There’ve been several posts lately about monitors. Ben Brooks ditched his extra monitor, but that only worked a few days. Brett Terpstra had a similar experience. Al Gore’s desk has so many monitors that it feels like his office should be on a secret island. Eddie Smith summed it up nicely. I really don’t think there is a right or wrong way about this. Like many things, it depends.

In my case, I’ve worked with multiple monitor setups in the past and it’s never stuck with me. My problem is that multiple monitors just feel noisy with information everywhere. Also, I don’t like the way that looking straight ahead, you don’t seen the center of a screen but instead a seam between two different screens. (I get that there is a way to avoid this but don’t like that option either.) All of my computers, ranging from a 27” iMac down to a 13” MacBook Air are single monitor machines. So how far do I go with this? I do most of my computing at the day job at a standing desk with nothing but 13 inches of computer screen to work with. From there, I am tunneled into a PC with Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection and have several other screens (Safari, OmniFocus, PDFpen Pro) running all day in their own spaces. Lion makes this easier than ever before. One of the advantages of working this way is that when I am working with dead tree paper, I can just close the lid on my MacBook and stick it in a drawer. I love doing that.

I think the ability to work with fewer monitors is a function of what I do on a computer: Mainly, research and writing. It seems web designers and programmers have a genuine need for the additional real estate that I don’t find necessary. I also cheat on occaision. For example, when dictating to my Mac I use my iPad to reference research, PDFs, and e-mails so, in that regard, the iPad does occaisionally serve duty as a sort of second screen.

John Siracusa gets so much right in this podcast about Steve’s passing and what it should mean to you, today. This one is must listen in my book.

I recently did an interview with the Law Technology News magazine about what to do when technology goes wrong at trial. I talked about the time I pulled out my remote and found its batteries dead. Also, of the numerous professionals interviewed I managed to be the only one to use the word “dork.”

When the Mac Power Users recorded its recent Mail show, I lamented about the trouble with full screen Mail and writing new messages. Specifically, the compose window is modal and takes over the screen so if you want to refer to a prior e-mail you have exit full screen or cancel the composition.

Reader Sunit figured out a work around. While composing an e-mail in full screen, pressing ⌘⌥N creates a new mail view window. You can search, block, and copy to your hearts delight and then return to the screen with your e-mail composition.

The 5by5 hosts, including yours truly, created a podcast with our memories and thoughts about Steve. It is most definitely worth your time.

After the iPhone 4S announcement, I did the podcast circuit and talked about how Tim seemed a little wooden in his impossible job of succeeding Steve Jobs as Apple pitchman. When I said that, I had no idea how sick Steve was or how near he was to the end.

But Tim did.

Tim Cook stood up there and talked about his love for Apple while his friend was near, dying. And he announced the iPhone 4S. Everyone of those guys that took that stage knew this while we were all obsessing on wedge shapes and megapixels. Superhuman.

Go back and watch the video again. You’ll finish it knowing Tim Cook is the right guy.

My sincere condolences go out to the Jobs family and all of Steve’s friends. Steve not only set out to change the world, he actually did it. Thanks Steve, for everything.

You can’t swing a dead cat on the Internet today without banging into someone’s opinion about Apple’s announcements earlier today. I shared a few of my opinions on the Mac Roundtable#105 and MacCast podcasts. (There is no specific link to the MacCast show as I post this.)

In summary, there are two points in my mind relevant to all the hubub.

iPhone 4S

I think this is a fine update. The phone got faster, a better antenna, a better camera with more bazillion pixels and notable low light performance, and probably countless refinements that only come from cranking out millions of prior phones with this basic design for the past year.

Siri is also intrigueing. While I was initially obsessed with Siri on my iPhone, at some point I stopped using it and I’m not really sure why. Adam Christianson (in the above MacCast podcast) explaiend this time it will be different because Siri is now so integrated with the phone. I suspect he may be right.

I think the mainstream press makes too big a deal about there being a new body design. Manufacturing essentially the same external design for two years makes a lot of sense to me in terms of manufacturing and design costs. Moreover, I like the existing design and would prefer Apple not change it into the shape of a door stop just to be different. If you are already driving an iPhone 4, you are probably just fine. If you are still using an iPhone 3GS or earlier, it’s a great upgrade. If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone, now is the time. Welcome aboard.

iCloud

I think iCloud is a really big deal. I’ve written before about iGlue. I think Apple needs to nail this. Cloud based syncing and data services is the future and it is past time for Apple to prove they can deliver. For some reason, I just felt like they should have said more than, “Here comes iCloud and it’s awesome.” However, in hindsight, what should Apple have done? Shown the server schematics or provide the current bandwidth of each facility? I guess we just have to wait and see how things go next week.

Even with Apple’s billions, I can’t imagine there won’t be hiccups as they move forward with this iCloud initiative. I’m going to keep an open mind about it and reserve judgment for a few months.

If Apple makes it work, I think it will bring cloud syncing to a big group of people who have never used it before. Think of the non-geeks in your life and think about explaining to them the steps involved with setting up a Dropbox account, getting their files into a Dropbox folder and then transitioning those files to their iPad with a Dropbox app.

iCloud throws all that out. Work on a file on the Mac and then pick up where you left off on your iPad. If it works, it will be awesome. It is not much longer until we find out.

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