What Size Display

[PalidinoDH]

Let me get started by saying I'm using the base model NTB MacBook Pro. Also, and very importantly, I've been solely using 13" laptop screens for work for multiple years now. So, pretty much any size screen over 13 inches is going to be a big change. Next up is that I've been looking at widescreen displays. For the work I do, more horizontal space is what's going to make the difference for me. More vertical space will be nice, but is much less important.

While I like the idea of a widescreen display, they all seem HUGE. I've only managed to find a single display that is 25" or less, the LG 25UM65 (https://www.amazon.com/LG-25-0-UltraWide-25UM65-P-Monitor/dp/B00I3GJ8RY). Are there any other widescreen displays out there that are 25"? If not, are there any other screen recommendations for what I'm looking for?

 

[Tomorrow]

You're worried about the monitor being TOO big? Seems a bit peculiar to me, but to each his own, I suppose.

I use a 29" version of that monitor and I've been pretty happy with it (13" MBP).

 

[inmotionnow]

If you're mostly using the monitor for work, i think UW may be overkill. I think that actual pixels would be more important vs. physical size for the screen unless you want to be turning your head back and forth constantly.

I previously had a 23" ACD and got the 27" UltraFine 5K this week. The 27" is great and feels big. I find myself still adjusting to all the extra real estate because of the higher resolution. I can't see myself going bigger and not getting a headache.

 

[Fishrrman]

A friend bought an early "ultra-wide" display, but he said that -- even though the display's quality was excellent -- he was a little displeased with the fact that more scrolling up/down was required when viewing pages.

Having said that, seem to me a standard 27" display (retina or not) would be a good choice.
It doesn't have to be the LG/Apple display. There are others out there, with a display quality as good.

 

[kschendel]

I was hesitant about going to a 32 inch screen, coming from a 24 inch Apple display, but it's great. I don't find myself doing much if any head-turning. I suggest not worrying about the monitor being too big, at least not for anything below 30 inches.

 

[inmotionnow]

A friend bought an early "ultra-wide" display, but he said that -- even though the display's quality was excellent -- he was a little displeased with the fact that more scrolling up/down was required when viewing pages.

Having said that, seem to me a standard 27" display (retina or not) would be a good choice.
It doesn't have to be the LG/Apple display. There are others out there, with a display quality as good.

+1 to this (re: "there are others out there"). At minimum, just get something that's WQHD. As an example, dev team at my office use the Asus PB278Q and are super happy with it (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Commercial-Monitors/PB278Q/)

 

[Tomorrow]

A friend bought an early "ultra-wide" display, but he said that -- even though the display's quality was excellent -- he was a little displeased with the fact that more scrolling up/down was required when viewing pages.

How is this? 1080 rows of pixels is 1080 rows of pixels, no matter how wide those rows are.

 

[Fishrrman]

"How is this? 1080 rows of pixels is 1080 rows of pixels, no matter how wide those rows are."

I believe that before he switched to the ultra-wide, he had been previously using a display (Dell 1905FP) that was 1280 x 1024. Hence, the disparity in "vertical screen real estate".

 

[Tomorrow]

"How is this? 1080 rows of pixels is 1080 rows of pixels, no matter how wide those rows are."

I believe that before he switched to the ultra-wide, he had been previously using a display (Dell 1905FP) that was 1280 x 1024. Hence, the disparity in "vertical screen real estate".

Please explain to me how 1080 rows of pixels requires more scrolling than 1024. I mean, I'm not using a calculator or anything, but it sure seems to me that a 1080p screen does not require as much vertical scrolling as 1280x1024.

 

[kschendel]

Probably a font size change involved. The original screen would have had largish square pixels. Going to the new screen with much finer resolution, probably a larger font to make character sizes at least reasonably similar, so more pixels per character, so less effective vertical space.

 

[PalidinoDH]

I forgot to ask what size monitors can I use effectively? For example, if I went with a 24-ich 4k display, how would that affect my experience since I don't have an external GPU?