OT: Need recommendation for a computer monitor

[weaponsgrade]

I need a recommendation for a large computer monitor. I've been using dual 22 inch displays and am finding that I really don't like that setup because of how the bezels separate the displays.

I'm open to any size - 27, 30, 34 inch or whatever. I don't play any games.

The main requirement is that I need to be able to have an MS Word doc open on one side of the screen and something like a PDF document displayed on the other side of the screen where that PDF document might be displayed in landscape mode.

If it matters, the display will be connected to a Mac Mini with a Thunderbolt port and running Windows within a VM.

[kramnnim]

Not sure if you're more concerned about quality vs price, but techbargains, dealnews and slickdeals are good places to find discounts/sales.

Jet.com has 20% off your first order, coupon code "20OFF", could save you up to $50...

[weaponsgrade]

Thanks, I'll check out those sites. Since most of my day is spent staring at the screen I'm prioritizing viewing quality over price. I'm willing to fork out the coin for the Apple Thunderbolt display. But it seems to be much more expensive than other 27 inch monitors and I don't think I need all the fancy options it comes with. Also, according to MacRumors the Thunderbolt display is due for an update.

I'm not doing any kind of Photoshop work or watching movies. I'm just looking for something that displays text well and is big enough to have one document in portrait mode and an adjacent document in landscape mode.

[R3awak3n]

Don't buy an apple display, it's overpriced and overkill for what you want.

I would look into a 27in screen, make sure the resolution is over 1920x1080, you want one with 2560x1440. I would also make sure it's an IPS panel, better color reproduction than the cheaper monitors which tend to be TN. Now a days you can get good deals on monitors with these specs , I would look into dell, asus and if you want to spend a little more check out nec.

If you want something bigger you can go 30 in, usually have a bit more resolution. Or you can look into 4K displays but for what you are doing I would skip 4K, it would be really overkill.

Edit - just retread your post, maybe you should invest in a 4K screen, resolution is almost 4 times what a 1440p screen offers and you could easily open 2 documents next to each other. You can probably do that with 1440p but it's going to be tight

[R3awak3n]

Remember, size of the screen does not matter, what maters is the resolution.

[grawk]

the bigger 1440p curved displays are a good replacement for dual 22s, and can be had reasonably. Watch monoprice and the various deal sites (dealnews, slickdeals, techbargains). If you're not gaming you can get some great deals.

[weaponsgrade]

Awesome, this is what I needed to hear. These 4k monitors seem to be still just around half the price of the Thunderbolt display. Thanks!

[R3awak3n]

check out microcenter if you have a local one. You can go there and check out the screen, I love microcenter because unlike bestbuy, people know a little more and you can get really nice deals in store.

However there are not a lot of them so you might not have a local one to you.

[biker72]

Dell outlet has some pretty good deals.

[donevwil]

I bought a 27" BenQ for home last year at the rec. of the IT guy at work, who was impressed with the quality for the price. He'd bought a few for our Engineering work stations. Newegg had the best price and free shipping at the time, I think it was on sale at $199. 1920 x 1080 @ 1ms. Best $199 ever spent if you spend a lot of time on a computer. I would have gone larger, but 27" was the price vs size sweet spot and any larger was much bigger $$.

[rkhatibi]

Decent information in this guide and I've had decent luck with the Dell U monitors over the years. http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-27-inch-monitor/

[Likes2ridefar]

Remember, size of the screen does not matter, what maters is the resolution.

Not really. I have a 13" macbook pro with retina screen and an asus 25" with the same res. It is pretty easy to have four or so usable windows open vs one on the laptop.

[R3awak3n]

Not really. I have a 13" macbook pro with retina screen and an asus 25" with the same res. It is pretty easy to have four or so usable windows open vs one on the laptop.

did you adjust your resolution on the mac? Default is not set for max resolution since it makes everything so small.

Also, lets not compare a screen that is 13in to one that is 25in. They can have the same resolution and display exactly the same thing but the 13 will be too small to be usable. When it comes to 27-34 then it does not matter as much but there is a reason why 4k screens come in bigger sizes, bigger resolutions work better with bigger screens

[Likes2ridefar]

did you adjust your resolution on the mac? Default is not set for max resolution since it makes everything so small.

Also, lets not compare a screen that is 13in to one that is 25in. They can have the same resolution and display exactly the same thing but the 13 will be too small to be usable. When it comes to 27-34 then it does not matter as much but there is a reason why 4k screens come in bigger sizes, bigger resolutions work better with bigger screens

So screen size does matter.

[MattTuck]

I'm open to any size - 27, 30, 34 inch or whatever. I don't play any games.



I love how this statement can be interpreted two ways.

[fuzzalow]

Sorta hafta have higher resolutions with a bigger every screen. Unless there is felt a need for constant immersion in Lichtenstein.

http://h.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/620x350/poster/2012/10/3002515-poster-642-new-roy-lichtenstein-retrospective-takes-stock-pop-art-icon.jpg