What resolution & DPI is I think far more important than how many displays.
I have 4. 1x 1440@27", 1x 1440@24" and 2x1080@24". If I had known 1440@24" would die out, I would have bought 3 of those instead.
For me the ideal would be a 16:10 24" screen with the same density as the 1440 16:9 models. It's the perfect size & resolution for desktop use in programming / engineering. I'd buy 3 of those, but they don't exist from reputable brands.
I don't want a single ultrawide because I like the (narrow) physical borders. It lets me organize stuff just how I like it. It also makes working with different sources easier. My desktop is plugged into everything, but I can put a laptop or embedded board onto one of the side monitors if I need to.
How I've set up mine:
- Middle 1440: Main work, usually fullscreen IDE with 2 columns of files open.
- Left 1440: Documentation, usually 2 windows side by side.
- Top left 1080: Media, usually in the background. Needed chat programs (different customers use different tools) side by side.
- Right 1080: JIRA, task lists, notes, research, running tests, running instances of programs being developed, ...
This avoids me having to use virtual workspaces to layer context. It's like a great big tool wall in a workshop:
The idea is simple: First Order Retrievability. That is, you should never have to move one tool to get to another. That in turn affords the fastest, most efficient way of working.
~Adam Savage
I have 4. 1x 1440@27", 1x 1440@24" and 2x1080@24". If I had known 1440@24" would die out, I would have bought 3 of those instead.
For me the ideal would be a 16:10 24" screen with the same density as the 1440 16:9 models. It's the perfect size & resolution for desktop use in programming / engineering. I'd buy 3 of those, but they don't exist from reputable brands.
I don't want a single ultrawide because I like the (narrow) physical borders. It lets me organize stuff just how I like it. It also makes working with different sources easier. My desktop is plugged into everything, but I can put a laptop or embedded board onto one of the side monitors if I need to.
How I've set up mine:
- Middle 1440: Main work, usually fullscreen IDE with 2 columns of files open.
- Left 1440: Documentation, usually 2 windows side by side.
- Top left 1080: Media, usually in the background. Needed chat programs (different customers use different tools) side by side.
- Right 1080: JIRA, task lists, notes, research, running tests, running instances of programs being developed, ...
This avoids me having to use virtual workspaces to layer context. It's like a great big tool wall in a workshop: