Updated workplace

This year marks 10 years since I switched from desktop computers to laptops. And I'm tired of it )))) I really love desktop computers!

In general, I decided to gradually return to the desktop.

I decided to start with a monitor, and bought a SAMSUNG ViewFinity S6 High Resolution Monitor (34", Curved) LS34A650UBEXXT.

The monitor is large – 34 inches. It is also ultra-wide and curved.

3440×1440 resolution (that's more than 2K, but less than 4K). The maximum refresh rate is 100 Hz. It supports 1.07 billion colors. 4,000:1 contrast ratio (it's a VA panel type, they can do that).

Well, in short, it’s cool. In choosing, I was guided more by the characteristics than by the price.

I already like big and wide monitors. But my wife told me to pay attention to the curved ones. I asked her: “why do you like curved monitors?”

She answered: “very Hi-Tech”.

As they say, you can't argue.

USB Type-C cable to monitor for video signal, USB hub, network connection and laptop charging

The monitor has a USB Type-C connector, well, it would seem, for a USB hub. Yes, the monitor has 3 USB sockets, and it's really convenient to connect a keyboard and mouse to them so as not to pull a lot of wires to the system unit or laptop.

But besides this, this monitor supports receiving a video signal from a laptop via USB Type-C. That is, the same wire can be used both for a USB hub and for video signal transmission – HDMI is not needed!

But that's not all. The monitor also has a LAN RJ-45 jack port for connecting to a network. That is, if your computer does not have this connector, then connect the network cable to the monitor. Data will be transferred via the already mentioned USB Type-C.

But that's not all again! The monitor, while transmitting data and receiving a video signal, can charge a laptop through the same USB Type-C cable.

That's really “very Hi-Tech”.

How comfortable are large widescreen curved monitors for working and watching movies

Comfortable! It takes some time to develop (and in my case remember) the habit of placing application windows in different areas of the screen instead of constantly switching between applications on the taskbar. After that, productivity increases.

It makes no sense to maximize applications such as a text editor or a web browser to full window size. It is more convenient to place them in the center with a width of about 1/3 of the screen, and on the sides you can place windows with reference material or other information necessary for work.

Still unexpectedly for myself, I started using Workspaces (virtual tables). The Cinnamon desktop environment (I'm on Arch Linux) has finally got this feature to work. Previously, applications from all virtual desktops were simultaneously on the taskbar and switching between them was constantly confusing. Now only those applications that are open on this virtual desktop are displayed on the taskbar. Well, that is, it's as if you are reallly changing to another computer, on which completely different programs are running to perform other work.

I heard the opinion that when watching movies at some distance from the monitor, the curvature is not felt in any way. For me this is not the case: sometimes I forget that the screen is curved and in some scenes there is a sense of depth and 3D.

Comfortable at close range too.

Impressions from using the SAMSUNG ViewFinity S6 LS34A650UBEXXT monitor

I liked the monitor.

Very bright and colorful picture.

Convenient for work and watching movies.

I definitely recommend it.

Return to desktop

Since when buying a monitor I also planned to watch movies on it, I also bought external 2.1 speakers (a sub-woofer and 2 satellites). Movies on the big screen with bad sound are a waste of time. Good sound makes a big difference in immersion.

I bought Microlab TMN9-BT speakers. I am satisfied with the sound: excellent sound and bass.

I have a fairly powerful (for its time) laptop with an Intel i7 CPU (6 physical, 12 logical cores), 32 GB of RAM. I recently changed the second drive to an SSD (and the system drive was originally an M.2 PCIe/NVMe SSD). And for my work, he copes with all the necessary tasks.

But since my laptop will celebrate its fifth anniversary this August, some modern features are missing from it.

For example, I talked about the possibility of transmitting a video signal and charging via USB Type-C. Well, my laptop doesn't support it. Its USB Type-C port can only transmit and receive data, but not video signal or charging.

But this is not very important. More importantly, my laptop has HDMI version 1.4, which is not enough for HDR (a technology that makes scenes brighter based on the metadata transmitted from the video).

So, the monitor supports HDR, the CPU and video card meet the requirements for HDR support in terms of characteristics. But due to HDMI 1.4, there is not enough bandwidth for HDR. Therefore, I failed to appreciate the beauty of HDR. Of course, you can remember that the Linux OS does not yet support HDR at all (you need to boot into Windows), and I can console yourself with this for now.

But I have already thought about changing my laptop. I will buy a desktop.

The workplace is not only a computer

Everything else for me is the same as before.

I live in a house with a pool.

And two gyms (the second in the opposite building).