# Computer Monitor



## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
Suggestions?


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
> Suggestions?


Switch to a *MAC !!!* (your photos WILL NEVER look the same on a PC!)


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
> Suggestions?


Switch to a *MAC !!!* (your photos WILL NEVER look the same on a PC!)
[/quote]

Judging by her photos, I'd do what she says!


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I bought two of these just before Christmas and have been very happy with them. The best part is free shipping.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Dell makes some pretty good monitors and prices are reasonable. Check out Costco too, their warranty and service make most any monitor a decent place to buy. Even as a Mac owner I couldn't be inclined to spend the money on one of the stand alone mac cinema display monitors even many Mac owners go for the higher end Dell monitors to save some money.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

wolfwood said:


> I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
> Suggestions?


Switch to a *MAC !!!* (your photos WILL NEVER look the same on a PC!)
[/quote]

yeah yeah, rub it in!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

what should I be looking for in contrast ratio? I currently don't have widescreen. Pros and cons to widescreen?


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

If photos are your thing, I have to agree with Wolfie, a MAC would be the way to go..........


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

rdvholtwood said:


> If photos are your thing, I have to agree with Wolfie, a MAC would be the way to go..........


I don't know how to use a Mac and my Dell is great especially now that it is restored and has new motherboard and hard drive


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## bradnjess (Mar 25, 2007)

wolfwood said:


> I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
> Suggestions?


Switch to a *MAC !!!* (your photos WILL NEVER look the same on a PC!)
[/quote]
X2









Brad


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> If photos are your thing, I have to agree with Wolfie, a MAC would be the way to go..........


I don't know how to use a Mac and my Dell is great especially now that it is restored and has new motherboard and hard drive








[/quote]

Then I would stick with the Dell - they have lots of good monitors!


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> If photos are your thing, I have to agree with Wolfie, a MAC would be the way to go..........


I don't know how to use a Mac and my Dell is great especially now that it is restored and has new motherboard and hard drive








[/quote]
T, I didn't know how to use a Mac when I first started either but could make PC purr ... as much as a PC _can_ purr..). I still learn new things about my MAC but one two things I DO know ... using Kathy's PC now makes me crazy(er) - even she prefers my Mac - and, if your _primary_ usage relates to photos, then the Mac IS the way to go!

The reality is that, whether a PC or a Mac, they're all computers and - BASICALLY - work the same way. Microsoft Office is even available for the Mac now (has been for a few years). There are a few differences to get used to between a PC and a Mac - but that's the case with ANY change. The payoff with the photos is well worth it!


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## KosinTrouble (Jul 18, 2005)

Dell has some really good monitors. When it comes to monitors there isnt that much of a difference between the monitors between Mac and PC. It is the graphics card and software in the mac that make it suppior to the PC's when it comes to dealing with images.

The wide screen is nice if you watch movies and or editing panorama images. It is usually cheaper to buy a widescreen anyways now a days. So just accept it as a default. Unless you are planning on buying just on cost alone.

Your monitor will only show as good as your graphics card is capable of. For work I use two of these..

At home I use this and two of these. I do web development and gaming on my machines at home.

Kos


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

KosinTrouble said:


> Dell has some really good monitors. When it comes to monitors there isnt that much of a difference between the monitors between Mac and PC. It is the graphics card and software in the mac that make it suppior to the PC's when it comes to dealing with images.


Ahhhh, so true (I wondered who would pick up on that and how long it would take







) We do get easily sidetracked, don't we?! Monitor alone - not much difference ...... the foundation, the guts, the heart & soul, however (ie. the OS), do make a HUGE difference!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

wolfwood said:


> Dell has some really good monitors. When it comes to monitors there isnt that much of a difference between the monitors between Mac and PC. It is the graphics card and software in the mac that make it suppior to the PC's when it comes to dealing with images.


Ahhhh, so true (I wondered who would pick up on that and how long it would take







) We do get easily sidetracked, don't we?! Monitor alone - not much difference ...... the foundation, the guts, the heart & soul, however (ie. the OS), do make a HUGE difference!

[/quote]

kinda like people, outside is nothing....foundation,guts,heart and soul are EVERYTHING


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## KosinTrouble (Jul 18, 2005)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Dell has some really good monitors. When it comes to monitors there isnt that much of a difference between the monitors between Mac and PC. It is the graphics card and software in the mac that make it suppior to the PC's when it comes to dealing with images.


Ahhhh, so true (I wondered who would pick up on that and how long it would take







) We do get easily sidetracked, don't we?! Monitor alone - not much difference ...... the foundation, the guts, the heart & soul, however (ie. the OS), do make a HUGE difference!

