Lawyer needs advice about monitor purchase

mrjazzitup

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Jun 14, 2013
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hey guys I'm a newb. I looked at the basic TN/IPS... page and need some practical advice from the pros.

I need to purchase a monitor to use it at my office for mainly looking at word docs, pdfs and maybe even some CAD files. I will not be doing any gaming and hardly any media other than simple graphics. The monitors has to be big enough so I can view two documents side by side so I think a 24-27 range is a fair estimate. I guess IPS or SIPS is what I gleaned from my research, to be the reasonable option. Since I will be doing lot of viewing on the monitor day in and day out I need something that is not going to strain my eyes, and has to be reliable. I don't care about brands and I hear some Korean models use the Apple studio monitors so I would be inclined to consider them since Apple monitors seem to have a more crisp quality to them.

My constraints are that I am using a laptop and my budget is between $200-$300.

Anyways I've been looking at the following models and any advice would be appreciated.

$300 range


1) Dell S2740L - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412894,00.asp

2) AOC i2757fh - http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2412690,00.asp

3) Asus MX279H - http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php...4U6FTAA9hRa+Ly2a3nv/x9Ai3DuPugv8u34Pw1Ix/Q4Q#




$200 range


4) Acer G276HL Dbd - http://3btech.net/acg2dbd27wil.html

5) NEC MultiSync LCD2490WUXi - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEC-MultiSy...9674?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item1c3381f6fa

6) ViewSonic VX2770mh-LED - http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VX2770SMH-LED-PB-R


Thanks so much for the information.
 
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Get the HP Envy or HP 27XI, both are glossy and will have the clearest text out the 1080p models selected.

The Dell is extremely reflective since it uses glass which you may find annoying and the rest have somewhat grainy matte coatings

If you are willing to order from ebay there are tons of 2560x1440 resolution IPS panels available for around 300$ and the Qnix QX2710 & X-Star DP2710 have matte versions with grain free matte coatings.
 
Thanks NCX.

I checked the ebay monitors you suggested but they are incompatible with Laptops. Those are some good looking monitors but I need to use it with my business level laptop.

I also checked reviews on the HP 27XI on pcmag.com and one of the cons is that it is glossy and reflects rays of the sun.
 
I can only recommend option 5 - but for your uses it might be overkill, i.e. offer a lot of features which you'll never need - and again, it's a used monitor, but at $200 a steal if the seller is honest. So one should make sure it doesn't have tons of hours of use, is discolored/tinted etc. It's always a bit of a risk, especially those used for corporate purposes .
I'm using one myself and would definitely not trade it for anything else at the moment due to it's spot on picture quality, scaler, colorcomp and hardware calibration possibilities. My next monitor will hopefully be an OLED based monitor once they become available and price decreases somewhat.

If you're going to be viewing two documents side by side most of the time you'd really prefer the 2560 pixels over the 1920, but the oprimal would probably be two pivot'able screens next to each other, allowing you to fit one page to the whole screen. 1920x1080 at 27" is going to be annying for text work, and office + glossy rarely mixes well for fatigue-less reading/programming at least. I've tried, and won't do it again.
 
The only monitor on your list that I can comment directly on is also the NEC 2490, as that is what I use. As stated already, it's probably overkill for what you want, but if you find one at a decent price from a reputable reseller, it's worth considering.

A couple of tips if you go the 2490 route:
Don't get one with the touchscreen installed (like the one you listed), unless you are prepared to tear the monitor open and get the touchscreen off. I bought a 2190 to use as a secondary (NEC 2490's smaller brother in VA form), which had a touchscreen on it, and after removing it I was surprised at just how big a difference it made. Besides causing glare, it really mutes the entire image.

Make sure it's the 1st revision... 2nd is worse without the polarizer.

I prefer crtsurplus as a reseller for 2490s, as they list the hours used and aren't the touchscreen variety (at least usually). Ideally look for one with < 10K hours, but I wouldn't go over 15K, unless it was an amazing deal.

And it'll have a medium type of coating, similar to what S-PVAs used to use. So it's not light, but not insanely heavy either ... which is probably fine for office work.

Another option, which is out of your pricerange most likely, is the Samsung 24" PLS model. Most have bleed problems, however, but if used just for text in a well lit environment, a bit of bleed may not matter to you. But I think those are around $370+. And there is also the NEC EA244WMI, which will be around $380.

For text stuff, my personal preference are dual monitors. And that way I can keep one turned off when I don't need it ... saves my eyeballs some strain. But that too may be more than what you want to spend. I'm also not so sure your laptop could support dual displays.
 
