I very much understand getting distracted with too much screen space, but I wonder what he means about getting disoriented?
I like the minimalist setup, but for me this setup would be an ergonomic disaster with the monitor that low.
The older you get, the more you appreciate larger monitors, which allow you to continue working without needing glasses and without visual fatigue.
What's the point of 4K if you don't use all the pixels?
Full disclosure my eyesight is terrible so maybe the rest of you can tell a difference between a high res screen that's scaled and a low res unscaled screen at the same apparent resolution.. but I can't
By smaller I mean sub-30" which isn't small by any means but it is smaller than what I see many people use these days. Most people I know have 32" or larger monitors and that is just way too big for me. I currently use a 27" 4K monitor and even that I find a little too big but until I can find a 3:2 or 16:10 ~25" monitor I am not bothered enough to replace it.
Over the years I have realised I am most productive with a tiled window layout. Often side by side or in a 2x2 grid layout. I then make use of virtual desktops.
I find too much "desktop real estate" frustrating and overwhelming. I get "lost" looking for what I want in a mess of windows so much prefer to have what I am working on side by side. Floating windows are only for short lived windows such as print or settings dialogs and not long term items on my desktop.
I prefer to use integer scaling so 4K @ 2x gives me a lovely 1080p "look" which is fine (not perfect on a 27" but very close). Providing I can integer scale I will always buy the best monitor I can and run it scaled to give me this ~1080p UI control size. I just love how crisp text is on a HiDPI screen. Using my wifes 24" 1080p monitor from work is horrible to my eyes now. I guess I have officially been spoilt by high quality screens :)
I started wearing glasses about ten years ago. Probably should have started a year or two earlier tbh.
For me providing the UI controls are the right size I’m quite happy with limited screen space though. I just find it easier to concentrate on a single task which often means just one or two windows without moving things around.
I find “context switching” my brain fatiguing and it slows me down leading to mistakes and I lose “flow state”.
Much like a cluttered desk I find a cluttered screen difficult to work with. Command+tabbing to find the right window is annoying to me now. I prefer to configure my environment so that I always know my browser is on desktop 2. My editor one desktop 1 etc. I can switch to it in a split second without animations or having to search for it.
Obviously everyone is different though. I see people work with a dozen windows on a single desktop but that just doesn’t work for me.
The cause seems to be twofold. At a reasonable viewing distance, the strain caused by having to constantly focus my eyes differently between the corners and the center begins to give me a raging headache. This isn't true for <22" or >34" panels, though, so it's a function of my lens plasticity.
The second factor is related to the panel technology. Scrolling on TN panels makes me feel the same as I do when I watch certain Hulu shows and poorly shot 3D films. Those incorporate subtle DOF that causes eye strain and discomfort on subjects in a scene your brain thinks you should be able to focus on (like trying to read the artistically blurred signage on a door in Avatar 3D). Resisting it makes me almost immediately sick to my stomach. With TN panels, knowing that I should be able to focus on the content as it scrolls yet just barely not being able to read it due to blur and poor panel characteristics (eg- backlight) is highly nauseating.
I've used HFR displays with IPS/(M)VA panels for almost a decade with no issue. At work I use a 13" MBP, and at home I use a 39" 4K 120Hz VA panel. I'm actually stuck right now deciding between 13" models of MB Air and Chromebooks because I know deep down I really just want something with a 4:3 or 5:4 display, which would either mean an iPad Pro or modded ThinkPad.
I understand smaller displays, but why isn't the issue present on bigger displays?
A better answer may be that I also benefit from displays below a certain proportion of my field of view. I try to work in open areas where I can relax my eyes periodically by looking out of windows, and being able to see around the screen is important for that.
I like a small notebook but I also use a large translucent sheet for plans and sketches or a giant blackboard for collaboration.
On a second virtual desktop I have chat, email and todos.
Works perfect for me.