Ultrawide monitor for work/web development
Discussion
peterperkins said:
What resolution and graphics card do you drive these massive screens with?
1024x768 isn't really going to cut it...
My u3818dw runs at 3840*1600. The integrated graphics on my new motherboard is driving it perfectly happily for office tasks right now. It'll be getting a1060 swapped in shortly that's been driving it well for the last couple of years. That's over DP, though I've another box connected to the monitor on HDMI temporarily.1024x768 isn't really going to cut it...
I've a NUC on the USB-C input that's also perfectly fine.
TL:DR - basic tasks, pretty much anything will work.
Sorry for the silly question, but can I ask, on these wide monitors, do you just have multiple programs open on the same screen? So say I have a browser on one screen and my email on the other, you just have them both open on the one screen? All the images for them seem to show a single game spread across the whole screen.
silobass said:
Sorry for the silly question, but can I ask, on these wide monitors, do you just have multiple programs open on the same screen? So say I have a browser on one screen and my email on the other, you just have them both open on the one screen? All the images for them seem to show a single game spread across the whole screen.
You can do whatever you want!One program:
[url]Two programs:
|https://thumbsnap.com/Spy2avqP[/url][url]Two on the left, one on the right...
|https://thumbsnap.com/zDDVrfJ4[/url]You can actually have two different computers displayed on the same monitor at the same time apparently, though ive not tried that yet.
Thats an LG 34" Ultrawide, at 3440 x 1440. Usually used with my gaming PC and huge graphics card, but works just as well with my ancient works laptop for normal office functions.
Edited by daddy cool on Tuesday 10th November 10:54
I run 3 x 24inch monitors for work:
- email / notes from client on work to be done
- software in which I code
- browser to test the results of coding
I also run ultramon - commercial but cheap software which allows you to use a hotkey to move software from screen to screen - very fast way of running lots of stuff and shifting it around without having to use a mouse to make it minimise it / move it / maximise it...
- email / notes from client on work to be done
- software in which I code
- browser to test the results of coding
I also run ultramon - commercial but cheap software which allows you to use a hotkey to move software from screen to screen - very fast way of running lots of stuff and shifting it around without having to use a mouse to make it minimise it / move it / maximise it...
This discussion came up on the home working environment thread and as a result, I have the same monitor as Daddy Cool - LG 34" ultrawide. As was pointed out to me, the issue with the Samsung and other wides is the aspect ratio. The Samsung looks like a letterbox!
As for using it for work, I went from 2 x 27" monitors to this. In truth, I wish I had stuck with the 2 x 27". Two physical screens are still better than one. For example, want to watch a video on one screen and work in the other, can't make the video full screen on a single screen. The LG s/w for splitting the screen is not fit for purpose.
It is, however, superb playing games (that support) in 21:9
As for using it for work, I went from 2 x 27" monitors to this. In truth, I wish I had stuck with the 2 x 27". Two physical screens are still better than one. For example, want to watch a video on one screen and work in the other, can't make the video full screen on a single screen. The LG s/w for splitting the screen is not fit for purpose.
It is, however, superb playing games (that support) in 21:9
Origin Unknown said:
Two physical screens are still better than one. For example, want to watch a video on one screen and work in the other, can't make the video full screen on a single screen. The LG s/w for splitting the screen is not fit for purpose.
For ultrawides you can use software to “split” the screens to act like 2 monitors or any layout combinations you want.Microsoft FancyZones is a good freebie that allows you to do this.
34” is great for 2 full sized windows side by side or slimmer 3 windows next to each other. You can even have a 2 x 2 grid split as well for command windows and browsing...it really depends what you want to do and easily changeable. I’d recommend 34” ultrawide over 2 monitors. If you buy a VESA arm mount as well it saves tons of desk space too.
Edited by Anubis on Tuesday 10th November 13:53
I recently asked our IT partner to propose new UW screens and narrowed the choice down to a Lenovo P44w-10 and a Philips 439P9H, both of which I tested in my office to select one for our users, replacing two 24" HP screens (241, 242 or 243).
Not always at the same time it has to be said!
I found them great to use, you very quickly get used to the layout and not having the bezels in the middle of your natural eye-line is such a relief. Although the screen real estate and actual overall resolution was similar to our existing HP setup, both the Lenovo and Philips had much higher screen quality, as you might expect of a £900 device compared to one with an RRP of £200.
Although most of the time I tended to use windows in floating or left/right docked positions, for some applications the extra width is very useful. For Excel, IDE, Bloomberg etc. it was very handy to be able to have a true wide view of a single application if you needed it, even though this is useless/impractical for most applications.
As far as window management goes, sure, you miss the easy ability to drag an application to a screen then just maximise it to half your workspace, but the default Windows Snap windows management is adequate for most users, especially if you can convince them to get familiar with using keyboard shortcuts rather than just mouse. The FancyZones PowerToy is good for power users, it's a lot more flexible but needs someone happy with the quirks of hotkeys, configuration zones etc. I really didn't want to have to use third-party software to manage windows and I'm glad that the Microsoft offerings were sufficient.
