Do you like your Widescreen?

[woodyp]

I requested a monitor, I was expecting a 19" lcd but management bought me a 20.1" wide screen. So I'm wondering if I should keep it or send it back and get a 19" square LCD. My video card doesn't support the widescreen but they are willing to get a new one. I currently run ABS but may be upgrading to Revit MEP soon.
I'd like to know if you like your widescreen and what advantages it gives you.

[Ed Jobe]

My Opinion..
A "widescreen" is not wider, it just has the top cut off to fit the format of movies, hd tv. CAD needs all the screen space it can get. In fact I'm getting dual 19" (regular) monitors.

[dgorsman]

I've done some work on widescreen-equipped stations, and while the extra desktop space was nice it simply can't compete with dual monitors.

[Ed Jobe]

extra desktop space
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to define "extra".

A comparison of Viewsonic monitors with similar specs at Newegg:
regular 19" @ 1280x1024 = 1.3 MP, $200 = $153/MP
19" widescreen @ 1440x900 = 1.47 MP, $200 = $136/MP
19" widescreen @ 1680x1050 = 1.76 MP, $240 = $136/MP

This may vary depending on specs and sale prices, but it looks like my initial opinion may have been skewed. Maybe it might suit you to get dual widescreen's?

[dgorsman]

Not sure I have that much physical real-estate...

[Ed Jobe]

Your desk must be as cluttered as mine. ;)

[arshiel88]

Personal opinion: I wouldn't recommend Phillips 190CW (19" widescreen LCD). The movement of my crosshair is smoother in my old CRT monitor. I think dual CRT monitor is still the best bet in CAD and 3D apps.

[dgorsman]

Your desk must be as cluttered as mine. ;)

Hey, if somebody has that much desktop space, they aren't working hard enough. :D

[Ed Jobe]

Hey, if somebody has that much desktop space, they aren't working hard enough. :D

Exactly! 8)

[aaronrumple]

Dual 1680 x 1050 LCD is the way to go....

[powermarc]

I have a 22" widescreen LCD (ViewSonic 2230wm) and a 19" 4:3 LCD (ViewSonic VP920b). The widescreen LCD has a resolution of 1680x1050 and is my main monitor for AutoCAD, Photoshop, Sketchup, etc. The smaller screen usually holds my Outlook inbox, my web browser windows, Word, Excel, and so on, but I can always drag windows over to the big screen and expand if I need more work area.

I think that the widescreen monitor is awesome, and you should definitely take that new graphics card too. However, it may not be that you need a new card to run your widescreen monitor - you may just need new drivers for your current card.

[RAndrews]

Dual 1680 x 1050 LCD is the way to go....

That is the way to go. I have 2-24" wide screens on my desktop maxxed out the resoultion to 1920 x 1200. Split my model space into 3 viewports and do a plan, front and Iso views as needed for 3d drawings.

[woodyp]

However, it may not be that you need a new card to run your widescreen monitor - you may just need new drivers for your current card.

Tried that.

[scompton]

I have 2 Acer AL1916W monitors and love it. My old computer's graphic card had options for dual monitors, but when my computer got upgraded last year, the new graphic card did not have the extra features that I used...for example: I like to have my monitors act like one large one vs split monitors. I found this add on software called Ultramon that has the features that I wanted for about $40.

[ekubaskie]

As long as it gives you more dots overall, go for the new video card.

I have a pair of 4:3 19" (1280x1024 ea.) at work and a pair of 24" widescreens (1920x1200 ea.) at home. Home is WAY nicer for CAD, especially Civil 3D with all its palettes & dialogs.

[KGC]

I had the option for a 22" wide screen but i choose dual 17"s for now. I would like to get Dual 19"s.

Dual Screen FTW

[robert.1.hall72202]

I like using my widesreenS . I have dual 23" screens.
Sometimes at the end of my work day I need a :beer: because
90 degree corners look slanted.

I can always leave my email program open in the first
few inches of the screen so that the adjacent window
has more of a square shape. No more elongated geometry!

[KGC]

[QUOTE=Robert.Hall;811897Sometimes at the end of my work day I need a :beer: because
90 degree corners look slanted.
[/QUOTE]

That is great, Man dual 23"s that is nuts

[jpaulsen]

I prefer the widescreen because the wider screen gives you more space for toolbars and pull-down menus. Plus I got used to the widescreen on my laptop.

With that said I would not get anything smaller than 22" in a wide screen. We purchased some 20" widescreens and the area is noticeably smaller that a 19" 4:3 LCD.

They had HP 24" widescreen LCD's at AU. Those were awesome but they cost around $600. You can get less expensive 24" widescreens. Newegg has an Acer for $400. We have purchased other Acer LCD monitors and were pleased with them.

If you can get them to shell out the cash get a 24".

