Flat panels galore

There are hundreds of different display models available, in many different sizes. Don’t let the technical display specifications confuse you. There are real technical differences between different display models, but for the majority of PC users, most of these differences are minor. Unless you’re a serious gamer, photographer, or graphic artist, you don’t need to worry about all the specs. Focus on what really matters.

There are four main factors to consider when shopping for a new flat-panel display:

• Size and resolution

• Widescreen versus standard ratio

• Digital versus analog connections

• Price

Size is the first thing most people consider when buying a flat-panel display. It isn’t everything, but when it comes to computer displays, size definitely matters.

The size of the typical display is constantly increasing. A 17-inch flat-panel display used to be considered a splurge, back when paltry little 15-inch displays were expensive. Then, prices started falling, even on 19-inch displays, making them affordable too. Today, the sweet spot is 20 or 22 inches, with many people considering 24-inch displays. By the time you read this, 24 inches might be the norm.

Even 30-inch behemoths—once considered exotic and expensive tools for professional photographers or graphic artists—are no longer unusual.

Flat-panel displays are like TVs: The ideal size for me probably isn’t the ideal size for you. Some people like their displays as big as they can get them, while others think a smaller display is just fine.

There are a lot more size choices today than there were back in the days of CRT monitors. Most people have their own idea of the perfect display size, usually determined by how many programs they like to keep open at the same time, their desk size, and their preferred screen resolution.

Flat-panel displays run best at their native resolution. The resolution is identifiable by numbers such as "1280 x 1024." Look at a display running at the native resolution to be sure it’s acceptable to you. If it's not, go to a store and look at displays running at other resolutions until you find one you like. At lower screen resolutions, such as 800 x 600, fewer items fit on the screen, but they are larger. At higher resolutions, such as 1600 x 1200, more items fit on the screen but they are smaller.

Larger displays have higher native resolutions. Here are typical resolutions for some popular display sizes:

• 19-inch display (standard ratio): 1280 x 1024

• 20-inch display (standard ratio): 1600 x 1200

• 22-inch display (widescreen): 1680 x 1050

• 24-inch display (widescreen): 1900 x 1200

The best way to understand screen resolution is to look at the same screen running at several different resolutions. For more information, see Getting the best display on your monitor.

The current trend leans toward widescreen displays that match the widescreen aspect ratio of most movies and HDTV programs. Even if you don’t watch movies or HDTV on your PC, a widescreen display lets you take advantage of software that displays information in an extra-wide view, such as the Windows Sidebar or Microsoft Office Outlook task panes.

The standard proportion in width to height for a computer display is 4:3, but widescreen displays have an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 16:10, Be careful when comparing two displays of the same size but different aspect ratios. For example, a 20-inch standard-width display has more screen space (in square inches) than a 20-inch widescreen display.

I prefer a big, widescreen display, but again, this comes down to personal preference. There is no definitive answer about whether a widescreen or standard-width display is better. I like a widescreen display because it lets me arrange more windows side by side. I also use several programs that look and function better on a wide display.

Most flat-panel displays now come with at least one digital DVI connection. Check the video adapter on your PC to see if it is has a DVI port or an older-style analog VGA port. Choose a flat-panel display with a connection that matches the port on your video adapter.

VGA and DVI ports

For many people, price is everything. Most people don’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars on a display. As long as the display works well, and they can see text and images clearly, they’re satisfied.

But if you’re accepting only the minimum, you’re missing out. I’m willing to pay a premium for a bigger and better display. The first time I looked at high-resolution photos from a digital camera on my new 24-inch display, I was convinced I made a good purchase decision. I could see fine details in my pictures that I never noticed before.

I also do a lot of reading online, and I find webpages easier to read on a big, high-resolution display.

But not everyone is into photography or spends a lot of time reading online. For me, 24 inches is the sweet spot. I bought my 24-inch display when prices fell below $800. There are a handful of 26- or 27-inch displays available now that didn’t exist when I bought my display, but they are much more expensive. The next step up is typically a 30-inch display. I’d love to try a 30-inch beast, but they’re much too pricey for me.

Many of you are no doubt thinking, “Don’t 24-inch displays cost a lot less than $800 now?” Yes, they do. In the two years since I bought mine, the price of my display fell about $200. But prices are always falling. At some point, you just have to jump in and buy what you need. There’s no way could I have waited two years to replace my old CRT.

I’m a visually oriented person, and 24 inches gives me a lot more room to see everything. I like to be able to use two programs at once, keeping them both visible. I can view a Microsoft Office Word document and an e-mail message at the same time, for example. And the Windows Vista Aero interface looks a lot prettier on a big display.

At work, I use two 20-inch flat-panel displays, keeping one document or webpage open on one display and another open on my second display. (For information on how to do this, see Add a second monitor.) This dual-display setup works well at the office, but not at home, where I spent a lot of time editing photos. It’s much better to view a whole photo on one huge display rather than split in half across two displays.