Over the years I've documented my countless plunges into the depths of Amazon and YouTube, scouring desk setup after desk setup trying to find the perfect upgrades to cherry pick for mine. Not too long ago, I made the decision to go from two 27" monitors to a single 34" ultrawide. I knew I'd need to make a considerable adjustment, but it's been several months and it hasn't gotten any better. So I did something about it.
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The Beauty of Dual Monitors
I always thought that I'd be a "single monitor guy" for life. In late 2023/early 2024, I saw my exact monitor on sale and decided to pick it up. I quickly got everything setup and the results were magical. I went from having everything tiled and spread across macOS Desktops (the feature) to being able to have everything open, accesible, and most importantly, not feel crammed. Apps like Raycast and Keyboard Maestro made navigating apps and coordinating windows a breeze. Once I got the initial workflow down, I quickly pivoted to managing each monitor, which made me feel like Mr. Robot in the nerdiest way imaginable. I really didn't have any complaints or issues, except for the occasonial flicker. All was going well until I got bored and tried an ultrawide monitor.
The Ultrawide
The first few days with the ultrawide didn't go that well, honestly. I had become so accustomed to the dual monitor lifestyle that a single screen, even if it was 34", felt crammed. There was something about it, though. Maybe it was stubborness, or interest in the technology, but I decided to keep it.
An fun/interesting fact about ultrawide monitors and Macs: they don't like each other. Like, at all. I wound up downloading an app called BetterDisplay which provides better resolution support, along with a slew of other useful features. Without it, the image quality wasn't great. It was bad, frankly. If you're looking at, or already have, an ultrawide monitor and you're #TeamMac, I highly recommend checking out BetterDisplay.
While I was enjoying the ultrawide, things were still far from perfect, even a few months in. I still felt limited by the single screen, and yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds. So I went digging for a monitor that could compliment an ultrawide without looking goofy. It was clear from the beginning that a vertical monitor was the only true option, so that's where I directed my search.
The Second Display
After spending the last two and a half years getting into software development, I had been wanting to get a vertical monitor, or at least a stand that supports the configuration. With the ultrawide now steering many of the decisions on the desk, I knew I'd need something small and light if I wanted to maintain my desk's appearance (photos coming soon). My searches led me to an article on The Inventory( and, eventually, this lightweight portable monitor.
Originally designed to work with laptops and travel computers, I found this monitor to be the perfect size to accompany the ultrawide. I also picked up a new monitor arm for it after miserably failing to design a 3D model myself, connected it, and we were off to the races.
The monitor connects to my Mac Studio via USB-C, so when I switch between computers, the vertical monitor updates as well, allowing me to use the Mac as a TV/YouTube companion.
The quality of the vertical monitor is nowhere near the quality of the ultrawide. The colors are decent, the brightness is severely lacking, and the refresh rate feels very sluggish, but that's okay. It was only $40 when I initially bought it. Typically, I find myself using the second display for Slack and other "always-open" applications, like Home Assistant and Transmit. Despite my small complaints, the overall experience has been solid.
Conclusion
I'm pretty sure I mention this in every one of these articles, but I understand how incredibly fortuate and lucky I am to be able to use, test, and sometimes, keep these items. It's something I try not to take for granted each day. This addition/upgrade wasn't required by any stretch. In fact, everyone I've shown it to has laughed. But it does provide me just enough extra screen real estate to free up actual valuabe ultrawide space. And if it helps my workflow, well, that's all that matters. Right?
Until next time, Nick out.