[AccessD] Dual monitor laptop

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Wed Dec 2 17:20:49 CST 2009


 > 1) ...after developing severe cts (all the way into my neck, doc recommended severing a wrist tendon)

Oh man, that's sick!

It is odd because I have been expecting issues for years and never had any.  How many thousands of 
hours have we done this stuff?  Now something is happening in the right elbow.  I can't say for sure 
that it is computer related but given what I do...

The second monitor is working quite well.  As Charlotte said, I have to get the second screen set up 
as the left screen, but beyond that it is good.  The laptop is now a second screen.  Kind of odd 
with a 22" high res next to a 17" medium res.  My 22" is "only" 1680x1050 and my laptop is  1440 x 
900.  Not much difference on the face of it but when displayed on the much larger screen, 1680 x 
1050 is pretty darned cool.  I have set up the smaller laptop screen to use for Thunderbird and my 
Access billing database.  I like to have those two things open at all times and having them off on 
their own screen just works somehow.

If things get work I will work on the recliner idea.  My wife already resents how much time I spend 
up in my office.  A recliner might be a tough sell.  ;)

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


William Hindman wrote:
> 1) ...after developing severe cts (all the way into my neck, doc recommended 
> severing a wrist tendon) I switched to a Logitech track ball set up for my 
> left hand ...took a few minutes to get used to it ...the track ball sets on 
> a well padded arm of the recliner I do all of my home/office work from 
> ...the arm and wrist rarely move in using it ...the cts disappeared within 
> days with no surgery and no recurrence ...the only time I use a regular 
> mouse these days is when I need extra fine mouse control for graphics work 
> ...I also found that once the cts was gone, I could use the track ball 
> easily with either hand when work in a clients office necessitates such.
> 
> 2) ...I now do ALL of my work on a Dell laptop ...it has an ATI Radeon 
> Graphics chip set which allows me to use a 21" wide screen external monitor 
> as my primary and the laptop's 15.6" screen as the secondary ...or turn it 
> off ...the ATI detects if the external monitor is present at startup and 
> switches profiles accordingly.
> 
> 3) ...I use 1024x768 as my development screen standard because that is the 
> lowest common screen resolution among current clients ...I use a screen 
> resize code module to resize every form and control to fit the client's 
> current monitor resolution without having to make any other changes ...same 
> form design works well from 1024x768 to at least 1680x1200 w/o any 
> distortion or blank spaces as long as the form was developed at the lower 
> setting ...it will resize down to 800x600 but the quality is not as good 
> when resizing down.
> 
> 4) ...I still prefer a kvm switch for server monitor purposes ...while RD 
> works there is simply nothing easier than pushing a kvm button to switch 
> monitor views imnsho.
> 
> ...in short, get a recliner with padded arms, get an adjustable stand 
> (http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/779380/Zarty-II-Laptop-Cart-35-1/) 
> that will slide under the recliner and over its arms (this one is spec'd for 
> 11lbs but it holds my 21" monitor, laptop, and accessories just fine, and 
> get a good track ball ...Riley never had it so good :)
> 
> William
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "jwcolby" <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 12:47 PM
> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" 
> <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Subject: [AccessD] Dual monitor laptop
> 
>> I have a 22" 1680 x 1050 display hooked up to a KVM switch.  I work on my 
>> laptop almost exclusively
>> *except* for my servers (the point of the KVM switch).  But I am 
>> developing  problem in my right
>> elbow which I think might be related to mousing at an odd angle.  So I 
>> decided that perhaps using
>> the monitor on my laptop might be the answer, then use remote desktop to 
>> switch between them rather
>> than a KVM switch.  Plus, I have always wanted to do the dual monitor 
>> thing, leave my email and
>> billing db on one screen and other stuff on the other.  Or code on one and 
>> program on the other.
>>
>> Things are NEVER simple.  RD comes up in the resolution of monitor one. 
>> Plus, if I am going to do
>> this the big screen really should be the monitor one right?  Except that 
>> typing and mousing off to
>> the side of the main monitor is just weird!  But I don't have a native USB 
>> keyboard to plug in to
>> the laptop (gonna go order that now).  Etc. Etc.
>>
>> The monitor itself is cool, looks good, works just fine with the laptop 
>> (as opposed to a few years
>> back when I tried this - different laptop).  Technology has advanced, 
>> easier to set up, still feels
>> strange.
>>
>> Well, gotta go to work and give this dual monitor thing a shot.
>>
>> I know others here do this, how long did it take your brain to adjust?
>>
>> -- 
>> John W. Colby
>> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>> -- 
>> AccessD mailing list
>> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
>> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
>> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
>>
> 



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