The Tekblog

"Weather you measure your productivity in facts researched, alien spaceships vaporized, or articles written, adding an extra monitor will give your output a considerable boost."

Its a proven fact that having two screens will increase productivity. If you are looking for data to justify the extra $150 – $200, New York Times has a great write-up on the subject. Also, a Microsoft Research article suggests up to a 50% productivity gain when doubling up on screens. If you haven’t taken the plunge into doubling up on monitors, you have a few options

1.) Adding  a second video card to your computer
2.) Replace the existing card with a dual monitor capable card.
3.) If you use a laptop, it should already be equipped with an additional "Video Out" and you can utilize your laptop’s screen as the secondary monitor.
4.) If you are reluctant to delve into your computer or hire a technician, you can use the Matrox DualHead2Go, or Tritton SEE2 adapters (about $169 & $99 respectively)

I think this is one of the best ways companies can get a significant productivity boost from their moderate to heavy computer users with minimal investment. If you calculate the time it takes an employee each year to flip between applications, referencing information from things like web sites or documents, it becomes easy to see how this will save time and therefore increase productivity.

I know that now when I sit at a computer that has a single-monitor, I find myself trying to drag the mouse over to a non-existent secondary screen… Once you have tried it – you wont want to go back…

For some other cool information about dual-monitor setups check out these links:

http://lifehacker.com/software/geek-to-live/make-the-most-of-your-dual-monitors-317479.php

http://dubroy.com/blog/2008/01/25/multiple-monitor-productivity-fact-or-fiction/