| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Working with dual monitors Thread poster: Johnny Speiermann
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| | Ken Fagan (X) 
Local time: 01:00
French to English
| I'm intrigued by this, but I don't see how it would boost my productivity | Dec 23, 2009 |
I work on 1 24-inch screen and simply minimise everything other than the doc in which I'm working at the time (on-line databases, Google, my personal glossaries, etc.). When I need the latter, I just call them up, which takes 3 seconds.
Still, if someone can convince me that I'm missing out on a SIGNIFICANT productivity improvement by not having multiple screens, I'll be happy to prepare that person a Nespresso.
| | | | | | SirReaL
Germany
Local time: 01:00
English to Russian
+ ...
| How much is significant | Dec 23, 2009 |
Ken Fagan wrote:
When I need the latter, I just call them up, which takes 3 seconds.
How much is significant for you, Ken? I switch focus from app to app at least once a minute. Saving 3 seconds every minute is a 5% increase in productivity. Care to calculate the savings/gains per annum?
[Edited at 2009-12-23 14:31 GMT]
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Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 02:00
Member (2003)
Finnish to German
+ ...
| Videocard heats up | Dec 23, 2009 |
I bought a second monitor with my HP laptop, but after a while (1-3 days) the videoprocessor stops working. Probably overheating. Now I connect the second monitor when I need it for viewing photos or copying stuff from pdf into Word.
By the way when you have run Trados WB on the second screen and disconnect it after shutting down WB the next time WB will again appear on the second screen even if it's not connected! Any cheap software is programmed to recognise the screen configuration, but... See more I bought a second monitor with my HP laptop, but after a while (1-3 days) the videoprocessor stops working. Probably overheating. Now I connect the second monitor when I need it for viewing photos or copying stuff from pdf into Word.
By the way when you have run Trados WB on the second screen and disconnect it after shutting down WB the next time WB will again appear on the second screen even if it's not connected! Any cheap software is programmed to recognise the screen configuration, but not Trados.
Regards
Heinrich ▲ Collapse
| | | | Stefan de Boeck (X)
Belgium
Local time: 01:00
English to Dutch
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| office space | Dec 23, 2009 |
Ken Fagan wrote:
a SIGNIFICANT productivity improvement...
Why the rather horrible insistence on raising productivity?
Adding a second screen, if anything, increases your office space; somehow it's like putting in a second window.
So, cheer up; you're not a machine after all.
(from a vaio 15 in laptop w/ 20 in additional)
| | | | Claudio Porcellana (X)
Italy
| Working with dual monitors | Dec 23, 2009 |
Hi Heinrich
with my Hydravision tool (included in ATI Radeon card) I can have Trados (ore anything else) everywere I want, even after a reboot, and I can even create a grid on 2 or more monitors and memorize the exact position on this grid for every GUI ...
the only tools that don't work are some old CD-ROM dictionary GUIs
and about videocard melting, it's very odd, unless you are a very unlucky guy, or some peer of yours has a straw PC with some hatpins st... See more Hi Heinrich
with my Hydravision tool (included in ATI Radeon card) I can have Trados (ore anything else) everywere I want, even after a reboot, and I can even create a grid on 2 or more monitors and memorize the exact position on this grid for every GUI ...
the only tools that don't work are some old CD-ROM dictionary GUIs
and about videocard melting, it's very odd, unless you are a very unlucky guy, or some peer of yours has a straw PC with some hatpins stucked in it ...
Claudio ▲ Collapse
| | | | | 2 monitors of the same size | Dec 23, 2009 |
I've been working with 2 monitors for the last 3 years. They were different sizes for the first year and I had to constantly resize windows if I was swapping them between monitors - this decreases productivity. I now use 2 x 22" widescreens with very narrow frames (1.5 cm). One is positioned very slightly behind the other so that I can put some applications across both screens and I can also look at both screens without moving my head too much. I work much more slowly when I'm not using 2 screen... See more I've been working with 2 monitors for the last 3 years. They were different sizes for the first year and I had to constantly resize windows if I was swapping them between monitors - this decreases productivity. I now use 2 x 22" widescreens with very narrow frames (1.5 cm). One is positioned very slightly behind the other so that I can put some applications across both screens and I can also look at both screens without moving my head too much. I work much more slowly when I'm not using 2 screens. ▲ Collapse
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John Taylor
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:00
German to English
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| http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/ | Dec 23, 2009 |
I work on the move quite frequently, so monitors are not always an option. Virtuawin is amazing if you have a lot of windows. I have six virtual desktops. With shortcuts to switch between them, it's easy to have email on one desktop, word on another etc. Even with two monitors this could help...
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 16:00
English to German
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In memoriam | Why productivity? How about health and sanity? | Dec 23, 2009 |
I don't like clicking back and forth, or minimizing and expanding various screens. It's a waste of energy. I just like working with two monitors.
| | | | Maria Soto
Local time: 01:00
English to Spanish
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Hi!
At the beginning I thought using 2 monitors would be a waste of money and difficult to manage, as both monitors are conected so you can go with your mouse from one to another, clicking here and there... After I tried... I think it is the best thing ever!! You can have the original document in one monitor and the translation in the other one, which allows you to use a bigger font for the doc. And well, I also have at least 5 more applications open at the same time so... In my opi... See more Hi!
