Two screens - how does this work?

[Speicher]

With apologies for this being a very long question, please make sure you have your coffee at your side.

My mother is convinced that two screens will help her to use her computer more easily. I have asked her about the sort of situation in which she would need to view two screens.

She has said that when she receives an e-mail and wishes to reply to it, she would like to see on one screen the e-mail she has received, and on the other screen, the e-mail she is composing as a reply.

As I understand it, from the person at the company who would be selling the screens to her, the idea is, that each screen would have separate documents on them. Ie you could have your emails on one, and answering them as they arrive, and a more complex document on the other screen, which you are working on in between responding to emails.

Would two screens configurated together, enable her to show the two emails on different screens? As I see it the email, is one "document" and would not split across two screens.

She is partially sighted, and therefore will be having very large screens, 22 inch or even 24 inch, if they fit on her desk. This system of two screens has been recommended to her by other partially sighted people. But, and this is a very bit but, they are probably using the computer for much more complex tasks than she will. She writes short stories, which I have to say are very good, and uses emails a lot.

If I have a complex e-mail to reply to, or need to take time to compose a reply, I print it out, possibly double spaced, to leave room for notes, and reply from my notes. Or I can toggle between the two emails open on the screen. I am not sure how two screens would help in this situation. I am guessing that she has not pressed "reply" where you see the email on the screen as you compose your reply. Getting two very large screens to overcome this difficulty reminds me of cracking nuts with sledgehammers.

The other process she thinks would be easier with two screens, is copying and pasting, but I am not convinced that she does enough to justify two screens. I am prepared to accept that she could try two screens, but it would be a waste of money for the second screen, the software to link them and someone's time to configurate them. She also thinks that if a "drop down" menu appears, then she will be able to read this on the second screen, rather than it covering up the document she is working on. I do not think she realises that you can move bits around the screen to a more convenient point.

I will be very pleased if anyone has read to the end of this question , and even more pleased if someone is able to explain the advantage of two screens. Thank you.

 

[palinurus]

I find it useful at times at work, particularly when working with two or more applications at once, and it's also useful when writing reports if I need to reference other documents or quote from them. An extra monitor is cheap enough. I sometimes use one, sometimes two- it's easy to swich between them in the display properties.

 

[gaz]

It is possible to have the e-mail you recieved on one and the one you are writing on the other IF you are not using a browse based e-mailing system.

I bet she also needs to upgrade her pc to be able to use two screens as well.

At the end of the day if you have the deskspace and the money there is no reason to not use two screens. i've had 4 at one point.

 

[Speicher]

Yes, I can see that two screens are useful, when looking at two different applications, and documents. She seems to think that she will be able to split the one document between two screens. The sales person admitted that she could but there would be a large gap between the screens.

As you say, a large screen is cheap enough, even a big one - 22 inch. I have managed to explain to her that she does not need to replace her computer, and that it is not working as slowly as she thinks it is, and taht the memory can be increased, and persuaded her current scanner is sufficient for what she wants. She says that the two screens have to be the same model. But in that case, if one screen fails, then do you need to replace both screens? Or can you, as I think would be possible, have two screens that are not exactly the same.

Worst case scenario, I suppose, she buys two screens, finds it does not work as expected and she has a spare screen. I am just being cautious that she does not waste her money. The software to link them is about £30 and then there is the cost of someone setting them up.

 

[gaz]

Software to link them? Bull CRAP!! Windows and OS X do this automatically (depending on your verison of windows and OS X)

If you have one word document then you can't 'split' it across two screens, you can make the window big enough to cover the two screens but it won't 'split'

 

[Norm]

You do not need the screens to be the same. You don't even need them the same resolution or the same technology. I've used a TV and a monitor concurrently, for example.

It's very difficult (IMO) to read text from one document across two screens. Having an email open on one screen whilst replying on another seems overkill when alt-tab can switch instantly between two documents on one screen.

Anyone using a laptop with a separate monitor can use two screens but you very seldom see it in action. That's because the screens are too broad to focus on both at once, you need to switch focus from one to the other and it's easier and quicker and cheaper just to alt-tab.

No software and no setup time is required. This reads like she is being pushed into it by a salesman.

 

[Speicher]

It is possible to have the e-mail you recieved on one and the one you are writing on the other IF you are not using a browse based e-mailing system.

I bet she also needs to upgrade her pc to be able to use two screens as well.

At the end of the day if you have the deskspace and the money there is no reason to not use two screens. i've had 4 at one point.

I was desperately trying to avoid this. She intends in that case to move the existing computer into another room. She says she would work on the short stories on that (old) computer, and gradually edit her existing work and put it on the "new" computer, and use it for cutting and pasting. This is, IMO, a good recipe for confusion and frustration. She does not understand that her current files could be transferred to the new computer.

The cost of a new computer, another scanner she wants, two screens, new keyboard, etc and the software and someone setting it up comes to £1200. Bearing in mind that she spends a maximum of two hours a day on her computer. It is starting to escalate beyond what I consider is reasonable.

Do you know what is the minimum Mbs, cache memory etc needed to support two screens? I know the spec of her existing computer, and have a copy of the spec from the "new" computer people.

