Which is the best way to put laptop and monitor on the desk opinions

Pit36

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Jan 27, 2015
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I use my laptop with a 25 inch monitor and have them both on my desk. I use the monitor as the main screen. I have and a wireless keyboard which i don't use at the moment and i think to start using it but i don't want to occupy a lot of space. How do you suggest to put them on the desk so that the cables are also not that visible?
For exampe: Would it be better to have the monitor in the middle and the laptop on the left side and put a wireless keyboard or have the monitor on the left side and use the keyboard of the laptop which doesn't really feels comfortable to me?
I want it to look neat but also to be comfortable and not occupy all the space on the desk.
I ask your opinions because i don't really know what to do. I tried both and they seem fine except that using the laptop's keyboard is a bit uncomfortable in both cases.
 
When you put the laptop to the side, are you leaving the lid open? I usually set the laptop so the graphics are on the separate monitor only, not being mirrored or dual-use, and in the Windows power options I change the setting for the lid so closing it doesn't do anything. So basically the laptop screen is off, the lid is closed, but the laptop is on and functioning with the graphics showing on the big monitor.

Then I turn the laptop so it's side-on to me and push it back under the monitor to one side or the other, so that the cables are mostly concealed under or behind the monitor. Then I put my wireless keyboard right in front of the monitor.

This may or may not work for you depending on your desk configuration, but works dandy for me.
 

Pit36

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Jan 27, 2015
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The laptop's screen is deactivated and i use the monitor's screen as you do. I want to put the laptop so that when i close the lid it does nothing but the fans spin like crazy all the time and it's annoying. Is there something i could do?
 
First thing is make sure that the fans and cooling vanes (metal fins just inside the exhaust vent) are free of dust (canned air, q-tips). If the intake vents are on the bottom, try propping the back edge of the laptop up 1/2" or so, to give your intake fans better access to cool air. If having the lid closed or open makes a difference in the fan behavior, instead of closing it completely, leave it slightly open - not enough to get in the way, but enough so air is flowing between the lid and base.

What model laptop are you using and how old is it?
 

Pit36

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Jan 27, 2015
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When i close the lid and put it to hibernation the fans stop spinning. When i open it after some time they start spinning. The laptop is new and there is no problem with dust.
 
The usual default settings in Power Options for what the laptop does when you close the lid is Sleep or Standby, or Hibernate. Change this setting to Nothing. (Just remember that you've changed the setting, so if you want it to go to Sleep or Hibernate, you'll need to do it manually.)

What model laptop is it?
 
I put my second screen above my laptop, wall mounted (though you could also use a box or something - the stand usually isn't high enough). This means that your keyboard is in line with the monitor, and the screen's cables are hidden by the laptop. The laptop's ones are too, if you have rear ports or a docking station.

Also means you get dual displays. Which is nice (though apparently some people have trouble with the differences in pixel density).