[Mamma Jamma]

I like my widescree. I'm too much of a hack to quote facts & figures and all that. But I like that I can have Properties open full time, and a tool pallette and STILL have nearly as much room in the middle as I used to. Simple as that.

[robert.1.hall72202]

That is great, Man dual 23"s that is nuts

Yeah, I should be playing flight simulator!

[emow54]

Good evening all. Just joined the widescreen club and not sure if it was a good choice. The problem is that whatever ratio I use my drawings are distorted. Anyone have any fixes?

[ekubaskie]

You should be displaying at the LCD monitor's native resolution. If your video card doesn't support those numbers, get one that will.

And go with the digital connection.

[jgkerns]

Good evening all. Just joined the widescreen club and not sure if it was a good choice. The problem is that whatever ratio I use my drawings are distorted. Anyone have any fixes?

As the previous poster said, use the monitor's native resolution. On a 24" for example, that'll probably be 1920x1200. If you use anything besides the monitor's native resolution, it fudges things to try to make it work. Whereas a CRT has a screen coated with near-microscopic phosphors lit up by an electron gun, an LCD is a more rigid grid of pixels. The CRT can adjust its firing pattern to give you a selection of resolutions in pretty nice detail, but the LCD has to show exactly the same number of pixels every time. If you force it to show less, it'll try, by mixing and blurring things as best it can. Looks hideous if you ask me.

Now, if you try to stretch say 1600x1200 (a standard 4:3 resolution) out across a 1920x1200 display, it does exactly what you'd expect -- stretches it out. And, at the same time, fuzzes it up, since it has to compensate for the fact that it's not the native resolution. A lot of older video cards don't support widescreen aspect ratios. A new set of drivers might fix it, but if it's too far out of date, you'd really need a new card.

Back to the original question, I'm completely addicted to widescreen. I purposely chose it when I bought my new laptop, after seeing how much easier it was to work in graphic design apps. I could have my standard 4:3 images up, with room left on the side for palettes. I knew I wanted it for CAD as well. Then, I eventually got tired of such high resolution on a tiny 17" screen, and bought my 24" monitor for home. I have my laptop on the left, with a real keyboard and mouse, and that big, bright, beautiful 24" Acer hooked up in front of me. I can glance over to the left for email, research, etc., and have that beauty in front of me in all its widescreen glory for my real work. I've had to go back to a 21" CRT at my new job, and I hate it with a passion.

[jgkerns]

My Opinion..
A "widescreen" is not wider, it just has the top cut off to fit the format of movies, hd tv. CAD needs all the screen space it can get. In fact I'm getting dual 19" (regular) monitors.

I see it exactly the opposite. The two resolutions I use are 1600x1200 when I'm forced to use a 4:3 aspect ratio, and 1920x1200. The widescreen is giving me exactly 320 more pixels on the sides.

Even if, for some reason, you define your screen real estate by inches rather than pixels, you're still off base. A screen is always measured from corner to corner, whether it's widescreen or standard. Thus, a 19" 4:3 LCD comes out mathematically to 11.4" high by 15.2" wide. A widescreen 19" at 16:10 (should you for some reason NOT want a larger screen) would measure 9.9" high by 16.1" wide. You're not losing without gaining.

That having been said, two 19" 4:3 monitors DOES give you more real estate than one 24" widescreen. But you know what? Two 24" widescreens gives you more than two 19s, so there!

[robert.1.hall72202]

I see it exactly the opposite. The two resolutions I use are 1600x1200 when I'm forced to use a 4:3 aspect ratio, and 1920x1200. The widescreen is giving me exactly 320 more pixels on the sides.

Even if, for some reason, you define your screen real estate by inches rather than pixels, you're still off base. A screen is always measured from corner to corner, whether it's widescreen or standard. Thus, a 19" 4:3 LCD comes out mathematically to 11.4" high by 15.2" wide. A widescreen 19" at 16:10 (should you for some reason NOT want a larger screen) would measure 9.9" high by 16.1" wide. You're not losing without gaining.

That having been said, two 19" 4:3 monitors DOES give you more real estate than one 24" widescreen. But you know what? Two 24" widescreens gives you more than two 19s, so there!

awwww, and dual 23" widescreens are so very cool. Size? Whatever, still cool.

[ekubaskie]

awwww, and dual 23" widescreens are so very cool. Size? Whatever, still cool.

Agreed, though sometimes I look like I'm watching a tennis match going from one to the other

[robert.1.hall72202]

Agreed, though sometimes I look like I'm watching a tennis match going from one to the other

I know what you mean.
I keep autocad in front of the keyboard so I can concentrate on 1 single monitor.
Monitor 2 is an electronic copy holder. Helps me eliminate errors by having all
of my information at eye level and viewed simulatneous.