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Thank you guys for all your information.
It looks like I have to consider getting a new computer as well if I want to use one of the high end monitors because they use mostly DVI connector. My laptop only comes with a VGA connector and has an integrated video card which probably will not allow for viewing in 2500 res scale. So I think I will probably look into those Korean monitors or in the alternative, the used NEC models.

Since now the laptop use no longer a barrier, would your advice change at this point?
 
I do a lot of text work as well, and in my experience:

1. Look at the environment in which you plan to use the computer. Is there overhead lighting that you can't control very well (no dimming, etc.)? Are there windows that might introduce glare or excessive contrast?

2. Pay attention to the ergonomic adjustments of the monitor's stand. Monitors in portrait mode work well for document reading, but they usually require multi-monitor setups, which you will only be able to do with your laptop.

If you live in North America, you should consider getting one of the Eizo refurbs direct from their site:

http://www.eizo.com/na/purchase/direct/monitors.html

I recommend the FlexScan S2233WH-BK. It's $150 + shipping.

Benefits:

1. Excessively adjustable stand. You can position this monitor pretty much any way that you want.

2. VA panel. Good contrast, good viewing angles.

3. Excellent brightness control. You can reduce the brightness and contrast on Eizo's to extremely low levels -- the opposite of what most marketing stuff highlights, but critical for eye comfort when dealing with text, especially in dimly lit environments. Seriously, you may end up most comfortable reading text on a monitor at 80cd/m2 brightness and 50:1 contrast ratio.

Drawbacks:

1. Only 1680x1050 resolution. You can't realistically view two documents side by side. Good, but not great, use in portrait mode. 1600x1200 would be much better in portrait; 1920x1200 or greater is better for landscape.

2. It's a refurb, with limited warranty and possible backlight issues.

3. Lacks fancy inputs, but has DVI and VGA.

You should also buy a bias lighting kit. Antec sells one for very cheap, USB powered. Buy it and stick it to the back of your monitor. Eye strain is generally caused by excessive and frequent shifts in perceived contrast. Staring at a bright monitor, then looking away at a dark room. Or staring at a dark monitor then looking away through an open window. Your eyes struggle to deal with the different quantity and temperature of light. Bias lighting softens the transition between the monitor and its environment.

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Halo-LED-Bias-Lighting/dp/B0053B347M/
 
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Although I expect many of the newer models are DVI or HDMI only, the NEC 2490 certainly has a VGA input. If you get one with the original cables, it even comes with a VGA - DVI (analog) cable. Models like the NEC EA244WM and Samsung 850 also have VGA inputs.

But I do not know if your laptop can handle 1920x1200. If it can do 1080p, I'd guess it probably can manage the xtra 120 pixels. But check its specs and what resolutions are available to be sure. It may save you the cost of buying a new laptop.

VGA won't be as clear as DVI, but if that's what you have been using up to now, it may be fine to you.

As for the Eizo refurb, it's S-PVA. I have a hard time recommending any S-PVA for primarily text work, due to the dual pixel structure -- it doesn't play very well with cleartype. I have a S-PVA as my secondary, and although it's a subtle difference in text quality to IPS, it is noticeable. If he is getting a monitor for text work, I'd think a light coated IPS would be the best option.
 
Site Error ... lag/time outs caused multiple posts. Moderator please delete these extras.
 
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How about the FORIS_FS2332 by Ezio. Their website seems to be glitchy, sometimes links work and sometimes they are broken. I emailed them about it and for more info about ordering the monitors

In any case I think I will end up buying a desktop multidrive unit for data backup systems setup on a RAID format. I was thinking of purchasing a NAS drive but If I am going to go that route and spend $300 then maybe I can get a Dell PowerEdge that will allow for multiple HD support on a RAID controller and also give me the option of adding a PCIE card for DVI video output. I would use my laptop when mobile but utilize the desktop system for day to day work.

I checked out the Korean monitors, the Shimmian, Qnix and Xstar which seem to be geared towards gamers although they are using the Apple Cinema LCD. Apparently the quality of these units is a variable, some have different frequency set and maybe some pixels are bad. Also aesthetically and ergonomically may not be very pleasing and the OSD functionality is non existent or very minimal. Not sure if its good for my office use, what do you think?
 
The 2332 is a nice monitor, but keep in mind it's geared towards gaming/multimedia. The key difference is it's 16:9. For text work, most prefer the extra vertical space, so a 16:10 (or even 4:3) is preferred. I'm also not sure if the 2332 has a height adjustable stand.

