This is one of many articles about the trend towards dual monitors. I must say that as a web developer I do not think I could function with only one. Must computers now are shipping with dual monitor capability and if they are not a replacement graphics card can be found for $80 which does.
Monitors as well have come down in price making it even easier to justify the costs. The caveat I would make is that your users have to be savvy enough to utilize the increased space not just clutter it with more pictures of their friends or animals.
I am not sure we could justify it firm-wide but take an extra monitor you have lying around and have your Legal Administrator, IT Manager, or Managing Partner give it a try.
HOWTO:
If you have a laptop it has a monitor port it is blue and
looks like this:If you have a desktop and you see 2 of these then you are in luck. It is also likely you have one of these and a scary looking white connector. That is called DVI. For a few dollars you can buy a DVI to VGA converter to make it resemble this picture and your monitor cable.
In Windows "rcight click" on your desktop and select properties.
then the "Settings tab"
You will see both of your monitors in the window. Click on the one with a "2" and check the box which says "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"
Thats it!
For a great companion program called UltraMon goto:http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/
The best thing about this is it adds small icons to the left of your usual "min, max,close" options in the upper right of each window. One icon tells the computer to open that window on the other monitor the other icon tells it to stretch the window across both.
Advice: Buy matching monitors in size and brand. Get 17 to 19 inch monitors with very very thin edges to when the 2 stand together there isn't a big gab. You can also buy stands which mount them together if you want.
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