Hi all,
Mama G is going to be on pretty much permanent WFH, and the company have given an allowance to buy any kit needed. She has her laptop & dock, but the monitors and keyboards are being returned.
It will only be for work & zoom's, so no gaming etc (although maybe social media on downtime), with decent resolution & reliability, and I guess the size would be 24-30" as space isn't an issue, comfort and ease of use for her are the priority?
Keyboard, again office use only, she's fine with QWERTZ and does have a bluetooth mouse so maybe a bluetooth keyboard, but wired would be fine.
I run Mac's so looking for advice for the above bit's of kit that folks are using in these days of WFH to make it easier for her.
I'm very happy with my lenovo d32q-20. 32inch screen with 2560x1440 resolution allows you to work with two windows next to each other and the price is good.
I was looking to replace a monitor around Xmas. Then I found a 43" Sony Bravia at Aldi @ 300Chf. Even has 4k goodness. Never looked back.
Surely just google it? Probably any items will be fine. You/she might want to consider having two screens but that might depend on the laptop and/or docking station.
Please always give a budget to work with, because like with any other electronics product, the price of monitors varies a lot.
The best balance of size and resolution is usually a 27" screen with 1440p resolution. Dell are usually the best blend of price, quality and connectivity.
That is about as useless as a post about electronics gets.
I would start by looking at the specs and the interface of the computer before looking at the monitors.
Do you have a Display Port PD or just HDMI?
I was wondering about whether I buy a TV or a Computer Monitor.
There was a lot of feedback online about working on a TV and clarity/eye strain.
How have your experience been?
I would generally consider - if it fits your budget - to go with a higher resolution screen. I went with a 25 inch Dell (2650 x 1440) because space was at a premium and my laptop at the time had a maximum output of that resolution. Now I would probably opt for a slightly larger screen, i.e. 27 inch, and a higher resolution (i.e. 4K) so that there is less strain on the eyes.
Helpful, surely not as good as asking for personal recommendations though
Good information Chuff, thank you. She has an allowance of CHF 1,750 to buy kit, but it's only a monitor and keyboard she would need, not sure if she blew all that on a monitor the firm wouldn't say something though.
the laptop is a Lenovo T480, but not sure what the docking station is.... other than a Lenovo
Great employer! In that case I would invest some of it in a good chair and a conference speaker.
Ok PG I have found your monitor, it is the Dell P2720DC for 349chf and has tons of positive reviews
https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product...itors-12407518 It is a good size and resolution, has tons of connections including USB oprts and even laptop charging capabilities (it will connect to AND charge the T480 using a USB-C cable, basically acting like a docking station) and uses a panel technology that ensures good brightness and colours. Job done.
Keyboard: Logitech K860 which is one of the best ergonomic keybs on the market. I have one and lie it very much as it really reduced typing fatigue. https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product...oards-13876021
Mouse: Logitech MX Ego Trackball. Takes a few days to get used to but almost eliminates mouse-related strain. I use one too and can't live without it. https://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/product...s-mice-6532402
Anything else she needs?
I would stick with 1440p for 27" monitors and only go to 4k resolution for 32" monitors or bigger.
For the budget, you could get 2 or more monitors with gas spring monitor arms, a decent mechanical keyboard, an external webcam, an ergonomic chair and more!
It's a 4k set, so the picture is sharp. My vision is 20/20 and headaches/eye strain are not something that I have experienced. 3x HDMI is handy for connecting my work/personal PC and the Xbox with a bit of Netflix/Youtube when I get time for it. The missus scoffed when I bought it, then got one herself a couple of months later.
Time for a game of FIFA
Rock star, thank you. The monitor and keyboard look spot on, sadly, the mouse is possibly a non stater as she's a need a left hand drive, and thats a right hooker.... so I fear that it could get turned into a frisbee.
Good shout about a chair and webcam, that's something I hadn't thought about.... Rich?
Chair: I bought a Giroflex 64 from Ricardo.ch for around 230chf, It's an amazing chair and one of the best in the business (they cost over 1000chf new).
https://www.giroflex.com/en/all-prod...roflex-64.html Webcam: Logitech C920s is good https://www.digitec.ch/de/s1/product...ebcam-10714329
I recommend using monitor at a native resolution or at 200% DPI. Depending on your preference 27" at 1080p (or 4k at 200%) looks fine or you might prefer 1440p (or 4k at 150%).
I use 4k 27" in 200% DPI, it looks like 1080p, aka Full HD, but much sharper, it's like retina display on macbook. Of course it is possible to set any fractional DPI, 120% is so popular that Windows suggest it on it's own, but it's not as good as quad pixels logically, i.e. 200% roughly means that 4 pixels are used to display one logical pixel.
so with that budget I would look for a 4k monitor. Now depending on your preferences you might want an IPS display or VA display. IPS is more common for office use as it provides excellent viewing angles, but some people prefer VA for better contrast. I guess there's no other way but to test such monitors to really understand the difference and make the decision (if unsure choose IPS, IMHO).
If you go for higher resolutions (2160p, 1440p), make sure the laptop can output at a high refresh rate over the HDMI port.
Don't trust the "box" and check the detailed specs - many laptops will advertise "external monitor up to 4k/60 Hz", but the fine print will explain that it can only do that over a USB-C connection (which many monitors don't have).
No-frills recommendation: Samsung LU28E590DS. Diagonal 28", maximum resolution 3840x2160, maximum refresh rate 60 Hz (make sure to use a DisplayPort or HDMI port 2 - for some reason, HDMI port 1 only does 30 Hz). Current price ~280 CHF.
Keyboard: mechanical, backlit if you use in the dark. I type a lot, it's noisy (you can get models with reduced noise switches), no issues whatsoever. Prices and models vary wildly.
External camera - Logitech will do the job.You may want to consider an external USB-C hub (plenty of models around) if moving frequently with the laptop. Otherwise (if using many wired devices), you might either run out of ports on the laptop or having to plug/unplug multiple cables every time you move.
My experience with TV was that the display was not sharp enough, I would go for a monitor.
I would go for a USB connection, not HDMI as I found the HDMI port tended to wobble and disconnect/connect when I had my laptop on my knee.
Also, go for a monitor with a USB port.
Bit of a leftfield choice. My company issues these great
Samsung 34" curved Ultrawide monitors to home based workers. The screen fills your field of view and the curve feels natural as you sit much closer (unlike on televisions where its just weird).
The obvious benefit of the ultra wide is that you can simulate a dual screen set up without an ugly divider. You can also have two inputs (HDMI, DP, USB-C) coming into the monitor and displayed side-by-side or one in a little box etc... And once work is over you are able to watch youtube videos or films in native wide screen which is pretty awesome.
I now have mine mounted on a stand (with desk clamp) so it has even less footprint than in the photos. And in terms of cable management I now have everything plugged into the monitor's USB hub (keyboard, mouse, speakers, webcam) and from the monitor there is one USB-C cable which goes to the laptop and also charges it.