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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