Chris Pirillo » display

Do You Prefer Matte or Glossy Screens?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:52:38 +0000

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I prefer matte screens, largely to cut down on glare. I hate having to position my screen so that I can actually see it. In relation to touch – I cannot stand fingerprints. I use a screen protector that helps to eliminate both of these problems.

When I bought the MacBook Pro (courtesy of PC Pitstop), I chose to go with a glossy finish since I don’t touch the screen on it. However, I get tired of having to move the screen around to get a “good” viewing angle that cuts out glare and reflection of my surroundings.

For my iPhone and other touch devices, I always use a matte finish or screen protector. As I said, it cuts way down on debris, dust and fingerprints. It also eliminates the glare problem nearly completely… at least, a GOOD screen protector should do that. If it doesn’t, it comes off of my device and I get something that works.

What type of finish do you prefer on your screens – and why?

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Do You Prefer Matte or Glossy Screens?

LED and LCD Monitor Questions and Answers

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:03:39 +0000

LED and LCD Monitor Questions and Answers

Graham Walters has a series of monitor questions (some of which are near impossible for anybody to answer with objectivity):

Do you think Eyefinity will be released for the Mac Pro anytime soon?

I don’t think I can answer that question. You’d have to ask AMD / ATI.

What aspect ratio is best for eyefinity? (two 24in monitors)

According to AMD’s Shane Parfitt: “ATI Eyefinity technology is incredibly flexible in its setup options. We can support a wide variety of aspect ratios and resolutions. For the best experience, we recommend widescreen monitors. For gaming, the most popular display configuration is three widescreen monitors in a 3×1 landscape configuration. In this configuration, we can support individual display resolutions up to 2560×1600, for a total resolution of 7680×1600 (a 48×10 aspect ratio). We’re seeing many people choose 1920×1200 or 1920×1080 displays for budget reasons – this also works very well, and looks great.”

Is $300 – $350 a good price range? (Apple LED Cinema display is $900)

“Good” is relative. Apple’s displays are (indeed) wonderful, but you’d likely be paying ~$100 more for the brand on that particular piece of hardware. It’s more accurate to compare their Cinema Display to something in the $800 range. If your budget is in the $300 range, you’ll still get a decent monitor, but it may not have a high optimal resolution, decent response time, or DPI.

Are LED-backlit displays worth the money? (seem to cost twice as much)

Depends on what you want from a screen. Looking for a wider color gamut, better illumination, longer display life, better power efficiency, etc. – go for an LED backlit display. If your needs are meager, LED-backlit displays aren’t worth the money. If you favor quality, spend the money.

Do you have any other monitors in mind?

I’m looking at one right now. Is that what you mean? :)

Do you have any advice on buying LED monitors? (specs you look for)

Yes. Do your research! Read reviews from a variety of sites, try to observe the exact model in person, and be wary when a sale sounds too good to be true. That, and you know I set up http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ to help you save money on anything you happen to buy online.

I’ve never had the problem of having a dead pixel; how obvious are they?

Sometimes, painfully obvious. Other times, hardly noticeable. Understand that a dead pixel (a point on the screen which will never illuminate) is different from a stuck pixel (a pixel which is stuck on a single color). I suggest reading more about it on the Wikipedia page for defective pixels.

Do you know of any websites which accept returns if there is a dead pixel?

That’ll vary from OEM to OEM, vendor to vendor, etc. Again, do your research. I appreciate you reaching out to me to nudge you in the right direction, but unless you’re going to pay me to be your personal shopper, this is where I tip my hat and send you on your merry way.

LED and LCD Monitor Questions and Answers

USB Display Adapter for VGA or DVI Monitors

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:40:42 +0000

USB Display Adapter for VGA or DVI Monitors

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We’ve talked before about having more than one monitor. If you have two monitors, but only one video card… it can get quite expensive to buy another card. Well, now you don’t have to!

Lewis wrote to me from SewellDirect. They have a device that can save you money, and make use of any available USB port on your computer! With the USB to DVI External Video Card, you can easily connect more than one monitor, while having only one onboard video card.

The USB to DVI supports up to six simultaneous displays, including widescreen displays, extending your desktop and your horizons. Adding a quality DVI or VGA high resolution display through your USB port used to be science fiction. It is now science fact with the USB to DVI-I adapter. With onboard memory and video processor, it is really an external video card you attach to your computer with a USB cable.It used to be that you could add a display via a USB port, but the refresh rate and video quality was lacking. With this USB to DVI display adapter, complete with VGA adapter, you can add either a DVI or VGA display that behaves just like a monitor connected to a standard video card. It operates at a high resolution of 1600 x 1200.

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USB Display Adapter for VGA or DVI Monitors