Some users are grumbling about moving from the neolithic two screen setup so we're going to continue to offer it, but I expect that most/all will quickly come round to the new hotness.
We picked the Philips as it comes with a (decent) built-in webcam that support Windows Hello, and the docking station functionality it offered allowed us to do away with the expensive and unreliable Lenovo docking station. This actually meant it worked out cost-neutral compared to our existing 2 x 24" setup - win!
Not always at the same time it has to be said!
I found them great to use, you very quickly get used to the layout and not having the bezels in the middle of your natural eye-line is such a relief. Although the screen real estate and actual overall resolution was similar to our existing HP setup, both the Lenovo and Philips had much higher screen quality, as you might expect of a £900 device compared to one with an RRP of £200.
Although most of the time I tended to use windows in floating or left/right docked positions, for some applications the extra width is very useful. For Excel, IDE, Bloomberg etc. it was very handy to be able to have a true wide view of a single application if you needed it, even though this is useless/impractical for most applications.
As far as window management goes, sure, you miss the easy ability to drag an application to a screen then just maximise it to half your workspace, but the default Windows Snap windows management is adequate for most users, especially if you can convince them to get familiar with using keyboard shortcuts rather than just mouse. The FancyZones PowerToy is good for power users, it's a lot more flexible but needs someone happy with the quirks of hotkeys, configuration zones etc. I really didn't want to have to use third-party software to manage windows and I'm glad that the Microsoft offerings were sufficient.
Some users are grumbling about moving from the neolithic two screen setup so we're going to continue to offer it, but I expect that most/all will quickly come round to the new hotness.
We picked the Philips as it comes with a (decent) built-in webcam that support Windows Hello, and the docking station functionality it offered allowed us to do away with the expensive and unreliable Lenovo docking station. This actually meant it worked out cost-neutral compared to our existing 2 x 24" setup - win!
akirk said:
I also run ultramon - commercial but cheap software which allows you to use a hotkey to move software from screen to screen - very fast way of running lots of stuff and shifting it around without having to use a mouse to make it minimise it / move it / maximise it...
Windows 10 seems to be getting better at this than earlier versions were - you can simply click in the title bar of a maximised window and drag which saves a step, and it seems reasonable at guessing if you want it maximised or snapped to 50% at the destination.Anubis said:
Origin Unknown said:
Two physical screens are still better than one. For example, want to watch a video on one screen and work in the other, can't make the video full screen on a single screen. The LG s/w for splitting the screen is not fit for purpose.
For ultrawides you can use software to “split” the screens to act like 2 monitors or any layout combinations you want.Microsoft FancyZones is a good freebie that allows you to do this.
34” is great for 2 full sized windows side by side or slimmer 3 windows next to each other. You can even have a 2 x 2 grid split as well for command windows and browsing...it really depends what you want to do and easily changeable. I’d recommend 34” ultrawide over 2 monitors. If you buy a VESA arm mount as well it saves tons of desk space too.
Edited by Anubis on Tuesday 10th November 13:53
Thanks for the steer on the MS PowerToy, I'll try that, the LG s/w is crap.,
daddy cool said:
silobass said:
Sorry for the silly question, but can I ask, on these wide monitors, do you just have multiple programs open on the same screen? So say I have a browser on one screen and my email on the other, you just have them both open on the one screen? All the images for them seem to show a single game spread across the whole screen.
You can do whatever you want!One program:
[url]Two programs:
|https://thumbsnap.com/Spy2avqP[/url][url]Two on the left, one on the right...
|https://thumbsnap.com/zDDVrfJ4[/url]You can actually have two different computers displayed on the same monitor at the same time apparently, though ive not tried that yet.
Thats an LG 34" Ultrawide, at 3440 x 1440. Usually used with my gaming PC and huge graphics card, but works just as well with my ancient works laptop for normal office functions.
Edited by daddy cool on Tuesday 10th November 10:54
That said, I've moved from 2x 24s to 1x 34UW and it's brilliant - no regrets.
It's what you want of it.
Friend of mine uses a small monitor 15" for example for his email and a huge one 49" (32:9) for CAD design.
I have two 34" (21:9) monitors as I use a lot of applications which really benefit from running full screen, such as remote desktops.
Even one of those connected to a remote desktop effectively gives you space to put two programs next to each other.
I sometimes miss smaller screens for presenting to other users, but usually use windowed stuff then.
Friend of mine uses a small monitor 15" for example for his email and a huge one 49" (32:9) for CAD design.
I have two 34" (21:9) monitors as I use a lot of applications which really benefit from running full screen, such as remote desktops.
Even one of those connected to a remote desktop effectively gives you space to put two programs next to each other.
I sometimes miss smaller screens for presenting to other users, but usually use windowed stuff then.
Podie said:
As I found out, it depends on the actual monitor (needs to be capable of it) and in some cases (LG I think) software is required - which can't be installed due to restrictions on the work laptop.
Say what? Its just standard functionality built into W10... I can place multiple windows around on the 15" 10 year old screen on my laptop...You just grab the window and throw it at the corner or side or wherever...
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