To give you some perspective, a 23" 16:9 will have a touch less vertical height than the older 19" 5:4 displays have.

It also depends on what sort of documents you will be using. If they are all wide types of documents, it may not matter. But for most people, extra vertical space helps. If it was me, I'd stick to 16:10, or go big at 27" 1440p ... which is 16:9, but it's large enough where that may not matter so much.
 
I use a 24 inch 1920x1200 display for text work all day long.

PDFs alongside Word docs. For reference.
Word Docs alongside Word docs. For reference and to copy from one to the other.
Sometimes, Excel files alongside Word docs. For reference.

No way would I go with dual screens. Tried it, not for me. Too much screwing around.

As you go up the scale of display sizes, 24 inch 1920X1200 is the first size that allows you to display the Word doc at actual 8 1/2 x 11 size.

24 inch 1920x1200 allows a nearly ideal dot pitch. The next step up in resolution does not, and for me at least would result in eyestrain. Research dot pitch if you need to; it's important.

Do not be put off by FUD concerning S-PVA and text. I use a Samsung 244t S-PVA display all day long and it's fine. I also own an NEC LCD2490 WUxi and have compared it. The 244t has a bit stronger contrast but that's all.

The main thing is to iron out the kinks in your workflow. Getting two pages side by side is useful. I've been tempted to go a little larger to make it even easier to read but I guess that crosses the line into Adobe RGB territory. Before you do that, in any event, think about twisting your neck to look at the edges of the screen.
 
i had my 1200p monitor connected with vga and i must say it really took away most of the crispness compared with hdmi. I dont know if it may be better with 1080p or something. But I dont think it will be worth buying anything other than the cheapest monitor, unless you plan on upgrading to hdmi or dvi soon.
 
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The response to S-PVA text will vary, and in SD45's case, it evidently doesn't bother him at all. I just want the OP to be aware of it.

I have an IPS screen right next to a S-PVA, so can certainly see a difference. For some, it may not matter, for others it may bug them. It is somewhat subtle, so it won't bother everyone. But if staring at text for hours on end, it may matter. I do notice that if I crank up the brightness on the S-PVA, the text issue isn't as bad ... although then my eyeballs get fried, so it's trading one issue for another.

And it's also probably moot, as there are barely any S-PVA displays being made nowadays anyway, and no new 24" 16:10 VAs that I am aware of.
 
From personal experience with PLP 20-30-20 a 20" 1600x1200 portrait does a letter size sheet at over 100% scaling. As a lawyer you need 8.5"x14" so in theory a 24" 1920x1200 portrait would be best for legal-sized documents. Since you want to see 2 pages side-by-side dual monitor is the only practical method if scaling is important to you, at least until 40" 4K monitors become available. Either way you will have to get a new computer.
 
I will be purchasing a new desktop with a video card capable of DVI/VGA and HDMI outputs. Because my documents will mostly be in 8.5x11 I think a 1900x1200 res is the best solution on a 24 inch screen. I guess if the NEC 2490wuxi is priced reasonably, I will purchase it. on this model is a 45k hour use too much? http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEC-24-1-Mu...8500?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item27d3262b04

Is it worth it? seems to be a lot of hours on it.

What would be the next best model to the NEC?
 
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The NEC EA244WMI uses an IPS panel, has a lighter matte coating and is a less risky purchase.
 
I will be purchasing a new desktop with a video card capable of DVI/VGA and HDMI outputs. Because my documents will mostly be in 8.5x11 I think a 1900x1200 res is the best solution on a 24 inch screen. I guess if the NEC 2490wuxi is priced reasonably, I will purchase it. on this model is a 45k hour use too much? http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEC-24-1-Mu...8500?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item27d3262b04

Is it worth it? seems to be a lot of hours on it.

What would be the next best model to the NEC?

Stay away from that one. 45K hours is like 120 years old in human years. Look for less than 10K hours and ideally less than 5K hours.

There are some threads here on 24" 16:10 models, so take a look for those. There is the NEC EA244WMI, which won't have all the extras the 2490 has, nor the polarizer, but it is new. I am not sure if this model has crosshatching issues or not.

Samsung 24" PLS ... but many have bleed issues. If used just for text, not sure if that's a biggie to you. It's also expensive.

There is also the 24" BenQ BL2411PT, but I am not sure if it's available yet, nor know what type of coating it has. BenQ is also a very so-so company in the US as far as customer service goes.

To get a monitor with all the features of the 2490 (minus polarizer) you'd have to go into the NEC and Eizo pro range, which is way overkill for what you want it for, and very, very expensive.
 
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