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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Meet the Life Hackers. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.
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Meet the Life Hackers
by Lost at 11:56 pm EDT, Oct 16, 2005 |
she noticed that many people had attached two or three monitors to their computers. They placed their applications on different screens - the e-mail far off on the right side, a Web browser on the left and their main work project right in the middle - so that each application was "glanceable." When the ding on their e-mail program went off, they could quickly peek over at their in-boxes to see what had arrived. The workers swore that this arrangement made them feel calmer. But did more screen area actually help with cognition? To find out, Czerwinski's team conducted another experiment. The researchers took 15 volunteers, sat each one in front of a regular-size 15-inch monitor and had them complete a variety of tasks designed to challenge their powers of concentration - like a Web search, some cutting and pasting and memorizing a seven-digit phone number. Then the volunteers repeated these same tasks, this time using a computer with a massive 42-inch screen, as big as a plasma TV. The results? On the bigger screen, people completed the tasks at least 10 percent more quickly - and some as much as 44 percent more quickly. They were also more likely to remember the seven-digit number, which showed that the multitasking was clearly less taxing on their brains. Some of the volunteers were so enthralled with the huge screen that they begged to take it home. In two decades of research, Czerwinski had never seen a single tweak to a computer system so significantly improve a user's productivity. The clearer your screen, she found, the calmer your mind.
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RE: Meet the Life Hackers
by dmv at 9:36 am EDT, Oct 17, 2005 |
Jello wrote: she noticed that many people had attached two or three monitors to their computers. They placed their applications on different screens - the e-mail far off on the right side, a Web browser on the left and their main work project right in the middle - so that each application was "glanceable." When the ding on their e-mail program went off, they could quickly peek over at their in-boxes to see what had arrived.
I am an ion window manager user (no overlapping windows). Last week, I picked up another LCD for my home machine. I totally agree with this usage pattern and sentiment. Overlapping windows don't make as much sense as people think they do. |
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RE: Meet the Life Hackers
by Lost at 3:35 pm EDT, Oct 17, 2005 |
dmv wrote:
Jello wrote: she noticed that many people had attached two or three monitors to their computers. They placed their applications on different screens - the e-mail far off on the right side, a Web browser on the left and their main work project right in the middle - so that each application was "glanceable." When the ding on their e-mail program went off, they could quickly peek over at their in-boxes to see what had arrived.
I am an ion window manager user (no overlapping windows). Last week, I picked up another LCD for my home machine. I totally agree with this usage pattern and sentiment. Overlapping windows don't make as much sense as people think they do.
I couldn't agree more. |
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RE: Meet the Life Hackers
by k at 2:42 pm EDT, Oct 18, 2005 |
Jello wrote: dmv wrote:
Jello wrote: she noticed that many people had attached two or three monitors to their computers. They placed their applications on different screens - the e-mail far off on the right side, a Web browser on the left and their main work project right in the middle - so that each application was "glanceable." When the ding on their e-mail program went off, they could quickly peek over at their in-boxes to see what had arrived.
I am an ion window manager user (no overlapping windows). Last week, I picked up another LCD for my home machine. I totally agree with this usage pattern and sentiment. Overlapping windows don't make as much sense as people think they do.
I couldn't agree more.
Chalk up another agreement, but with the following caveat... it's totally impractical for most people to have that much real estate. I think someday, when we all have 90 inch super-hd projectors that're both tv's and computers (since there won't be a difference), this will work. For the moment though, I live in an apartment that's 760 sq feet... how much room is there for a big pile of monitors? Not much. Not to mention, I use a laptop for 90% of my work, so that's inherently limited until they get those fold out displays *really* thin and cheap. |
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