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getagrip
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 2086
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#1 · Posted: 28 Oct 2010 00:50
After getting rather burned out at intenet marketing, I've found the motivation to get back into it and start working hard again. It has been nice collecting paychecks from my past efforts (yes, this business does run itself on auto pilot), but when you don't put time into either improving existing projects or working on new ones, you can only earn so much.
One of the things I did to get motivated again was to change the setup I use at home. For about three years, I have owned a laptop, but working from a laptop isn't always the best way to go, and can be rather tedious, especially when you are toggling back and forth from one website to another. The keyboard on a laptop is also not very ideal for typing.
At my regular job, I use dual monitors and it occured to me that I could probably be a lot more productive if I used multiple monitors for my work at home efforts. Well, I'm on day one, and it is already making a huge difference!
You can pick up used flat screen monitors on Craigslist for about $50. What I did was place an advertisement in the "Wanted" section, and was able to pick up my first monitor from that advertisement. Then I was able to find a similar model monitor at a used computer store in my area for the other side.
One thing you will need before you can use a multiple monitors is a video card, and not all computers come installed with one, although I think there are ways around this with certain set ups (if you are a computer geek, feel free to expand on how this works, since I don't know a lot about it).
The other factor is getting the monitors to match. Once you have one monitor, you can place an ad in the wanted section of Craigslist for a similar model. It can help to take measurements of your screen, from left to right and from top to botton - also measure from the bottom of the stand to the top of the screen.
So there you have it. If you are not already using multiple monitors, I would encourage you to start, as it really can make a difference in your productivity! 
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mountainmom5
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 3097
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#2 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 05:54
Hey welcome back! I wondered where you went...
I had been using my old desktop that we first bought back in '01 or '02 and I just bought a laptop and paid for it with my internet marketing money.
I could've gotten one a long time ago, but with my hubby's job getting slower and slower, I was paying most of the bills - now he got a better job so I have play money again.
My next goal is to buy a house.
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aceonline
Forums Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2010
Posts: 2
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#3 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:02
Hi Getagrip,
I've often thought about getting two monitors to increase productivity.
Since you've already been doing this, can you give any suggestion as to how you organize each monitor? I would imagine that one you'd have your main working monitor, and the second would be used more for monitoring social site, email and the like?
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
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Heather <a href="http://athomewithheather.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Home Based Business Canada</a> |
A8ch
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 937
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#4 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 07:40
Welcome back, Keith!
Glad to hear you've recovered your energy and motivation. Even though much of this business can be automated and outsourced, it can easily take its toll on you mentally if you're aren't careful.
I use a desktop and a single monitor. I prefer the desktop for my daily work and only use the laptop when I'm travelling.
Good luck with the multiple monitor setup. Now you can make twice as much money, twice as fast.
Hermas
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getagrip
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 2086
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#5 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 11:51 · Edited by: getagrip
Thanks, Hermas and Mountainmom, for the welcome back. Between a full time job and a girlfriend (which has been sort of on and off for the past 7 months, but now totally off), not to mention general burn out and lack of motivation, I took a break from internet marketing. It was time to get motivated and come back.
I also did something I never thought I'd do - I joined a MLM! Yes, me, Mr Anti MLM. If you want to see how anti MLM i am, you can read a thread I created below - Here is the thread I had previously created about Girls, MLMs, and Toilet Paper That Cures Cancer:
http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/mlm-5/does-she-like-you-does-she-want-you-to-join-her-mlm-29 44.html
Ever heard of P-90X? You have probably watched their infomercials. I did make an exception when I joined this MLM, because I was dealing with a great product that had national brand recognition, and they pay 25% commissions for product sales, so it isn't too much different than being an affiliate.
I had purchased the Power 90, which is one step below P-90X (the Power 90 and P-90X are both by Tony Horton) because I wanted to get into better shape, and be able to do something indoors when the weather gets too cold to bike. In spite of doing a lot of biking this past summer, I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I was this time last year, so it was time to do something different and modify my workouts.
After doing a few of the Power 90 workouts, I wanted to see if they had an affiliate program, and to my surprise, they didn't, but I found out about the "coaching" program through Beachbody.com. So, I was like "crap!", but because their workout videos are well known and not some obscure vitamin no one has heard about - not to mention effective (although I'm not really too excited about marketing their supplements since I'm pretty much anti supplement, but oh well), I figured I would make an exception and go for it.
