More monitors aren’t better — do this instead

Picture four 27-inch monitors bolted to stands across one desk. That was my setup for way too long. Behind them, the cables had basically welded themselves into a single mass I stopped trying to untangle. My MacBook Pro’s fan was loud enough to compete with whatever I had playing through my speakers. My neck hurt every single day. I kept adding screens because that’s what I thought you were supposed to do if you wanted to get more done. I’ve since discovered that one well-chosen display can outperform a multi-monitor battlestation, and I’ve picked up some additional tricks that might save you real money and a lot of desk space.