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Ask HN: Does anybody else uses only laptop as a main screen?

24 pointsran121235 comments

I see that a lot of developers like multiple monitors. There are other opinions, that it's better to use one big screen. But I'm in neither of these groups, I use my laptop as my main screen every day.

I've tried several times to use big displays, I definitely can't use multiple monitors, it's just inconvenient for me. I can use one screen, but at work I can't have a screen with the same good resolution, as on retina MacBook. And I don't need to get used to another keyboard, change my workflow when I'm with screen and without.

Is there somebody else who uses only his laptop every day, or is something wrong with me? And if yes, what is your setup?

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To the bemusement of passers-by, I use my employer-provided 23" Samsung display as a physical board for 2" by 2" Post-it notes. They really stand out on the black background.

I did the same at a previous job where desks came with monitors as standard. I tried to use it, but always ended up ignoring it and going back to my laptop's screen. Eventually I repurposed it as a board for post-its.

I dislike using the laptop screen because it causes you to have poor posture. Even if my laptop screen was a retina display that was better than a normal monitor I would still use a monitor for my back's sake.

As for multiple monitors, I have tried it for a while but much prefer a single 24" screen. When I've had multiple monitors I ended up hardly ever using the second one.

Me too. A solution for this is a laptop stand plus an external keyboard and mouse, if you are not willing to use a desktop.

Or a MS Surface plus a little external mechanical keyboard (like a Vortex Core or Apple Magic Keyboard 2, which is surprisingly good in terms of latency and wpm). The Surface Go is actually a great cheap machine for Linux, although the screen is a tad small. But it's 3:2 aspect ratio.

Laptop ergonomics is not good. I know this from long term neck problems due to 20 years on laptops, before switching back to desktops.

Yes, posture is also a reason why I'm thinking about this. I've never had any neck problems and I want it to stay that way.

Yep, I'm the same. At my last company they tried many times to get me to take a big monitor "like everyone else", but I feel more effective on a single MacBook Pro with multiple desktops and the awesome trackpad.

These days the workshed and the rack of tools available are infinite.

What you need depends on what you do. Don't worry about what others are doing, until you run into a Specific problem with your workflow. That's the time you walk into the shed.

Similarly don't spend time paying attention to people who talk about productivity, efficiency and debate which tool is better the whole day. They are nothing but a distraction. When they are useful, is when you hit an specific problem.

If you are getting stuff done you are on the right track. There are still people in the world making bigger impact with a pencil and a paper than anyone with their ironman/jarvis bullshit.

If I only use my laptop with the attached keyboard for too long I get neck pain. Something to do with the posture I guess. Don't you? How do you place your screen and keyboard?

Your eyes and your hands fall at different heights in an ergonomic position, whether sitting or standing. When using a laptop, the keyboard and display are always at (approximately) the same height. This results in poor posture in the neck and shoulders.

You are not alone. The lead developer on my team hates multiple monitors and only uses his laptop. In fact, his argument is that he gets distracted with monitors and cannot code unless it is on his laptop. I am quite the opposite. Even when writing code, I need at least 2 big monitors. So you are def. not crazy.

At home, I basically only use the actual laptop screen. At the office, I have an extra external monitor. Nothing fancy or super-huge, just a basic monitor. I can't even tell you what size it is from memory.

I like having the extra screen real-estate at times, but I also get annoyed with having to drag windows around and what-not. I can't really say I strongly prefer one setup to the other.

No. I'm pretty much useless without at least two screens. Four or five are better. I require a mouse and a classic IBM layout keyboard. Trying to work on a laptop is almost cruel and unusual punishment, and I cannot fathom how people manage with 13" miniature laptops that have displays one quarter of even one of my monitors.

My desktop tends to look a bit like the Pepe Silvio Always Sunny episode, with stuff spread everywhere and spatially arranged. It works beautifully, as long as the machine stays up; it's a little work to recreate the state if a Windows update or power outage forces a reboot.

I went from three monitors (2x thunderbolt + laptop), to no monitors (just laptop), to two monitors (external + laptop). Each phase lasted about 2 years.

If I'm working mostly in one place, it's nice to have as much screen real estate as possible. If I'm frequently working from unpredictable places, I am forced to use only my laptop screen. In that case, I prefer to always use only my laptop screen because otherwise I get used to the multiple monitors and have trouble when I need to work on my laptop.

I prefer one screen. For work, I use 15-inch MBP without external display. Sometimes, I use a stand to raise it a bit and use wireless keyboard.

