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Two Screens are Better than One
Moving from one computer monitor screen to two was a massive changing point in my business. I remember wondering why anyone would ever need to have more than one screen and how could such a simple change make any difference whatsoever to my productivity?
Turns out the change was massive! On a day to day basis, I work from my desk in my home office on my iMac and being a Virtual Assistant I spent 95% of time working online. I do have a Macbook which I use when I am not at my desk and although it is fab, and I love all of the things it can do, I really miss having two screens. The simplest of tasks can take twice as long when you just have one screen.
Examples of how having two screens are definitely better than one…
Copying & Pasting – I can have an email open on one screen and the MailChimp editor screen open on the second. I can easily copy and paste text or drag images from one screen to another without having to switch from tab to tab or minimize tabs.
Proof Reading – if a client sends me an update to a document with amendments they wish to be added to a previous version I can have each open on its own screen so that I can easily scroll down and spot changes
Internet – I generally have my browser open on one screen and emails on the second. This means that I can have services such as my online time tracker open all the time and not have to minimize tabs to make changes.
Drag & Drop - I love the fact that I can use my mouse to magically drag images from one screen across the void in the middle to a second screen and upload them to newsletters, blogs, websites etc.
What tech did I need?
I am a major Apple fan, so I use an iMac as my main computer. The technology I needed to set up a second screen was so simple even I could manage to do it all without the assistance of my trusty IT people!
You will need a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable (I got mine from Currys PC World) Of course you will also need a second screen and the options for this are pretty much endless, but I opted for a simple Samsung screen which was a similar size to my iMac.
You literally only have to plug one into the other and then choose your options within the System Preferences / Displays tabs to either have screen mirroring or, as I have mine separate screens and you are ready to roll!
If you are at the stage in your business where you feel you have outgrown your laptop, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this as the next step as I’ve definitely been more productive since. #TwoScreensAreBetterThanOne