Re: How to Run Multiple Monitors....
I find it hard to justify a need.
Just wondering if TEK or others can share details of any more valuable use of a multi monitor system that helps traders.
Replaced my old 15 inch screen
Hi austek, since no-one has responded yet I hope you don't mind hearing from me on this thread (again). Regarding the points in the quote box...
Hard to justify a need...The move from one monitor to two for me was of immediate and enormous benefit. Not just for trading, but just generally. I am a big user of multiple programs simultaneously, might be a charting application, Paint and Word - where I am copying charts into paint then into Word for my note-taking purposes, or copying from an internet browser to Word, or having more than one chart up and flicking between the two. Having two monitors meant a big reduction in the "Alt Tab" shuffle. Once I had the two I could not imagine the loss in productivity and general ease of use were I to go back to 1 monitor. (I have 3 monitors now, but I am still getting used to it and the gain in utility from 2 to 3 has not been as great as the jump from 1 to 2 - diminishing marginal returns I believe the economists call it).
I think regarding using multiple monitors to help traders ,it is going to be very relevant to ask the sort of trading you do. I think the longer the time-frame being traded then probably the less utility is gained from having multiple (>2) monitors. This is not meant to be a sweeping statement applicable to everyone, but I think generally the greater utility will be for shorter time-frame traders. One screen can have a "trend" time-frame chart up, say daily or hourly, the next screen a shorter period intra-day chart for trade location pinpointing, and then the third screen the broker interface for trade execution. All this could be achieved with one or two screens too, it just means less "Alt - Tab" work with 3 or more screens
Do you still have the 15-inch screen? I ask for 2 reasons. Firstly you could use this 15" screen as the second screen to see if having two screens was of value to you before going for the second 19" screen. Secondly, and I actually would have preferred this solution for myself - the 15" screen, I believe, is ideal for use as a third screen to purely display the broker interface. Again, this is not for everyone, but for me I only want the bare minimum on my broker interface and a 15" screen, set to the right resolution (800*600 would do) would display the information while taking up less space.
I hope this helps.