If you're looking for a way to convince your boss to plump up the readies to get you a new monitor for your workstation, then you'll be interested in research carried out by the University of Utah.
The group ran a series of tests to determine how quickly users were able to perform common office tasks such as word-processing and swapping numbers around in spreadsheets. The test subjects were given one of three systems to play with: an 18” monitor, a 24” monitor, and a dual-display configuration of two 20” monitors. All the monitors were made by NEC, who funded the research and – it must be said – has something of a vested interest in selling the biggest and best in display technology.
The results were interesting, with the 24” users beating the 18” brigade by a not unimpressive 52 percent. The users given two 20” displays beat the 18” baseline by 44 percent.
The conclusion drawn from the study is that switching to a larger monitor could give you a gain of two and a half hours of productivity savings. The reality is a little more prosaic, however: the study assumes that everyone will work a full eight hours a day non-stop doing things which the study highlighted as benefiting from the additional screen real estate. Even so, the research indicates that however much time you do spend at those spreadsheets and text documents can be reduced by upping your inchage.
And aren't we all about the inchage?
Will you be trying this tactic next time you're negotiating for a hardware refresh, or are you still waiting for your boss to admit that TFTs might be a good idea after all? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
The group ran a series of tests to determine how quickly users were able to perform common office tasks such as word-processing and swapping numbers around in spreadsheets. The test subjects were given one of three systems to play with: an 18” monitor, a 24” monitor, and a dual-display configuration of two 20” monitors. All the monitors were made by NEC, who funded the research and – it must be said – has something of a vested interest in selling the biggest and best in display technology.
The results were interesting, with the 24” users beating the 18” brigade by a not unimpressive 52 percent. The users given two 20” displays beat the 18” baseline by 44 percent.
The conclusion drawn from the study is that switching to a larger monitor could give you a gain of two and a half hours of productivity savings. The reality is a little more prosaic, however: the study assumes that everyone will work a full eight hours a day non-stop doing things which the study highlighted as benefiting from the additional screen real estate. Even so, the research indicates that however much time you do spend at those spreadsheets and text documents can be reduced by upping your inchage.
And aren't we all about the inchage?
Will you be trying this tactic next time you're negotiating for a hardware refresh, or are you still waiting for your boss to admit that TFTs might be a good idea after all? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
RELATED ARTICLES
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.