Can Using A Bigger Monitor Increase Your Productivity?

  My Current Setup 
  Originally uploaded by lannadelarosa

The Wall Street Journal says a larger monitor can increase productivity by up to 52% (!) for certain tasks  according to a recent study. I'm not that surprised.

Last year when I bought my iMac, I decided to go for the biggie--a 24 inch monitor. My reasoning is that I am looking at the computer for much of the day 5 days a week, so why strain my eyes?

I never thought that having a bigger screen would affect my productivity, but the bigger screen is quite addictive.

I do a lot of work that combines emails and internet, and I can have my email open on one side of my screen and right beside it the website that I'm working on. And any other little screens I need (documents, spreadsheets, etc) I can have them open too, and my screen is big enough to accommodate the crowd.

I notice the biggest difference when I have to work on a "regular sized" monitor (this means anything that is smaller than my screen :-) ), and I always end up saying "This screen is so small! How do you work on this thing?" (Of course completely forgetting that up until last summer I had "regular sized" monitors too.)

The WSJ article says that an increase in size up to a 24 inch monitor is uber helpful, but with monitors larger than 24 inches productivity dropped off again.

Productivity 501 has a great post preaching about how to maximize productivity on a larger screen (up to 24 inches) which I've found ever so helpful:

Getting the Most from a Large Monitor

Really, I was amazed at the little tricks you can do to take advantage of a larger screen, so do check out that post.

Also, do any of you guys work on biggie screens? Please share your tricks!

Comments

[Gavin Heaton]

I am sure I got more work done when I had two monitors. It is just impossible to do work and keep an eye on Twitter in any other way ;)

[Sharon Sarmiento]

Hee hee--Twitter deserves its own monitor does it? :-) I think that's a great productivity tip--have 2 monitors, and put all of your social networking stuff/play stuff on one monitor, and all of your "real work" on the other one.

If only my iMac were not already so huge--I don't think I can fit another monitor on my desk! ;-)

[Leap Year Photography]

If I could afford it, I would have a wall of monitors! As a photographer, you really can't have too many.

[Sharon Sarmiento]

Hee hee--I would love to see that fantasy office! I've seen 3 monitors lined like a panoramic view, but never a whole wall in a home office. Maybe you'll win the lottery some day and you can make that dream come true! :-)

[Steve]

This is a question I was surprised not too many people have raised online. I am on my way to Sears to pick up a nice RCA 40 inch 1080p that I intend on using as my main monitor. I wonder if productivity drops off after the 24" point due to larger monitors mainly being used by gamers?