Reply to: New monitors

[wattaj]

A quick shout out for Windows Power Toys for all you guys and girls with wide-screen monitors. Particularly the FancyZones feature which is really very good.

Would recommend.

P.S. I may now be in the market for a wider monitor.

[BR14]

The Dell I got is great. Pin sharp, and I can have three shopping lists vertically parallel.

I've ordered a second monitor that's not quite so wide.

ftfy

[NotAllThere]

The Dell I got is great. Pin sharp, and I can have three code listings vertically parallel.

I've ordered a second monitor that's not quite so wide.

[wattaj]

Aye, they finally added it to Windows but when I looked (a couple of years ago now probably) they had only done an half-arsed job. Can't remember what the showstoppers were that made me seek out a third party solution. May have been that all the virtual desktops shared the same profile so couldn't personalise each one with different shortcuts, colour schemes and the like.

Maybe they've updated it since then so it's now worthy.

Ah... that'll be why I don't use them then: they're still a bit crap as there doesn't appear to be a way to configure each logical desktop separately.

[Hobosapien]

It does: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...tiple-desktops

Aye, they finally added it to Windows but when I looked (a couple of years ago now probably) they had only done an half-arsed job. Can't remember what the showstoppers were that made me seek out a third party solution. May have been that all the virtual desktops shared the same profile so couldn't personalise each one with different shortcuts, colour schemes and the like.

Maybe they've updated it since then so it's now worthy.

For those not sure the benefits over a large monitor, both is still the best solution. A large monitor so can have multiple things open and visible and multiple desktops for logical separation of stuff instead of one desktop with a zillion shortcuts. The 4k monitors/TVs do need a compatible output from the PC/laptop to run 4k at a decent refresh rate, so DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0.

[d000hg]

Plug your machine in and see what you think! For me it's been transformational.

I will have limitations because my PC cannot support higher than HD over HDMI and I'm using the DP output to drive my QHD monitor (which is also lush). In fact I've never run a PC on 4K because our laptops are all too crap to run that high when connected to our main TV.

But I might see if I can at least try it so I know how good it is... my Mac Mini is surely due an upgrade and the neer ones can drive dual 4K via HDMI (I think)

[Platypus]

I'm curious: how close to this monitor do you sit?

Erm, probably too close

In fact about 50cm

[Platypus]

I just bought a 43" 4k TV for £199. Not because I wanted a 4K TV, but because it was actually on sale at the same price as a 1080p 32" one.

Plug your machine in and see what you think! For me it's been transformational.

[d000hg]

I get both of those use cases but you don't need multiple desktops to achieve it, that's where I'm struggling

If you run every application full-screen then sure. If you perhaps like to have two word documents open side-by-side as you are developing, simple alt-tab doesn't work as smoothly to toggle between coding and Word.

[jamesbrown]

I'm a simple person...how does having multiple desktops give you more screen real estate? If you're effectively switching between windows, that doesn't give you more space to work with.

I can look at three different things at once and not faff with zoning. Call me a heathen, but I am skeptical that zoning plays nicely with all software, like screen-sharing software (does it?). Also, I never liked wrap-around shades.

[ladymuck]

Task management - desktop 1 is for work, desktop 2 contains email allowing them to be hidden while you concentrate on what you need to do today.

If i'm doing video editing, the video is open on one screen, the editing software on another. When developing, I have the editor on one, and whatever reference I might be using on the other. This gets more critical is my eyes get older...

I get both of those use cases but you don't need multiple desktops to achieve it, that's where I'm struggling

[NotAllThere]

If i'm doing video editing, the video is open on one screen, the editing software on another. When developing, I have the editor on one, and whatever reference I might be using on the other. This gets more critical is my eyes get older...

[eek]

I'm a simple person...how does having multiple desktops give you more screen real estate? If you're effectively switching between windows, that doesn't give you more space to work with.

Task management - desktop 1 is for work, desktop 2 contains email allowing them to be hidden while you concentrate on what you need to do today.

[ladymuck]

I'm a simple person...how does having multiple desktops give you more screen real estate? If you're effectively switching between windows, that doesn't give you more space to work with.

[wattaj]

I was sure Windows had finally added multiple desktops? Maybe only on servers? I know it's a feature on MacOS though I've never learned how it works. One desktop is confusing enough

It does: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...tiple-desktops