If a 15-inch monitor is better than a 12-inch, and a 17-inch is more fun than a 15-inch, then a 21-inch monitor should be power-user heaven, right? Perhaps, but before you plunk down $3000 for one of the gorgeous monitors reviewed here, let's review some facts to make sure a large monitor fits your applications.
Compared to smaller monitors at the same resolutions, larger monitors do provide more legible characters. Our sharpness and legibility tests showed this to be true: the 21-inch class of monitors had the highest quality scores among all the monitors we tested.
RESOLUTION
Logically, it makes sense that larger monitors provide higher quality. If you use the same number of pixels to make a screen image, a larger screen gives larger characters, making the characters more legible.
Under Windows at 1024- by
768-pixel resolution, a 21-inch monitor looks more readable than a 15-inch monitor because of the difference in character size. Increasing Windows resolution to 1280 by 1024 pixels increases the number of characters available but reduces their actual size. Thus, there is always a trade-off between the size of the Windows desktop and the size of the characters. Simply because a 15-inch monitor can handle 1024- or even 1280-pixel resolution does not mean that the text will be large enough to enable you to read what you type.
If you want more Windows desktop real estate, change your resolution mode. For instance, increasing resolution expands the number of rows and columns in your Windows spreadsheet. At 800 by 600 pixels, the default Excel spreadsheet gives you 27 rows and 12 columns. At 1024 by 768 pixels, you jump to 37 rows and 15 columns. Finally, at 1280 by 1024 pixels, Excel provides 49 rows and 19 columns. (Obviously, changing the default row height and column width also increases or decreases th
e number of visible cells.) Increasing the size of the monitor only makes those characters easier to read. The character size on a 15-inch monitor at 800- by 600-pixel resolution is almost identical to that on a 21-inch monitor at 1280 by 1024 pixels.
VIEWING DISTANCE
Remember that the larger the monitor, the greater the viewing distance it requires. Ideally, you should sit at a distance that allows you to see the entire screen without excessive head or eye movement.
For a 15-inch monitor, that distance seems to be about 18 inches; for 17-inch products, about 24 inches; and for the 21-inch displays, more than 32 inches. Of course, the farther you move back from the monitor, the smaller things appear, so again, character legibility becomes an issue.
SIZE
Another consideration in deciding on monitor size is space. Large monitors are just that--large. Think of placing your 20-inch color TV on top of your desktop computer. In addition to the weight factor (would your desk support an
additional 70 or 80 pounds?), these monitors occupy a huge amount of space. They also use more energy and thus produce more heat and other emissions.
Large monitors are good for doing group presentations, detail work like CAD/CAM, or color imaging. For more typical Windows applications, 17-inch monitors let you make use of higher resolutions and more real estate at much less cost. Where money and space are considerations, a high-quality 15-inch monitor will provide excellent service at the cost of some additional spreadsheet scrolling. Our best advice is to experiment with different resolutions on several sizes of monitors, running the applications you use most, before you buy. Hands-on experience is the best way to find the monitor that's most comfortable for you.
Screen: 21-inch monitor displaying 800 by 600 pixels.
Screen: 21-inch monitor displaying 1024 by 768 pixels.
Screen: 21-inch monitor displaying 1280 by 1024 pixels.
Is Bigger Better?
