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Comment by arvinsim | Hacker News Reader

> Multiple monitors are slightly different: the physical gap means it’s not a seamless switch and not every task benefits.

Probably why ultrawides are gaining popularity.

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I agree, and not. I like having many windows side-by-side (code, docs, thing I'm developing), but I also like having more vertical space. I keep one of my monitors vertical for coding, although that's a little too tall so there's some lost space at the top and bottom (9:12 would be better for me).

Really I want a single plus-shaped monitor that can act in several display modes:

- mimic 3 monitors. Left and right are 4:3 (ideal for single application), center is 9:12 and larger. Shape: -|-

- Single vertical monitor. Same as above but with left and right "virtual monitors" turned off for reduced eye strain. Shape: |

- Single ultrawide horizontal monitor (connect the left and right parts with the strip in the middle, turn off unused pixels at the top and bottom). Shape: ---

Vertical space is necessary, that's why I choose the Dell U3818DW[1], It has 1600 pixels vertically

[1]: https://www.dell.com/si/business/p/dell-u3818dw-monitor/pd

One advantage to ultrawides that I think goes understated is their ability to display large amounts of tabular data easily.

Yes — I notice this a lot while doing anything where I have an app and debugger / log windows open simultaneously. The extra width is an enormous win.

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