At the beginning I thought using 2 monitors would be a waste of money and difficult to manage, as both monitors are conected so you can go with your mouse from one to another, clicking here and there... After I tried... I think it is the best thing ever!! You can have the original document in one monitor and the translation in the other one, which allows you to use a bigger font for the doc. And well, I also have at least 5 more applications open at the same time so... In my opinion, definitely two monitors would be a very good investment.
Merry Christmas!!
María ▲ Collapse
| | | | | FOr the time being laptop + external 24 inch monitor | Dec 23, 2009 |
This way when I am in the office I have advantage of normal keyboard, mouse and two screens but if I want to work elsewhere I still have all my programs and files with me. As I am rather shortsighted it is important to me that I can use large fonts and still see two pages at the same time.
Still it is more about convenience than productivity.
Best Regards
Stanislaw
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:00
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| NOt needed with MacOS | Dec 24, 2009 |
With MacOS you have the "Spaces" function, which gives you as many desktops as you want. Currently I have 2 Word files on one desktop, my email and browser on another, and my diary on another. When I start up other applications such as iTunes, they start on their own desktops. The desktops swivel around and switch from one to the other automatically, or manually when I want to switch manually. And by simply pressing F3, I see all the desktops together and go to the one I want.
The... See more With MacOS you have the "Spaces" function, which gives you as many desktops as you want. Currently I have 2 Word files on one desktop, my email and browser on another, and my diary on another. When I start up other applications such as iTunes, they start on their own desktops. The desktops swivel around and switch from one to the other automatically, or manually when I want to switch manually. And by simply pressing F3, I see all the desktops together and go to the one I want.
The whole thing can be configured any way you want it. "Spaces" comes as a standard part of the OS. You don't have to buy it. And if you don't like it, you don't have to use it.
I find that "Spaces" completely removes screen clutter and unwanted distractions and eliminates any need for a second display, which I used to do but hated because 2 displays take up far too much desk space and setting them up to give the same colour resolution etc. was a pain. Also they consume a LOT of energy and generate a lot of heat right in front of your face, which can be quite a serious problem on a hot day.
However when using only one screen, it should be of the highest quality (i.e. easy on the eyes) and wide enough to display two A4 pages of text side by side (one in the source language and one in the target language).
I also find that setting the colour of (all) my desktops to a darkish blue/green is very relaxing on the eyes and eliminates the glare or jarring you would get with white or a noisy colour, or an intrusive desktop picture.
There are lots of little things you can do to improve your working environment so that it's comfortable and efficient.
[Edited at 2009-12-24 11:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | JaneD
Sweden
Local time: 01:00
Member (2009)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| Definitely worth doing! | Jan 20, 2010 |
Johnny Speiermann wrote:
Does anyone have experience in working with dual monitors?
Several studies show that productivity is increased with 20-30% when working with two monitors compated to one. I don't expect to translate that much faster, but other tasks might go faster. If i can save 3-4 minutes work a day that would pay for the extra cost, so it might be worth a try.
Hi Johnny
I have worked with two monitors, and it is wonderful. Very useful when you are comparing original vs translated documents to check layout, for example.
It's like a mouse with a scroll wheel - once you've used one, you find it very hard to imagine how you managed without.
I would say absolutely get another monitor *provided* you don't ever travel with your work, because going from two monitors to one laptop screen will make you cringe!
Janed
| | | | | I moved to a new system after using Studio 2009 for a couple of weeks | Jan 25, 2010 |
Studio 2009 is extremely demanding on the hardware of the computer if you really want to benefit from its powerful but not yet matured functionality. I had to switch because my old system could only manage 2GByte of memory.
Now I decided for increased efficiency, i.e. to have AutoSuggest present its suggestions while I start typing and not when I am 80% through, to update my 3-4 year old system
Now I have a motherboard with an I7-920 CPU with 6GBytes of DDR3, I have a g... See more Studio 2009 is extremely demanding on the hardware of the computer if you really want to benefit from its powerful but not yet matured functionality. I had to switch because my old system could only manage 2GByte of memory.
Now I decided for increased efficiency, i.e. to have AutoSuggest present its suggestions while I start typing and not when I am 80% through, to update my 3-4 year old system
Now I have a motherboard with an I7-920 CPU with 6GBytes of DDR3, I have a graphics card that can display the desktop on 2 screens at a time and I have 2 24 inch Samsung SyncMasterP2450. As the speed of the hard disk is equally important for the overall system speed I installed 4 1Tbyte hard disks with 7000 rpm and each with a large cache running with RAID10 which mirrors for redundancy and parallels writes and reads for speed. The OS is Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit.
As I have the support contract with Trados, worth every penny spend for it, the other day the technician helped me on a problem by logging remotely into my desktop. As my son was coming into the office he heard the guy say: Wow, is this fast!
How much benefit you really can gain from such a setup depends very much on your working style. I do technical translations and I like to have 1 24 inch screen, just to show the Trados desktop, and the other one will have the browser, as well as MS Word with the Microsoft Multilanguage Pack installed. I use this tool for QA, which works, but not well enough, within the Studio Editor, but is the best affordable solution for QA, so I copy and paste between the segment storage on the editor and word to check if I am in doubt.
The browser is heavily used as a source for synonyms. It is not that I have to rely on sites like Linguee.de or leo.org as a source for terminology, but as a quick look up for synonyms to select the one that best fits allows speedy translations.
With such a setup the new system and the 2 screens have generated the payback of the investment within just 6 months! ▲ Collapse
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