 

[johnsie]

I think both you and mum need to experiment with the Windows feature - By that I mean making a panel, say of an incoming mail, smaller than the whole screen. You should be able to move it around on the screen - if you make it less than half the size of the screen, you should be able to open another panel, of say a blank email reply, make that the same size and see them on the same screen.

Just think of each physical monitor being half of one big screen.

Try this...

http://freepctech.com/pc/001/guide_dual_monitors.shtml




If you had two screens, then you could have one panel on one screen, and the other panel on the other

 

[HobbesChoice]

I use more than one screen and can have a non-browser based email on two screens although it is a little fiddly.

To do this I open the email and then hit reply.
I then go back to my inbox and open the email again.
I then move the open email to the next screen and work on the reply.
Does that make sense?

You don't need the same make and model monitor for both, you don't even need the same size screen. I sometimes have one screen horizontal and one vertical too. It's all very versatile.

For me, when I open word and have multiple documents open each document has it's own window, so I can have Document1 on screen one and Document2 on screen two. What i can't do is have different pages of the one document on multiple screens.

I hope that helps.

 

[thomas]

Yes, I can see that two screens are useful, when looking at two different applications, and documents. She seems to think that she will be able to split the one document between two screens. The sales person admitted that she could but there would be a large gap between the screens.

That sounds like rubbish. From my experience of two screen you'd have different windows on different screens. If you used thunderbird or out look for your email, you could have the main email client on one screen, then the reply on the other....but you couldn't have the reply window split across both screens (as far as I'm aware)


Two screen can be useful though! Certainly I used to have two at work which was really good on web development work. Code one side, live site the other...allowed you to refresh stuff and edit thing quicker.

 

[Speicher]

You do not need the screens to be the same. You don't even need them the same resolution or the same technology. I've used a TV and a monitor concurrently, for example.

It's very difficult (IMO) to read text from one document across two screens. Having an email open on one screen whilst replying on another seems overkill when alt-tab can switch instantly between two documents on one screen.

I have tried to explain this to her, and I agree with what you say.

Anyone using a laptop with a separate monitor can use two screens but you very seldom see it in action. That's because the screens are too broad to focus on both at once, you need to switch focus from one to the other and it's easier and quicker and cheaper just to alt-tab. Yes I can see that would be the case.

No software and no setup time is required. This reads like she is being pushed into it by a salesman.

It has been suggested to her by a friend. She does not fully realise what her existing computer can do. A prime example of this, is that people say her computer is slow. Well, yes it is, in that the mouse is on slow speed, with a big and slow trail, you cannot move the mouse quickly, and neither would she see it if it did. I have explained about different "set ups" for the rare occasion when someone uses her computer, but I do not find her computer slow. This is because when I am using it, it is to show her how to use it, if you see what I mean.

 

[Speicher]

Software to link them? Bull CRAP!! Windows and OS X do this automatically (depending on your verison of windows and OS X)

If you have one word document then you can't 'split' it across two screens, you can make the window big enough to cover the two screens but it won't 'split'

Thank you so much Gaz, for confirming that. I am beginning to get a nasty bruise on my head, from trying to tell her that is the case. She will not believe that I know that would not be possible. The salesman has said it would be possible, but he also says it would then be impossible to read or work with.

So the £20 plus Vat quoted by the computer firm is for linking the two is for the cable, not the software then?

 

[gaz]

I was desperately trying to avoid this. She intends in that case to move the existing computer into another room. She says she would work on the short stories on that (old) computer, and gradually edit her existing work and put it on the "new" computer, and use it for cutting and pasting. This is, IMO, a good recipe for confusion and frustration. She does not understand that her current files could be transferred to the new computer.

The cost of a new computer, another scanner she wants, two screens, new keyboard, etc and the software and someone setting it up comes to £1200. Bearing in mind that she spends a maximum of two hours a day on her computer. It is starting to escalate beyond what I consider is reasonable.

Do you know what is the minimum Mbs, cache memory etc needed to support two screens? I know the spec of her existing computer, and have a copy of the spec from the "new" computer people.

£1200? what is she getting? a Mac?
seriously no need to spend that much money.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176482
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164840
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/153088

Done and dusted. less than £500 and that is overkill imo!

 

[2Loose]

Working with 2 screens can be very useful in some cases and all you need are 2 screens and 2 sockets on the back of the computer. WindowsLinuxOS X can do the rest.

I use one screen to show reference material while I work on the other screen, although at home I use one screen for 'her' to Facebook and the other to show filmsiPlayer etc.

Which is nice.

 

[Speicher]

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. I can now much better understand what two screens, can or cannot do. I will also be much more confident in explaining all this to my mother.

I think the problem is that her sight is very impaired, and she thinks this is the way to solve how she views the screen. But she does not appreciate toggling, and using the windows to their full extent. She perhaps does not realise how well one document can be viewed and then another one, by going to the tabs.

I am of the opinion now, that she just gets one large screen, say 24 inch, and has the existing screen as the second screen. Then if she cannot cope with two screens, from the re-focussing point of view, she just has one redundant screen.

Yes, that seems quite straight forward. My next problem is explaining to her, that I may be her daughter, but I am acting in her best interests, not just trying to stop her doing what she wants to do.

This will save her getting used to a new system, and save her lots of money, so she can have the house as warm as she wants it, taxis to places. She will also have the money to treat people to lunch out when they very kindly take her shopping.