Hey,

It’s Pete Matheson with a new issue of Experiments in Progress.

If you’re setting up your desk right now you’ll probably default to dual monitors.

❝

That’s what everyone does.
But after using both ultrawide and dual monitors for years… I think that’s the wrong default.

🖥️ 5 Reasons I Prefer Ultrawide (After Using Both)

I’ve been using a single ultrawide for a long time now and I wouldn’t go back.

Here’s why:

1) No bezel splitting your work

With dual monitors, you’ve always got that line down the middle.

It sounds small, but it constantly breaks your focus especially for:

  • timelines

  • spreadsheets

  • editing

  • anything visual

Ultrawide has one continuous canvas.

Source: TechRadar

2) Simpler window management

Dual monitors should feel organized but in reality:

  • windows get lost

  • things open on the wrong screen

  • you’re constantly dragging stuff around

With ultrawide, everything lives in one space.

3) You actually gain usable space

With an ultrawide, you effectively get:

  • left workspace

  • right workspace

  • + a usable center area

That “middle zone” often becomes your:

  • Slack / messages

  • notes

  • reference content

It’s like getting a third monitor without adding another screen.

4) Cleaner setup and better cables

With a good ultrawide (especially Thunderbolt):

  • 1 cable → display + charging + accessories

  • fewer cables overall

  • cleaner desk

Dual monitors means more cables, more complexity, more mess.

5) Hardware has caught up

Ultrawide used to be niche. Now there are serious options:

⚠️ Where Dual Monitors Still Win

There are a few cases where dual monitors still make more sense:

🎮 Gaming

  • Not all games support ultrawide resolutions

  • Can lead to stretching / black bars / weird UI

🧩 Strict separation workflows

If you need:

  • completely separate environments

  • different inputs (e.g. 2 computers)

  • or dedicated “one app per screen” setups

Dual monitors can be better.

🎯 Quick Decision Guide

If you…

Go for

Why

You want a clean, simple setup

✅ Ultrawide (34”–45”)

Everything lives in one place

You hate dealing with windows and dragging apps around

✅ Ultrawide

Easier window management

You want the best “flow” when working

✅ Ultrawide

No bezel breaking your focus

You work mostly on one machine

✅ Ultrawide

One cable, less setup friction

You want maximum immersion (and have space)

⚠️ Large ultrawide (49”–57”)

Incredible, but can be overkill

You need strict separation between tasks or screens

⚠️ Dual monitors

Clear split between workflows

You regularly use multiple devices (e.g. 2 laptops)

⚠️ Dual monitors

Easier to dedicate one screen per device

You’re mainly using it for gaming

❌ Usually dual monitors

Better compatibility across games

📱 Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with a friend who’s as obsessed with tech as you are:

In this episode of Aspiring Creator, I break down why YouTube views are quietly collapsing for established creators and why it’s not just “bad content” or “a slow week.”

Something bigger is shifting.

  • Why established channels are seeing views drop (even when content is strong)

  • The shift from subscriber distribution → algorithm-first discovery

  • What “good metrics, bad views” really means (and why it’s happening more)

  • Why you might not even be reaching your own audience anymore

  • The two failed monitor videos and what they revealed about the system

  • How I’m thinking about content strategy differently because of this

🎧 New episodes every Wednesday

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