4K @ 32" is not a useful size for splitting the screen IMO. Not with the space you have after HiDPI scaling.
Otherwise 32" is not too big at all. Hell, I use twice that with the Samsung G95NC superultrawide.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Is 32 inches too big?
- Thread starter bunce66
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Otherwise 32" is not too big at all. Hell, I use twice that with the Samsung G95NC superultrawide.
Try this. Post how you like it!
System Settings > Accessibility > Vision > Display > (scroll down to) Pointer.
Set Pointer outline color to Licorice (top-left colored pencil) and Pointer fill color to Flora (bottom row of pencils, fifth from left). These are my own color choices, and you may find others you like better. But after I learned this trick for use with my 27", I'm not going back to the default.
poorcody
macrumors 68000
FYI... If you lose your pointer, you can "shake it" back and forth for a bit, and it will grow bigger so you can see it. (Set in System Settings under Accessibility > Display).
mansplains
macrumors 68000
I care more about retina than overall size personally. I hate how we’re stuck with 5k now, I miss the 4k 21.5” LG UltraFine 22MD4KA-B. Even with BetterDisplay Pro, native retina and scaling are my preference. When I’m on windows, I can run a 42” TV and be fine, but it’s been a while since then, four spreadsheets at once.
JoeG4
macrumors 68040
lol I use a 57" 7680x2160 monitor. It's like having 2 32" 4k monitors.
For work it is FANTASTIC. I can have everything I could possibly want on my screen. And I usually do!
For watching anime it's nice because of course I can put a huge window in the middle and still have room for full size discord and other stuff to the sides lol.
For basic browsing it's whatever. For picture editing I don't care for the poor color quality.
But as far as size goes, I love having a single screen that huge. It looks really imposing on a desk, too. Playing driving games on it is an experience.
But it is too big for full-screen FPS gaming. And I could see lots of people finding the "windows all over the place" style of multitasking very distracting. Also there are VERY REAL effects of sitting in front of that screen all day vs sitting in front of a smaller screen. It's not quite as bad as say, wearing an AR or VR headset all day lol.
For work it is FANTASTIC. I can have everything I could possibly want on my screen. And I usually do!
For watching anime it's nice because of course I can put a huge window in the middle and still have room for full size discord and other stuff to the sides lol.
For basic browsing it's whatever. For picture editing I don't care for the poor color quality.
But as far as size goes, I love having a single screen that huge. It looks really imposing on a desk, too. Playing driving games on it is an experience.
But it is too big for full-screen FPS gaming. And I could see lots of people finding the "windows all over the place" style of multitasking very distracting. Also there are VERY REAL effects of sitting in front of that screen all day vs sitting in front of a smaller screen. It's not quite as bad as say, wearing an AR or VR headset all day lol.
SDAVE
macrumors 601
For me, 32" is really big. I've used all sizes over the last 30 years for PC monitors and my sweet spot is dual 27" 5k displays.
I have also tried dual 32" Ultrawides (don't ask why) and that felt like a space ship. I tried side by side and top and bottom and it was insane and I got neck strain. I also tried 40" 4k C series LG OLED and that wasn't good either.
I used to have a 30" Apple Cinema Display center display and a 23" on the side and that was too big as well.
I really care about monitor sharpness and brightness for typography and design.
I have also tried dual 32" Ultrawides (don't ask why) and that felt like a space ship. I tried side by side and top and bottom and it was insane and I got neck strain. I also tried 40" 4k C series LG OLED and that wasn't good either.
I used to have a 30" Apple Cinema Display center display and a 23" on the side and that was too big as well.
I really care about monitor sharpness and brightness for typography and design.
xraydoc
Contributor
Anyone who mentions using 2 displays, has already demonstrated not understanding and or caring about ergonomics.
gevalt
macrumors member
as a video editor i've had 2 monitors for EV-ER.
i currently have 2x 27" monitors on my desk, one being an imac pro.
seeing as it's close to time to replace the imac and being semi retired
i'm considering replacing both with a single 32" 5k2k monitor.
too big? i. don't. think. so.
i currently have 2x 27" monitors on my desk, one being an imac pro.
seeing as it's close to time to replace the imac and being semi retired
i'm considering replacing both with a single 32" 5k2k monitor.
too big? i. don't. think. so.
gevalt
macrumors member
i don't care about your idea of ergonomics.
i've always cared about how my primary software functions.
i don't have to have a 'big picture' view.
so yes, i DO turn my head if i have to look at something on the 2nd monitor.
NOT a big problem. no neck pain. no eye strain.
and technically, i have 3 monitors on my desk, the 3rd being a broadcast TV monitor.
again, i only need to look at one at a time.
xraydoc
Contributor
Jeremy Mathers
macrumors member
the future
macrumors 68040
FreakinEurekan
macrumors G3
There is a very large difference between 'moving' your neck and 'straining' your neck, you can also get shoulder back and just below your neck pains from bad ergonomics with your desk setup.
IMO it depends on the workspace, with more screen real estate being better. Personally I prefer 32" standard profile, 4K or better; two side-by-side displays if the workspace is large enough. I really do not want smaller than 32" because I frequently view/edit images. That said, if these Viewsonics wear out (like displays do over time) or if I move to where I do not have a 38"x58" standup desk, I could do just fine with a pair of 27" 5K ASD displays. If 27" ASD had been available a decade ago when I bought the Viewsonics I probably would have bought the ASD. The cost was not that different.
Only one display I would strongly prefer 32" or larger. Note that 5K or 6K is cramming more pixels into the screen real estate. More screen real estate is better and more pixels are also better.
I have used two 32" 4K Pro Viewsonic displays for the last decade or so on VESA arms, with a 16" MBP open below the two 4Ks. I like two displays because I can have different resolutions on each display and zoom one display and not the other; plus 2x32"x4K is 8K of pixels without being crammed in.
Last edited:
?? Any display can be improperly placed to cause eye or neck strain. Similarly, any display can be properly placed to avoid eye or neck strain.
Anyone who offhand disses on two-display setups demonstrates an ignorance of productivity. For many workers 2 displays or more can be hugely beneficial. E.g. having palettes, or an image(s) or a document(s) persistent on one display while working on something more volatile on another display can be much more productive than the same work on a single display. Each display can also have different resolution and be separately zoomed.
E.g. A legal brief, with law docs on one display while writing a legal brief on the other display.
E.g. Coding, with libraries on one display while writing code on the other display.
E.g. Image editing, with palettes on one display while editing an image on the other display.
Personally I find working on a single display to be seriously limiting.
"Perfect" ergonomics must usually be compromised as one optimizes each individual workstation setup. We never want to create bad ergonomics, but we seldom will achieve perfect ergonomics.
Last edited:
Well as somebody that has spent the last 30 years sitting in front of screens I would kind of disagree that it’s that straight forward.
I mean a lot of people here have listed preferences, but very few have explained what they do / why they find it beneficial (yes, I know you did touch that).
For example if all I was doing was browsing macrumors I almost feel like 27” is too much. It offers very little over using my phone. At the same time when working in Logic fitting more on the screen can really help productivity.
At work I could choose almost any combo I want as we have endless desks with different monitor setups. I generally just use my mbp’s built in screen as I’m in meetings all day, or focusing on one app. In a previous life I was a programmer working on a distributed system that really benefitted from having multiple monitors so I could code on one, have a browser for the app on another and database on a third.
When you find a setup that works it’s great. But considering I’ve prefered seceral very different setups depending on what I’m doing makes me question most of the answers that seem to suggest there is just one right answer.