Personal laptop is connected to 21 inch monitor but I keep it closed most of the time, so only one screen.

I find my productivity is so much higher on one screen vs two.

However, I feel like vertical configuration, in which laptop is in the front and monitor is raised and slightly behind laptop works for me, as long as I am not moving my neck up and down.

I use my laptop screen every day too. But for the keyboard and trackpad rather than the screen. I have 2 bigger monitors hanging off it though. Don’t like the mouse or full-size keyboard.

For coding/shell work I use the laptop monitor with iterm2 and tmux fully maximised.

Browsers, Office tools et all are on the bigger screens.

Gestures on the trackpad and remapped key keys with HammerSpoon/Karabiner make this an essential setup for me and then going mobile is no biggie.

I use a laptop with a tiling window manager when I'm travelling or at the office, desktop with single monitor and tiling WM at home. Last job had 2x nice dells for each developer, never used them. Eventually they gave my desk to someone else because I worked remote most of the time and I never complained.

I may throw in the towel and get an extra monitor at home now since new job pays for home office stuff. I work primarily on frontend now and it'd be nice to have the browser open to whatever I'm working on permanently.

Which tiling window manger do you use?

I used to use dwm, I switched to Awesome for some reason (I want to say systray). Both solid.

We must be polar opposites because I have a main 43" screen and a 32" next to it.

I used to have three smaller monitors and prefer three, but the desk is not wide enough anymore!

This is what I've tried. I started with multiple monitors and an ergonomic keyboard, Microsoft, left by the employee before me and developed typing skills while contributing code.

Then I had a big screen - 30" - and liked it a lot as there was a lot more room to work with compared to my 14" laptop in those days, made by IBM.

When I was using multiple screens, I could focus on one for work programming, bash, etc and the other for chat, email, calendar, and the like!

Count me in. I've been coding for years and years from just my 15" screen. Tabbing amongst windows (and tabs) that each occupy the whole screen feels far more transparent than hunting for windows that may be hidden anyway. I have some sympathy for the laptop-posture argument, but that's the only argument that makes sense to me.

Like you, I use only a laptop, in my lap. It must be in my lap. If the laptop is too high, like on a desk, then my wrists begin to hurt. I sit in bed or on the couch.

The screen is closer to my face, so it is just as big as a monitor on a desk. And like you said the set-up is so much easier, not having to deal with connecting and disconnecting peripherals.

Our desks are a "collaborative" area, if you want to do focused work you need to wander around the office for a quiet corner. So despite having a great 2x 4K monitor setup on my desk, I do most real work on my laptop only.

Dell U2718Q is our standard-issue monitor, and close enough to Retina that I can stand to use them side by side.

Same here, laptop as main screen. At work I have an external monitor that I put above the laptop (not right or left), so my sight moves up & down. I’m often in meetings or I work when at home, so using the laptop as main screen for me reduces changes.

Edit: for the same reason I use the laptop keyboard and trackpad, no external ones.

Yeah, I'm in this group too. Every computer I've owned for the last ten years or so has been a laptop, and every one of these so far has been used without a second screen/external monitor.

Haven't had no issues with it, though I'm considering a second screen at some point just to see what it's like.

I only use my laptop screen. I keep all windows full screen and only really every flip between a browser and a terminal. Not sure what the other applications on my computer for... but apparently they run in windows too

I also don't like multiple monitors I tried it in my workplace and I believe I'm more effective with 1 screen.

I also notice that my sight is getting worse after sitting on my laptop 15 hours a day for almost two years (13,7 inch macbook)

It's a bad habit i should change

I use only my laptop. I lean back in my chair to maintain decent neck and wrist posture.

Depends on my place of work. At the main office, I do have an external monitor, but if I'm at a customer's site, I use the laptop screen only. I prefer an external monitor though (if only for posture).

At work I have two monitors since I often need to use RDP and Teamviewer. The left-hand monitor is the one I look at most.

But at home, I’m perfectly content with my laptop’s 13,3″ screen.

If I were to use three monitors, my neck would probably snap :-p

I don't like multiple screens, I tried it and switched back to just one 24". Lately, I was thinking maybe an ultrawide is an option for me, has anyone tried it has some feedback?

Regarding the 'multiple monitors' versus 'one big monitor' question, I use a largish (24") monitor with six virtual desktops.

Works well. Best of both worlds.

Multiple 24” is the real best of both worlds ;)

Absolutely not. That would destroy my posture. More screen real estate also helps me be productive.

I feel the same way especially if the laptop is in my lap.

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