For work, it’s usually IDE on the right (my larger screen) and a live build of the thing I’m working with on the left (a laptop screen). Though it varies a lot throughout the day. Primary screen gets the app that needs most scrutiny, small screen gets auxilliary things like passive communication apps or reference materials.
For home use, where I have two monitors of equal size, it’s usually Discord on one screen and a web browser on the other. Comms on the left and active task on the right.
I don’t see a use case in my workflow for a third screen, especially not one that is a weird size or is in portrait orientation. But if one was simply bestowed upon me, I’m sure I’d find something to do with it sooner or later. There was a time where I though two monitors was overrated, I’m sure I can adapt my opinion again for 3+.
Designer/animator, Mac, either two-screen app setup/workflow (ie editing, 3D, etc) or an easy way to have 2 related things going (ie, brief + job, reference + project, etc).
I’m a dev. Right monitor has my browser, center monitor has my editor, left monitor for everything else (terminal, dev tools, file manager, http client etc)
I have an ultrawide as my main monitor and a regular wide screen monitor floating above it on an arm. The main thing I need all that space for is running ttrpg games, honestly. Roll20 or some other vtt open on one side of the ultrawide, then other side has rule book pdfs, enemy stat blocks, notes, etc. The top monitor has discord for chat as well as everyone’s webcams.
But outside of that it’s nice to have a browser or discord visible on one screen while playing a game on the main display, but you could get by without it.
Software engineer. Work from home and I use the same monitors for work and personal.
Usually for work, I have code in the middle, specs on the left and the app on the right. When I’m not using specs, I have Spotify or video related things on one monitor.
For personal use, gaming is done on the middle monitor. Sometimes I have Spotify on the left, video on the right. Sometimes it’s a mix of discord/video/spotify on the left and right monitors. Sometimes I have a hockey game on one monitor and YouTube on the other.
Middle is my main.
It’s not often I don’t have something on all monitors.
2 is the bare minimum for work as a sysadmin.
3 is better, then I can dedicate one to communication (email, Teams, softphone), one for documentation and one to actually work on. I could see 4 being useful if you work both locally and on terminal servers but I’ve never tried it.
Video games. On one screen is the game, on the other screen is a web browser with the wiki opened. Also have YouTube for the tough puzzles. Helps a ton.
In both setups the laptop is my keyboard and small screen, above it is a 34 inch 21/9 aspect ratio curved display. At the office I also have a standard monitor off to the side.
The large screen is my primary work space, with various code editors, UI dev tools, web browser, reference docs, and terminal windows.
The laptop screen has email, all my short cuts, and a virtual version of the UI I’m working on because it is also a touch screen.
When I have the third screen I use it for teams, a few system monitoring tools, and youtube for music.
I used dual side by side monitors for years, but found that having the split in the center meant I was always sitting with my neck turned, and this lead to a lot of pain and headaches. Having them top / bottom is a lot more comfortable and my large screen is high enough I now sit up straight.
A curved screen at the right distance also means a lot less eye strain.
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