My experience of iPhone development has become less pleasant as my project has grown, and I think a lot of it has to do with working on all the code (and with Interface Builder) in just 13″ inches of screen. In an attempt to resolve that, I’ve set up a third monitor on my desk for the MacBook. Here’s what I have running on my desk now:
- Left: 20″ 1600×1200 Dell LCD for OS X
- Centre: 22″ 1680×1050 Philips LCD for Windows (main)
- Right: 17″ 1280×1024 Dell LCD for Windows (aux)
On the main display I’ll usually have what I’m focusing on, be it code or debugging or 3ds Max. On the aux display I’ll have documentation or email client open usually. I’m writing this in a window on it now.
I also have 2 keyboards and 2 mice, which is proving tricky to get totally comfortable with. I’ve done it before with a curved desk, so I can swivel from one machine to the other, but it’s not so easy on a desk like this. What would be ideal is some sort of stand which could elevate one keyboard over the other a few inches. For writing code, I don’t think the discomfort of missing wrist support would be so much of a problem, since my elbows are supported in the chair anyway.
