PORTRAIT mode secondary monitor for 27" iMac - Recommendations?

[ieeeeee]

Hi guys

I'm a new owner of a 27" iMac and I am loving it so far. Coming from a 22" dual-screen PC setup I am digging the extra resolution, but can't quite bring myself to ditch the second screen. At the same time, 27" + 22" side-by-side is a bit awkward.

So I was thinking of getting a monitor I can flip into vertical/portrait mode as a neat compromise.

Thus I have been on a quest to find the ideal monitor for this task. Requirements are simply:

• must be able to rotate and operate vertically (preferably on its own stand)
• must roughly match the 27" imac in both resolution and physical dimensions

Of course if it matches the iMac aesthetically as well that is a definite plus.

I'm sure others have experimented with such a setup so I am keen to hear some opinions!

 

[Transporteur]

There are displays that match the physical size (roughly 43cm in height if I'm not mistaken), however you will have to major problems.

Those displays (17" to 19") have a different DPI (<100 whereas the 27" display has 109), which looks odd. The biggest issue, however, is the panel type of those displays.
For a portrait display you NEED a PVA or IPS panel. TN simply isn't good enough as their vertical viewing angles are ridiculously small, resulting in massive colour changes when you move your head.

I tried it once with a 20" TN panel from Dell besides my 30" Cinema and it really was a waste of money. Switched to two IPS 20" Dell displays a few weeks later. Don't make the same mistake as I did and buy a decent display in the first place.

 

[ieeeeee]

Thanks a lot, that is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Which 20" Dell screens do you have? I found the 2007FP but it seems verrry pricey at $599 AUD!

 

[Transporteur]

That's exactly the display I use. One on each flank of the 30".

Great displays but with 100DPI and a panel height of 41cm (+2cm for the bezels) not a perfect match for your 27".
If you're fine with that, though, you can look out for the HP LP2065. Same panel as the 2007FP and maybe a little cheaper.

BTW: The 43cm height of the 27" I said before can't be right.