A comparison between single and dual monitor productivity and the effects of window management styles on performance

Abstract

Several research studies have been published on user opinion and productivity of using dual monitor systems. These studies found that users typically enjoy using multiple monitors, but none found a strong increase in performance and productivity. Other researchers have focused on improving multiple monitor usability, but often without any statistical framework. This study compared single and dual monitor productivity measures: task time, cursor movement, and number of window switches. Additionally, window management styles (WMS) were studied in order to help designers understand user behavior better. WMS were broken into two categories, toggler and resizer, and then compared to the WMS created by Kang and Stasko (2008). The results of the research showed a significant difference between the number of open applications and a significant difference between single and dual monitors for the number of window switches. The only significant difference between the toggler and resizer WMS was the number of window switches, which was an interaction between the styles and the tasks. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.