Widescreen monitors suck.

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subigo

subigo

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So my p.o.s. 19 inch Westinghouse monitor decided to die today, 2 months after the warranty ended. How convenient. So seeing as how I need to have a monitor for work, I headed to Best Buy (and Office Depot, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Staples) to get something fast.

I've always used 4:3 "normal" monitors and that's what I wanted to buy, but noooo, for some reason some idiot decided that widescreen monitors are the only way to go now.

So I bought a 20 inch Acer and figured it would work fine. Fuck. Talk about losing space on a monitor! Who the hell thought that browsing the Internet would be better in widescreen? I want to scroll up and down, not sideways. Now everything just seems so squished. I have to scroll twice as much on WF threads to read the same amount of content that I did on my old 19 inch 4:3...

I can understand how this would be awesome for video editing or watching movies, but I don't do either very often. For everyday general Internet use, these things suck.

I want to drop kick it through a window.
 


I find it hard to believe that the vertical resolution on a 20" widescreen is much less than a regular 19".

What is the native resolution on both of them?

I would assume 1280x1024 for the older 19" and (looking at the current Acer models) something like 1680x1050 or 1920x1080 for the 20" widescreen. So you should have slightly more vertical resolution not less.

Another example, I have a 20" 3x4 that runs at 1600x1200 and a 24" widescreen that runs at 1920x1200, so the vertical resolution is exactly the same.
 
give it a chance, man. i was feeling the same way, but instead of maximizing windows you get in the habit of setting them at an appropriate size and then it's smooth sailing - goes for web browser, folders, apps, everything. I couldn't imagine going back (now I'm on a 22"). i'm so much more productive on that monitor at work than i am on the 19" CRT at home.
 
Don't use Westinghouse. This is the 5th monitor/TV I've heard of that has broke and I haven't even heard of them before.

I surf in half-screen (1920x1200)
 
This new Acer is 1600 x 900.

I'm taking this bitch back tomorrow. My old 4:3 was 1280 x 1024 and I didn't think there would be too much of a difference.

How wrong I was.
 
radio said:
give it a chance, man. i was feeling the same way, but instead of maximizing windows you get in the habit of setting them at an appropriate size and then it's smooth sailing - goes for web browser, folders, apps, everything. I couldn't imagine going back (now I'm on a 22"). i'm so much more productive on that monitor at work than i am on the 19" CRT at home.
Click to expand...

It's the 900 part of 1600 x 900 that's killing me.

The problem is I bought it from Best Buy and they had that stupid program running that tells you how great the monitor is, but doesn't actually let you access the desktop to see what it really looks like. I was in a hurry and they were closing, so I grabbed it.

I'll get a 22 inch tomorrow. Even though I'll be paying almost twice as much for the same amount of vertical space I always had...
 
just get a 22", they're cheap and you'll have at least 1050 vertical .. mine was like $165 and looks great
 
radio said:
yeah, that's crazy and would be a total suck fest. any way you can keep it long enough for newegg to ship you something? Acer 22" monitors
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lol, don't get me started on newegg. I bought a monitor from them about a month ago and it showed up at my house with 7 dead pixels. They wouldn't take it back, because in order to be considered "defective" it has to have 8 dead pixels.

I gave it to my brother and vowed to never buy a monitor online again.

I think I'll just trade the one I bought tonight for this one: Acer - 22" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD HD Monitor - AL2216WBD
 
I find that I need the vertical height of at least a 19" 4:3 monitor to work on - Right now I have a 24" widescreen (great for having 2 programs up at once on the same computer), and a 19" LCD hooked up to my 13.3" laptop. A 22" widescreen will give you the same vertical height, and a bit more width than a 19" 4:3.
 
I recently got a new computer, and hence a new 20" dell widescreen monitor, 1680x1050. I'm still adjusting after a few weeks, its so weird.
 
subigo said:
lol, don't get me started on newegg. I bought a monitor from them about a month ago and it showed up at my house with 7 dead pixels. They wouldn't take it back, because in order to be considered "defective" it has to have 8 dead pixels.

I gave it to my brother and vowed to never buy a monitor online again.

I think I'll just trade the one I bought tonight for this one: Acer - 22" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD HD Monitor - AL2216WBD
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be up to newegg as to whether or not they take back the monitor, it's entirely up to the manufacture's return policy. There are plenty of monitor companies out there that have a "zero dead pixel" clause.

Not sure what Acer's policy on monitors is, but I'm pretty sure they have a zero dead pixel one on their laptops, so I would expect the same applies to their monitors. I'm certain Dell has one in place too. Double check of course.

That being said, I can't recommend the Dell line of flatscreens enough. They are fantastic monitors and competetivly priced. I have the 24" 2407 (now the 2408) and absolutely love it.

Not sure which Acer you bought, but I can't even see one listed with that low a resolution. All the 20 and 22 inch seem to have 1680 x 1050.

This is where I do all my shopping in Vancouver, and here's the link to their monitors page. Prices are in Cnd, but you can change them to the US for comparison. Scroll down for the complete Acer selection they have in stock...

NCIX.com - Buy LCD Monitors In Canada.

Anyways, you'll be much happier with the 22" over the 20". If I were you and were't bothered to spend $400-$600 ish, I would even go to a 24". It'll make your time sitting in front of it so much more enjoyable.

OH! I just looked at the monitor you are thinking of buying. Part of the reason it is so cheap is that it's not adjustable, doesn't raise lower, swivel, and only tilts a tiny bit. Here's C-nets' review... http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/acer-al2216wbd/4505-3174_7-32082877.html Other than feeling flimsy and lacking any features, connectors, they say the image quality is sound. Looking at its specs though, it only has a 700:1 contrast ratio, and in comparison, the Dell I have is 3000:1. Do your homework! I might look at Samsung too if I were you.
 
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