The best hardware setup for software engineers
When I'm writing software I usually have the following windows open, all at the same time:
- 2 column layout VS Code (window = 2560 x 2160)
- A fullscreen-equivalent browser with usable console to see what I'm working on (window = 1920 x 2160)
- A large terminal window (window = 2560 x 1440)
- Chat GPT (window = 2560 x 1440)
- A full-screen browser with all the stuff I'm researching (window = 2560 x 2880)
I find tabbing between windows to be a great destroyer of productivity, so I've spent a good deal of time and money over the last few years iterating on a hardware setup that lets me see everything at once. Today, it looks like this:
I went through a number of iterations when it comes to monitors. For a long time I used dual 32" 4K IPS screens, but even that wasn't quite enough pixels. It's hard to physically fit more than 2 32" screens on a desk - they're too wide already, and it would not be ergonomic to mount them above each other.