Re:Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers
by can16358p on Thursday December 02, 2021 @01:02PM
(#29419850)
I totally agree with ergonomics and back. I try to stay active physically, stand and walk a lot, to compensate to some extent. So far so good for about 13 years on laptops, though I'm relatively young so maybe that's just my body tolerating the negative sides.
Though sometimes I put a box on the table and put the laptop on top, effectively turning into a standing desk a work a few hours like that. It really helps not to be sitting the whole day.
Re:Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers
by brandall10 on Thursday December 02, 2021 @01:35PM
(#29420326)
My 45 year old back is just fine after using only laptop displays for 9 years now. That said, I am pretty physically active and have led a healthy lifestyle since forever. Maybe the latter part is key.
Re:Ideal Monitor Rotation for Programmers
by 0xCMP on Thursday December 02, 2021 @02:04PM
(#29420859)
it definitely helps a lot. i have horrible pain using a laptop for long periods, but when i was more active it really helped with the pain and soreness.
Use a non-visual text editor without highlighting, like ed. Compile your React by hand. Skip TypeScript, you don't need the computer to check your work. /s
Programmers use tools and automation because it makes them more efficient, not because they're needed, and I believe that having multiple monitors (and larger ones? I'm reading [1] right now and it suggests that, which makes sense - if a larger fraction of your field of view is consumed by the same monitor, that's less effort for your brain to parse stuff you see, and fewer distractions; also see [2]) does that. I hypothesize, although I haven't been able to find empirical evidence, that having multiple windows spread across multiple monitors is cognitively superior to alt-tabbing between them.
Additionally, laptop are really bad for you ergonomically. Use a small screen if you must, but your back is not going to be happy after 5 years of programming on a laptop - I know mine isn't.
[1] https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA461180.pdf
[2] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/...