The monitor you are going to buy for windows 11 is probably WRONG! WHY?
This is a fun article I have put together on why we need to rethink what displays we buy for our users to help them work more efficiently! Of course, this should be a great motivation for YOU to get a decent monitor.
Now that we know Windows 11 will install on all computers but without automated support for old generation CPU’s we can think about what we should be doing differently with the advent of the operating system and the modern workplace that Microsoft is promoting.
History
To understand why it is so important to rethink what you are buying for your users and yourself, we need to go back in history to see how display technology has evolved
In the beginning, there was Windows 958 – where were the monitors?
Colour CRT monitors were a HUGE leap forward in technology, and allowed for a friendly Graphical User Interface that packed more information on the screen – and facilitated the birth of “Windows”.
A premium quality monitor was a 14” 1024 X 768 colour monitor with a 60Hz refresh weighing in at 11.3Kg – and it was impressive – you were a serious computer user with a monitor like that!
You can still review the specifications of the 14” LG monitor here.
The physical size and weight of the monitors made the idea of having an affordable large high-resolution monitor on your desk an impossibility.
The biggest CRT monitor ever made was from Sony – the PVM-4300 clocking in at 43” diagonal weighing 200Kg!
ONLY with the release of Windows Vista did the LCD monitor start to outsell the CRT monitor!
Display technology limited us to what we could do on a computer.
Our buying pattern generally is still stuck with what we believe you can do on a PC with a monitor of similar capabilities to a CRT monitor. The world has changed drastically, and we need to adapt.
With the release of Windows 11 now is the best time to review our approach.
What this means is that the high-resolution widescreen monitor has only been around for the last 12 years.
It is only by 2015 that 4K (3840 X 2160) displays were becoming popular – and that was more focused on video rather than computer monitors. Obviously, connectivity standards had to evolve to support the display resolutions, and we have seen a rapid change in these technologies over the years from Analogue as in Composite, Component, VGA, to digital as in DVI, DP, HDMI, USB-C 3.2 and Thunderbolt 4 – all now supporting display resolutions up to 8K.
I think the important point I’m trying to make here that you are not behind the times in re-thinking what you buy your users (and for yourself), you are actually on track with general technology trends. But NOW is “rethink time”.
But in terms of what we are buying for our users we starting to lag, and what displays we are considering buying now needs a serious re-think. Remember, a new display you buy TODAY will last for the next 3-5 years – ie at least till 2025!
Even today, we are STILL mostly buying notebooks with 1920 X 1080 (FHD) displays as their primary productivity display.
For many users, this is no longer empowering them to be efficient in their tasks when presented with a computer with Windows 11 installed that has a “modern” UI that now expects you to be using a large, high-resolution display.
So what SHOULD I buy today?
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!! It is almost impossible to buy a bad quality monitor today, for office work the picture quality is always more than good enough provided you still with the “required” list.
The short answer is:
Required
?Nice to have
Details – lots of details
There are a lot of nuances to exactly what display you should get, but it really comes down to the following:
The gory detail of how you calculate pixel density and understanding the ratio between screen size and resolution and viewing distance can be found here.
You can do your own pixel density calculations here.
HP also came up with a story as to why you need a big widescreen monitor which is quite good – you can read here.
You do not let the pixel density go much under 98ppi (except where you can do away with glasses)
You are NOT using the monitor for gaming – there are different rules for gamers (they tend to choose BIG, high frame rate, low-resolution displays)
You have a decent work area to mount the monitor – a traditional stand you get with the monitor is no longer a good idea – it’s old school.
You can position in theory 2 X A4 pages side-by side on the display, but practically you end up with one document you are working on and your email or browser onscreen at the same time. Hardly effective for today’s modern workspace.
Shop around – you might be surprised what’s available from other brands in the 40” to 43” space as this size of display crosses over with what is regarded to be a size you can use for a TV.
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What is 4K resolution?
