The ideal external computer monitor

If you are shopping around for an external computer monitor to connect either to your desktop computer or to your laptop, so as to enjoy a larger display area, you are in for quite an undertaking.

This is true at least if you are the demanding kind of person, and want to be sure to buy the best monitor, at the best possible price, with the most up to date technology and all the fashionable bells and whistles one can think of. A screen that would be perfect for the very kind of work you do. Some find it as hard to find the ideal external monitor as to choose the computer to start with.

On the other hand, if you are not in the above category the choice can be quite simple. Just take the latest model by LG, Dell or Samsung, to name only the three main manufacturers, say you’ll go for a 24-inch, which is the typical average size to put on a desk these days, and tell the salesperson that your budget is between JD100 and JD200. You can be sure to take home a good, a more than reasonable “all-rounder” this way.

Back to the first category — the demanding one. Even if you can easily make up your mind as to the brand and the size, still the number of options, features and functions, in most kinds of monitors, has become overwhelming in the last five to seven years.

Connectivity to the computer can be HDMI or DP (DisplayPort), the two best and main types. For retro-compatibility you may also consider the older DVI, but probably not anymore the much older VGA. Good models will have at least HDMI and DP at the same time available in the same screen.

When 20-inch was the trend and the luxury model some 10 or 15 years ago, size has moved up to 22 and then to 24, the current good choice in most cases. In a way this is following the same trend seen in TV screens: larger is better and prices have significantly gone down. Of course, larger size computer monitors can also be found but they are less frequently found.

Some screens have built-in sound. Whereas this may save you the trouble of adding speakers, no monitor has been ever known to output real good music, be it in terms of volume or quality, especially in the bass range.

A more interesting option is the integration of several USB ports in the monitor. This does not only provide the additional USB ports that you wish your laptop had, but it also comes as a very practical way to connect quickly and easily all sorts of USB devices like additional web cameras, flash drives and others, without having to reach to the computer in the back.

If you intend to play interactive games or watch TV programmes or movies, be sure to choose a monitor with a fast refresh rate and response time, to enjoy smooth action. A decent all-purpose business screen may feature a refresh rate of 60Hz and a response time of 5ms. This, however, would translate into a poor gaming experience and mediocre video playback. 140 Hz and 1ms, respectively, would do a much better job in the last case.

The industry is perfect aware of this point and manufacturers usually make it a point to add the “Gaming Monitor” description to such high-end models. Asus for instance, a brand not seen in business and home environments as frequently as LG, Dell and Samsung, is known for making top-notch and popular gaming monitors.

Each brand is known for this or that strong selling point. Dell has several models that come equipped with a superb mounting rear bracket and a stand or column that lets you easily, instantly, effortlessly and smoothly move the monitor up and down, to tilt it forward or backward, or to swivel it to the left or to the right. It even lets you rotate the monitor a full 90 degrees, to change the display view from landscape to portrait. In many situations this extreme physical flexibility can make a real difference.

Recently online vendors, whether the big ones abroad or even those in Jordan, have implemented the product filtering function in their website and that lets you tick the box near the brand, the price range or the feature you want, before generating the best choice for you, based on these preferences. Whereas this does help a little, it cannot do the job completely, give then number of possible combinations. You have to have an idea of what you want to start with.

As for image resolution, you can never go wrong by asking for the highest available, including the now trendy but expensive 4K.

Needless to say that should you want to have it all, and even for just one given size of screen, say the typical 24-inch, currently the price can go from JD150 up to JD400.