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There are many reasons to pick a laptop over a desktop.
The biggest two are typically its size (it's far smaller) and portability (moving a desktop around is tedious, trust me.)
But there is something laptop users give up: screen real estate.
To be small and light, most laptops are made with a 13" or 15" display. That's fine for working on the go, but is suboptimal when sitting down at a desk to get work down.
I use an external display at home and work, and it's the only way I'll ever use a laptop moving forward. There are two different approaches to using a laptop with an external display, and I use both on a daily basis. Each style has its own merits.
Using both displays
At work I use laptop with its lid open, so I can use both my laptop's screen and an external display simultaneously. I keep both the laptop and monitor at the same height by using a stack of books and a laptop stand, respectively.
Because they're relatively close to one another, I can quickly glance over at my laptop's screen without having to crane my neck. Monitor configuration and placement are key to making a setup like this work; if you're constantly moving your head around, it's going to cause you discomfort.
The biggest benefit to using this setup is that I can do my primary work on my larger monitor, and keep static applications like Slack open on my laptop's display. It saves time to quickly glance over if I receive a notification (sometimes they're addressing an entire channel and I don't need to respond) rather than shifting away from what I'm working on.
Acer 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor, $124.99, available at Amazon
Using a single, large display
My use cases at home are different. I don't have to use Slack (unless I'm sick, or working from home), so I opted for using a single, big monitor. Instead of keeping my laptop open, I leave it closed in a space-saving vertical stand, and thread all the wires I use around my desk.
The benefit to this system is that I have a lot more room to work with; not only is my monitor 28" large, it's 4K. Those extra pixels come in handy when I'm working on a video or photo project, or when I used to do some limited layout work using Adobe InDesign.
A single, larger monitor can also be used to view a lot of information at once. That became even more relevant now that Mac OS and Windows have "app snapping" features that let you view two apps side by side. Being able to read your research and write without switching between apps can save you a lot of time.
As a bonus, the monitor I use has two HDMI ports, and is large enough to be used as a TV for game consoles or a streaming box. In fact, I used this monitor as my primary TV for over a year and a half.
ASUS 28" 4K/UHD Monitor, $397.92, available at Amazon
The bottom line
Few people think it's worth the initial expense, but using my laptop with a monitor has made me more productive. I had to learn how to shuffle my workflows around a little bit to best take advantage of the additional display (or space), but it was time well spent. As I said earlier, now that I use my laptop in this way, I'll almost never use it on its own again.
Acer 24-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor, $124.99, available at Amazon
ASUS 28" 4K/UHD Monitor, $397.92, available at Amazon
Brandt Ranj Brandt is a tech reporter for Business Insider. He previously worked as an associate editor for ReadRetro.com. He graduated with a degree in journalism from Le Moyne College in 2013. Read more Read less Read the original article on Insider Picks. Copyright 2017. Follow Insider Picks on Twitter.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnpJqwqXvHqK5moV2eu6S%2BxJqqnpxdosZuvNGom66bpJ7DqsDYZpitZaekv6x5kWlocGVh