with those findings, saying that people’s user experience on a computer can undergo a transformation by switching from a one to a two-screen system.

    “If you’re researching something, you can have it so that on one screen is a browser, and you can have your email open on the other screen,” Greene said.

    For on-the-job work, the two screens allow one to be online and in a database at the same time. And for basic editing needs like cutting and pasting, there’s no need to switch between applications or shrink or re-size windows when you have the extra screen space provided by an extra monitor.

    “It’s a great time-saver,” said Greene.

    Costs depend upon the size of the monitor, but typically a 20-inch to a 24-inch can range between $90 to $140, according to Greene. He recommended turning to websites like TigerDirect.com, Rakuten.com, Newegg, and Amazon, which he said include a lot of user reviews.

    “A lot of people are pretty good with doing reviews of monitors and what they’re using and what they like and dislike,” Greene said.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Cheyenne Lentz Producer
  • Peter Greene Guest