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Currently I work on a 13" macbook. I'm thinking about getting additional display. I look for 1920x1200 24" or larger display. Any suggestions what size is enough but not too big?

Lenovo L2440P seems a nice option (1920x1200, 24", < 400 usd). Or should I look for a 2560x1600 beast?

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This isn't programming related. Unless you are doing game programming, having 1 or 30 displays isn't relevant. – The Elite Gentleman Sep 28 '10 at 8:39
try programmers.stackexchange.com – Kirk Broadhurst Sep 28 '10 at 8:41
This doesn't belong here as it is not programming related. However, you can see the same question here: programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/4272/… – Naveen Sep 28 '10 at 8:41
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migrated from stackoverflow.com Sep 28 '10 at 11:20

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3 Answers

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If you are willing to go above the $400 limit, I have very good personal experience with HP LP2475w. It's a 24" display with 1920x1200 resolution, it has very good connectivity options and pivot as well. It's not a TN-based display (it's IPS-based) which gives it a good color output, and viewable angles are very good as well (which is important for pivot, as @BarsMonster already pointed out).

Newegg currently sells it for $559, however this is an older model so you might be able to find a good price in different shops in your area.

HP also has a newer model - HP ZR24W. I didn't have a chance to see it in action, however the specs say that it should have a slightly better display (a better variant of the IPS technology) and lower power consumption. I went for the older model as the new one has less connectivity options (it lacks HDMI). This is a cheaper model, and you should be able to get it for a price which is very close to your target price ($400).

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Thanks. The newer model just fits in my price range :) – Mantas Sep 29 '10 at 22:58
Cool, glad that it was helpful :o) – MicE Oct 1 '10 at 13:32
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up vote 1 down vote

You are thinking a bit wrong way.

  1. Pixel size : The bigger - the better for your eyes. 2560x1600 sucks here.
  2. Non-TN matrix, so that you can rotate in by 90' - it's much more fun to see long page of code, it's not usually that wide.
  3. Consider having 2 monitors :)
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As an owner of 2 monitors, my advice is to ignore item 3. Instead, consider having 3 monitors! – TokenMacGuy Sep 28 '10 at 8:41
I disagree with 1 - it's too much of a blanket statement - I don't want pixels that are 1cm large, and 2560*1600 can have suitably sized pixels if the screen is large enough. Instead, find out what your current dot pitch is and choose a screen with something similar (or, if you find the text on your current screen too small, choose something with a larger dot pitch, etc). I've a pot pitch of ~0.25mm myself and find that works rather well for me. – DMA57361♦ Sep 28 '10 at 11:37
Wouldn't too much pixels be bad? It would mean that you would have to max out the resolution to make the OS UI look sharp, which would then mean that you would have to have your nose touching the screen to view small text/websites. – JFW Sep 28 '10 at 11:42
@JFW it depends on the size of the screen. 2560*1600 on a 30inch screen has a dot pitch of ~0.25mm, while does 1920*1200 on a 22inch screen has a dot pitch of ~0.25mm - so everything should be the same size on both, you will just fit more items on the 2560*1600 screen. It's about matching both the screen size and resolution. See this handy table on Wikipedia that I've just found. – DMA57361♦ Sep 28 '10 at 11:55
@DMA57361: it depends on how far a person sits from the screen. The OP asked for a 24" screen, and when sitting ~1 meter for the screen I really find 1920x1200 just enough to avoid a strain on the eyes. For a higher resolution I'd definitely recommend a larger screen, but note that this is a personal opinion based on experience with multiple 20"/22"/24" screens in the last several years. – MicE Sep 28 '10 at 11:55
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up vote 0 down vote

I too have a MacBook Pro 13". In my office I installed an external fullhd 24" 16:9 monitor (I like Samsung LCDs, but that's subjective). I find it useful to keep Eclipse on the main monitor, and documentation, terminals, and misc stuff (skype, itunes) on the macbook's lcd that stays on a side (I have external keyboard and mice in front of the 24").

At these (and even at lower) resolutions you really want to make sure you're using a digital connection (DVI, DP, HDMI, whatever but not vga!).

Higher resolutions at the same monitor size are not going to help.

For some years I used to work on a 20" 16:10 LCD (main monitor, 1680x1050) with a 19" 4:5 LCD (secondary monitor, vertical, 1024x1280 resolution) and I certainly enjoyed it, but I wouldn't go with a 16:9 rotated monitor (giving a 9:16 working area), I think it would be too high. If your functions/methods are that many rows you're probably writing bad code anyway.

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