The portable monitor I use will let you use it portrait or landscape style. If you are looking at something that is long and narrow, it can be beneficial.
Laptops and second screens
- Thread starter cmhbob
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I've never found a personal use for vertical orientation on screens, although as mentioned above, when working with extended excel sheets, or other tasks where being able to view a lot of vertical data at once is helpful, they're useful.
I like two monitors to have my writing workspace in one, and reference material in the other. I find it helps a lot with staying on task when I don't have to minimize where I'm currently at when I need to go back to the glossary, character bios/name lookups, maps, or other similar tasks.
It actually leads to mild irritation when I'm away from home and have to rely on just my laptop screen. XD
I like two monitors to have my writing workspace in one, and reference material in the other. I find it helps a lot with staying on task when I don't have to minimize where I'm currently at when I need to go back to the glossary, character bios/name lookups, maps, or other similar tasks.
It actually leads to mild irritation when I'm away from home and have to rely on just my laptop screen. XD
Hence why the USB portable monitors like the AOC one linked up thread are actually worth it imho
Bottom line on all of this is that you use the real estate for whatever you need it for. Used to run six 32" screens for 911 dispatchers so that all the information could be available and they would still find something they didn't have room for. Personally, I've had multiple monitors since the days when an 80 pound, 21" CRT wouldn't display enough, so I really have no idea how to work with one screen. Can't see how people can write a novel on an iPad. 
Jeff
Jeff
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So here's what I ended up with. It's an HP Pavilion 21.5-Inch IPS LED HDMI VGA Monitor, well rated at Amazon. I got it for $90. I've had it for about five days now, and I'm still tinkering with a few things. I think I'm going to end up buying a longer HDMI cable. The one I have is only about twelve inches, and it's juuuuuust a bit short for me to put the monitor right where I want it. This picture shows what I've figured out so far for writing space. I've got the manuscript open on the laptop, and a story outline on the right side of the second monitor, along with a character file on the left. I've moved my browser over there as well for now. That part is definitely going to be a work in progress. I really appreciate all of the input on this thread.
Edit: if I did this right, you should be able to click through to Imgur and see the larger image.
Edit: if I did this right, you should be able to click through to Imgur and see the larger image.
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You did it right, I saw the bigger image. Looks good, nice office with views out the windows!
My only thought is throw the wires over the monitor to hang in back, and also, I always use cups with a cover and a straw to avoid potential spilling disasters--even a kitty could jump up, or a dog could thump the legs with a tail, even feverish typing could vibrate the surface, LOL!
Congrats!
My only thought is throw the wires over the monitor to hang in back, and also, I always use cups with a cover and a straw to avoid potential spilling disasters--even a kitty could jump up, or a dog could thump the legs with a tail, even feverish typing could vibrate the surface, LOL!
Congrats!
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That grey cable on the left is actually my phone charger.
Although...this thing does have VESA mount points on the back. I sort of wonder about a big suction-cup mount on the window. I know I can also get a swing-arm mount that'll clamp to the window sill. That's down the road though.
Although...this thing does have VESA mount points on the back. I sort of wonder about a big suction-cup mount on the window. I know I can also get a swing-arm mount that'll clamp to the window sill. That's down the road though.
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Not sure if this relevant to the question. I have two computers on my desk. One is an old mac and the other has windows on it. I use the mac as a word processor. I find it really useful to have the second machine to look up stuff and take a break, like now.
I use the second monitor later in the process. It's really when I'm doing my polishing of drafts. I will have my latest draft on my extra monitor (usually a 32'' TV I have on my desk), and I will copy-and-paste into a new "final" draft, read through, edit ad tweak, and then copy and paste another few pages, and keep going back and forth like that. I find it incredibly useful, especially in the last couple drafts.
Several ways to do this as others have related. In my home office I have three computers. Each with large screens. On one I study and write music. That's the one shown. The computer that connects everything together is hidden under the monitor, a small netbook because music composition requires little compute power.
Number two is behind this photo on opposite side of the room. Also wide screen, typically showing two windows, devoted to the same project. Used for high-end computer graphics and animation. It has oodles of memory, gajillions of disk space, nearly supercomputer CPU. Software includes Maya animation software used in a lot of blockbuster animated movies.
Number three is a midrange laptop. It hides under a 42-inch monitor and is connected wirelessly to a keyboard and mouse. I can sit in my easy chair across the room, feet up, and write stories. I've set up Word so I can highlight a word or phrase and with one keystroke bring up Google, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, and Google maps in a second or occasionally third window on the monitor. I can virtually drive through cities or using Google Earth and its satellite images to fly over a landscape.
Also use this monitor to watch streamed TV and movies via a Sony Blu-ray console which also plays DVDs.
All of it useless if inspiration fails me. Then I take a vacation from work by reading a book - usually printed rather than an ebook. Sometimes the old ways are better than the new!
Number two is behind this photo on opposite side of the room. Also wide screen, typically showing two windows, devoted to the same project. Used for high-end computer graphics and animation. It has oodles of memory, gajillions of disk space, nearly supercomputer CPU. Software includes Maya animation software used in a lot of blockbuster animated movies.
Number three is a midrange laptop. It hides under a 42-inch monitor and is connected wirelessly to a keyboard and mouse. I can sit in my easy chair across the room, feet up, and write stories. I've set up Word so I can highlight a word or phrase and with one keystroke bring up Google, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, and Google maps in a second or occasionally third window on the monitor. I can virtually drive through cities or using Google Earth and its satellite images to fly over a landscape.
Also use this monitor to watch streamed TV and movies via a Sony Blu-ray console which also plays DVDs.
All of it useless if inspiration fails me. Then I take a vacation from work by reading a book - usually printed rather than an ebook. Sometimes the old ways are better than the new!
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