Good monitor for working with texts
Quite an interesting situation has developed in the PC monitor market. In pursuit of 4K and FullHD, manufacturers are vying to buy displays with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and 16:10. This is done so that when watching a video, the user does not see black bars at the edges of the screen. That is, with 100% filling of the picture. For multimedia, this is a great solution, but for work tasks, it's a real challenge. A good monitor for working with texts requires a different aspect ratio - 5: 4. And there are not so many such solutions on the market. Either this is an old technique (2013-2016), or a new one with a cheap TN matrix, from which dazzles in the eyes.
A good monitor for working with texts: why
If you search, you can always find a solution. And what is remarkable - good-quality equipment with an aspect ratio of 5: 4 is produced by quite serious brands. We studied the market for a very long time and went shopping to find and buy a cool monitor for work. And they found it. For specific tasks:
- Working with texts and tables in Microsoft Office;
- Convenient photo editing in Photoshop CC software;
- Comfortable work with databases, WordPress admin panels;
- Viewing content on the Internet.
It is important to understand here that it is very inconvenient to work with the listed programs on wide-angle monitors. Especially when writing, reading or editing texts.
Monitor hardware and design requirements
Considering that you will have to sit at the monitor for at least 8 hours (at the workplace), I would like to get maximum comfort. And this can only be ensured by the technical and design capabilities of the display. And the requirements for monitors are as follows:
- Diagonal - 19-20 inches (for a desktop where the monitor is at a distance of no more than 50 centimeters from the eyes).
- Aspect ratio 5: 4 (maximum square screen).
- High-quality matrix without light glare (preferably IPS with a matte finish).
- Mandatory presence of backlight (LED or WLED), high contrast and moderate brightness.
- Possibility of adjustment by location (height, tilt, change of orientation "Portrait / landscape").
- The presence of a USB hub (it is convenient to connect removable media, fans, etc. equipment).
- The ability to connect to a PC via digital and analog interface (VGA, HDMI, DVI, DP).
To some, such requirements will seem overkill. But, if we talk purely about working with office programs, then this is the minimum. After all, the peculiarity of working monitors is in the high-quality display of the picture and in the color rendering. The eyes should not hurt from the text, and when working in graphic editors, you need to clearly maintain the color palette.
Good monitors for working with texts: models
We identified only two monitor models as the most interesting solutions, from affordable and suitable for all requirements: HP EliteDisplay E190i and DELL P1917S. They cost about 200 US dollars and are very inexpensive. They have all the necessary characteristics for comfortable work in the office or at home.
Model | HP EliteDisplay E190i | DELL P1917S |
Diagonal | 18.9 inches | 19 inches |
Display resolution | 1280x1024 | 1280x1024 |
Aspect ratio | 5:4 | 5:4 |
Matrix | IPS | IPS |
Response time | 8 ms | 6 ms |
Screen surface | matt | matt |
Backlight type | WLED | LED |
Brightness | 250 cd / mXNUMX2 | 250 cd / mXNUMX2 |
Contrast | 1000:1 | 1000:1 |
Dynamic contrast | 3000000:1 | 4000000:1 |
Number of shades | 16.7 million | 16.7 million |
Horizontal viewing angle | 1780 | 1780 |
Vertical viewing angle | 1780 | 1780 |
Update frequency | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
Video connectors | 1xDVI, 1xPisplayPort, 1xVGA | 1xHDMI, 1xPisplayPort, 1xVGA |
USB hub | Yes, 2xUSB 2.0 | Yes, 2xUSB 2.0, 3xUSB 3.0 |
Ergonomics | landscape / portrait orientation
| landscape / portrait orientation, height adjustment |
Tilt capability | -5 ... 25 degrees | -5 ... 21 degrees |
Power consumption at work | 28 W | 38 W |
Pending power consumption | 0.5 W | 0.3 W |
Physical dimensions | 417 × 486 × 192 mm | 405.6 × 369.3-499.3 × 180 mm |
The weight | 4.9 kg | 2.6 kg |
Frame and panel color | Gray | The black |
Price | 175$ | 195$ |
In conclusion
Again, these monitors are designed for work, not play. They are aimed at creating better conditions for the user who has to watch a static image on the screen for hours - text or photo. A good monitor for working with texts should not irritate the eyes, and also, simply must accommodate all work panels without affecting the size of the font or the processed image.
The topic of office equipment for PCs is rather narrow. But it is still in demand among buyers. The buyer does not need to look for anything - we conducted reviews, compared the monitors to their technical characteristics and boldly declare that these 2 models can be safely taken. The technique is worth its money and will certainly serve the user for a decade.