[/quote]

kinda like people, outside is nothing....foundation,guts,heart and soul are EVERYTHING








[/quote]

As my friend said to his wife (soon after this statement it was an ex wife)...

Beauty is only skin deep. BUT OHHH HOW I LOVE THAT SKIN! hee hee

Kos


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

"IT" was an ex-wife ?????


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

I get confused on resolution and contrast ratio...so much to choose from







, I also don't want larger than 19" and 17" would be ideal.


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## KosinTrouble (Jul 18, 2005)

Basically resolution is the number of pixels that the monitor is able to display. Unless you have a large monitor (20+ inches) most people do not use a really high screen resolution. The higher you put your screen resolution the smaller your images/text appear on the screen.

The most common resolution is 1024x768 and 1600x1200(think cant remember the numbers exactly). Again if you are only going to be using a 19" I do not think you will be going much higher resolution than that.

Contrast ratio is basically a marketing ploy. A higher contrast ratio means blacker blacks and whiter whites. Basically they find the single point on the monitor where the highest ratio is and then use that. So one monitor may have a peek of 10000:1 on a single spot on the monitor but the average is only 7500. Another may have a single spot of 9500:1 yet have a avg of 8200. The second one will give you a better blacks and whites, yet the other will advertise there monitor is 10000:1 contrast ratio even though it isnt as good. Unless you are doing professional photo's/magazine covers ect... (in which case you would be using a mac), I would not worry too much about contrast ratio.

So basically you are just down to what resolution monitor you want. The easiest way, is go into you display settings of your computer see what the highest resolution/color quality you can use and base your purchase on that. As your monitor may be able to do 2048x1536 but if your graphics card can only handle 1920x1200 then you wont be able to get full potential out of your monitor unless you upgrade your graphics card.

If you want find a couple monitors, link them on here and we can comment on them if you would like.

All opionons expressed here are of my own nature and although it is what I beleive they may not be completly accurate. It is just from what I know. And I hope it helps

Kos


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## Acadia Hiker (May 29, 2007)

bradnjess said:


> I need to invest in a monitor and not sure what to look for. I take and look at alot of pictures.
> Suggestions?


Switch to a *MAC !!!* (your photos WILL NEVER look the same on a PC!)
[/quote]
X2









Brad
[/quote]

X3


I cut my teeth on a Mac in 1989. I only switched to PCs in 2001 because my wife wanted software for the kids to be compatible with what they were doing in school. I fought it, but in the end, the new computer smell was more powerful than my Mac addiction.

When I started my new job a year-and-a-half ago, I had to be able to deal with both platforms. I'm here to tell you there is _*NO COMPARISON*_ between a Mac and a PC, especially OSX. I have already sold several people on campus to new iMacs. They have been absolutely amazed with the standard software that comes with a Mac and what it can do so easily.

If you want to do photography, Mac is the ONLY way to go. Yes, they are more expensive, but you get what you pay for when it comes to electronics.


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## BlueWedge (Sep 11, 2005)

Someone mentioned that you need the lcd to match your video card output. That is true. The lcd should be run in its native resolution for best appearance. For example, if the lcd is 1024x768 native then your video card should be set to run in that resolution. Which Dell system is this for ? Can you email me your service tag? I can then look up your video card res and at least tell you what lcd resolutions you should be looking for.

Remember 16:9 / 16:10 widescreens are going to be smaller vertically because screens are measured diagonally. To get the same vertical height as a 4:3 19" monitor you would need a ~ 26" 16:9 widescreen. You would generally want a bigger monitor to have a greater native resolution.


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## BlueWedge (Sep 11, 2005)

Your video card is a nVidia 7300 LE

It supports resolutions up to 1920x1200. Go here for the link to all the possible resolutions.

I would recommend a 19" monitor running 1280x1024 in 4:3 ratio. (what we use) You could also go with a 17" but everything on screen will be smaller at that resolution. If you want widescreen you would need a 1920x1200(16:10) or 1680x1050 monitor, although I read updated video card drivers may support 1440x900 monitor resolutions.

If you find a specific monitor you are interested in we certainly can give you an opinion it.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

I picked up this one today, but it may be bigger than I want, I haven't hooked it up yet

http://www.lge.com/us/computer-products/mo...-W2361VG-PF.jsp


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## BlueWedge (Sep 11, 2005)

Looks like a good choice. We want photos and video if you have it.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Unless you are doing professional photography or preparing content for print where there is a very important need for color representation and correction then most any decent monitor will do. As mentioned, Dell has some nice widescreen 21-22" high-def monitors for about $200.

ON EDIT: I see that you already got it. Congrats


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