So...looks like I have a lot of work to do, in terms of updating my existing affiliate websites and starting from scratch with Beachbody. It should be fun though - glad I have multiple monitors this time around! Guess I will see you guys around the forum!
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Vishal P. Rao
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1354
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#6 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 22:11 · Edited by: Vishal P. Rao
Glad to have you back Keith
To be frank I'm not able to digest this concept of using multiple monitors. Can you expound a bit on this? Do you mean attaching two monitors to a same PC? Why not two PCs instead? Doesn't multi-tasking reduce efficiency?
getagrip: For about three years, I have owned a laptop, but working from a laptop isn't always the best way to go, and can be rather tedious, especially when you are toggling back and forth from one website to another. The keyboard on a laptop is also not very ideal for typing.
I use a laptop and I know the problem of using it's keyword/trackpad for long durations. Hence I have attached both an external keyboard and a mouse. This way, I use it just like a desktop. When I'm traveling, I simply remove the external keyboard, but I still carry the mouse.
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getagrip
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 2086
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#7 · Posted: 29 Oct 2010 22:33 · Edited by: getagrip
Yes, attaching two monitors the same PC. I'm give you an an example of how this could be helpful.
Let's say you are writing an article, and need to create content. If you have one monitor, you might have Microsoft Word open, and in the background, Internet Explorer open so that you can run the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. You might also have a seperate tab open within Internet Explorer to view articles other people have written so that you can get ideas on what to write for your own article. If you only had one monitor, you have to toggle back and forth from Microsoft Word back to Internet Explorer, which can be quite tedious.
However, if you have two monitors, you can have Microsoft Word open on one monitor so that you can write your article, and Internet Explorer open on another monitor so that you can do your research. So, you don't have to toggle back and forth - it just allows you to multi task a little bit easier.
It wouldn't be much of a benefit if you were only using one application at a time - it becomes beneficial when you are using different applications at the same time, or if you have two internet browsers open at the same time. Make sense?
Try it some time - you might like it!
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Vishal P. Rao
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1354
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#8 · Posted: 31 Oct 2010 22:30
OK got it! Thanks for explaining that to me
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markdudek
Forums Member
Joined: 4 Dec 2010
Posts: 25
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#9 · Posted: 7 Dec 2010 02:48
Hello There!
I use two monitors all the time. Windows XP onwards supports this feature (I'm on Vista). Most laptops have a port for an external monitor, and my setup is just that - a laptop with a 19" TFT monitor plugged in the side. Getagrip is absolutely correct in saying that most modern graphics cards for desktop PC's have dual output ports, so have a look where the monitor plugs in and see if there's a spare port.
Once you have your 2nd monitor connected, you can use Windows to set how you want to use the other monitor. You can:
1. Extend your single display, thereby giving more "work" area, or
2. Have two separate displays.
I use the 2nd option, and you can then use the mouse to drag a window (browser, word processor, etc) over to the 2nd monitor, while keeping another window open on the first monitor.
So for example, you can have a full screen browser open on one monitor, and a word processor open full screen on the other!
I use it when working with Joomla CMS - I have the admin screen open on my laptop, and the normal site open in a browser on the external monitor on the right-hand side of the laptop. Then I can make changes on one, and refresh to see the full screen website on the other.
It's a great way of working and is absolutely more productive as you are not constantly switching from one window to another, or squeezing two windows together on one display. It's highly recommended!
Another possibility - the second monitor can be a large-screen TV. Most of those handle quite good resolutions these days.
Hope this is helpful!
Kind Regards,
Mark.
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reyeshane
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Joined: 2 Dec 2010
Posts: 13
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#10 · Posted: 8 Dec 2010 01:36
Well, that is possible. I know someone who attached 10 monitors to a single PC. Although the specs were increased, there is one great problem about it. PC itself runs so slow and thus, work is affected.
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markdudek
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Joined: 4 Dec 2010
Posts: 25
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#11 · Posted: 8 Dec 2010 02:52
reyeshane: I know someone who attached 10 monitors to a single PC.
10 monitors - Wow! Talk about wrap-around-displays - that'd be great for a flight-sim, albeit at 1 frame every ten seconds!
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reyeshane
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Joined: 2 Dec 2010
Posts: 13
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#12 · Posted: 8 Dec 2010 03:22
Yup! He hires employees and let them use in every monitors he have in his new office. They serve as VA also. There are developers, writers and SEO specialist.
Most of the developers/designers open PS, Adobe Illustrator and other softwares that is why they end up having slow running system.
Efficiency and quality of their work is really affected.
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