Well, that is a bit fuzzy – but really what you are looking for is a monitor that is ?as follows:
Aspect ratios and resolutions that are available
There are a myriad of resolutions and aspect ratios available, but in the 4K space there are only really two that will be readily available for you to choose from.
The physical sizes that these monitors are available in will vary hugely, and that’s where your personal preference, eyesight, and budget will play a BIG role!
Below is a chart summarising all of the primary resolutions you can find out there today.
Resolutions of CRT based monitors up to the Windows Vista era.
WTF!!!??? This monitor is HUGE – how do I mount it?
The stand that monitors are shipped with is actually an “old fashioned” throwback to how CRT monitors were shipped. There These were huge, heavy lumps of glass and plastic that could ONLY be positioned on a stand big enough to ensure the monitor did not topple because they were “front heavy”!
The monitor below is 17” CRT Gateway unit – you needed a big, deep, and solid desk to take a monitor like that!
The problem with modern LCD displays is that they are thin and tall, and ALSO need a big stand to prevent them from toppling and so, your desk is still occupied with a monitor with a big fat base, or a very wide this one.
Many designs irritatingly get in the way of you being able to comfortably position your mouse and keyboard for that perfect viewing distance and working position
The bigger the panel gets, the more flexibility you need in being able to mount it, and the traditional approach using a stand from the days of CRT does not really work anymore.
Ditch the stand – this is NOT a TV!
LCD TV’s have long had many mounting options because we view them from far away and can thus be wall or floor mounted, with the stand they are shipped with discarded most of the time.
Computer monitors are different – we sit right up against them and they need to be positioned so we can comfortably view the entire surface of the display and still work on the keyboard and mouse. Additionally when you are having a video conference to want to be able to position the monitor so that you have best line of sight with the camera on top of the monitor.
This is where a desk ARM mount comes in from companies like ergotron (yup, you can order them from First Technology).
These mounts allow the monitor to be suspended from the edge of the desk, and with only slight pressure move it into ANY comfortable position. It also makes the monitor way more secure from tipping over.
You can easily move it to a more favourable position for video conferencing as well.
In a home environment it also really helps ensure that you are getting maximum use out of your desktop real estate.
I WANT THE BEST!!!!!!
What if you threw all caution to the wind and had an unlimited budget and you wanted the best monitor to work on and if you are a gamer, what would you look at?
There can be only one!
It’s the SAMSUNG G9 Neo – this is the absolute ultimate in monitors today (do NOT look at the price – your budget is unlimited, remember)!
It is the ultimate for the most immersive gaming experience at the highest frame rate possible, and of course, as a work monitor, there is no equal with an extreme 1000R curve!
It’s 49” monitor that “feels” like a 38” because of the extreme curve.
Ergotron even makes a special arm and pivot for it.
Clearly, you need a decent computer to drive this monitor, and that is of course another story!
There is another!
There is another monitor that gives you ACRES of screen real estate but is ONLY a business monitor. 60Hz, and no HDR.
It is the Dell 5K Curved 40” monitor – and the price is very decent!
This is where you do need to re-read carefully everything I have told you about choosing a monitor based on pixel density, resolution and your eyesight!
It has exactly the same horizontal resolution as the SAMSUNG G9 of 5120 pixels, but it is “only” 40” with a “gentle” (almost unnoticeable 2500R) curve, so the pixel density is high at 140ppi vs the SAMSUNG G9 at 108ppi.
You need to be really careful with buying this monitor because the pixel density is so high. You need to be sure you can comfortably work with this monitor at 100% scale and layout setting.
If you have to increase the setting you are compromising the reason for buying the monitor (still an awesome monitor though). Frankly, if I need to get a special set of glasses to use this awesome monitor properly, I will do exactly that!
What makes this monitor special is that it has a Thunderbolt 3 hub built into it. You do not need to purchase and external hub or docking bay for your notebook to connect up with this monitor and all your other devices – this can save you around R6000 to R8000.
The stand it ships with is quite big and fat, and you could benefit by replacing it with a mounting arm. What you save on the hub, spend on the arm!