If the Acer T232HL is the minimum you
should be aiming for, then the Dell S2340T, at almost $160 more expensive,
makes a fair case for the being the most that anyone should spend on a
touch-screen monitor. For the money, though, you do get an undeniably wonderful
piece of hardware.
Dell
S2340T
Seemingly designed from the ground up to
support Windows 8's touch functionality, this 23" display features a
capacitive ten-point touch screen with full 1920x1080 HD resolution. The IPS
panel keeps the image looking sharp, bright and colorful whatever angle you
view it at; only black reproduction suffers. The screen retains a greyish tint
in dark areas, which can make murky videos and games look a bit washed-out, but
it's a concern that's easily dismissed if you're using it for work or
productivity and if you want a touch-screen, it's safe to say movie-viewing
isn't the primary reason you bought it.
There's an array of extra features,
including support for both HDMI and DisplayPort, a four port USB 3.0 hub,
headphone and microphone jacks - even gigabit Ethernet! It's effectively a
docking station as well as a monitor, which makes it great for laptop users who
want to plug into a more sophisticated screen when they get back home. There's
even a 1080p webcam (with built-in mic) as well as a pair of obligatory
built-in speakers which -shockingly - aren't completely awful. It's got
everything you could want and more.
Rather than being deskbound, the screen is
mounted on a brilliant double-jointed arm, which allows you to tilt and swivel
the screen in almost any number of ways, and it can even be folded flat so you
can use it from above. Rubber edging ensures that you don't damage the screen
when you adjust it, and prevents it from bumping annoyingly on your desk as you
type on or prod it.
There are certainly better-looking monitors
available, and they even cost less, but if you want a touch-screen that holds
its own and packs in features, there's no better choice.
There are certainly better-looking
monitors available, and they even cost less, but if you want a touch-screen
that holds its own and packs in features, there's no better choice
Specifications
·
Size: 23in
·
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 full HD IPS
·
Touch compatible: Yes, 10 point multi-touch
·
Brightness: 270 cd/m2
·
Contrast ratio: 1000:1
·
Response time: 8ms
·
Viewing angle: 178 degrees
·
Connections: DisplayPort, HMDI, USB 3, Ethernet\
·
Speakers: 5 Watt x 2
Elo 2201L
Elo mostly manufacture touch-screens,
monitors, and other hardware for use in ePOS systems but their generic
touch-screen monitor, the Elo 2201 L, is available at retail and worth looking
at.
Technically, it seems to compare perfectly
well with the competition, offering a 21.5" screen (small, but not
disappointingly so), a 1920x1080 full HD resolution, and 16:9 aspect ratio. The
screen bezel is wide (which makes the screen look bigger than it is - the
monitor is 26.5 inches diagonally!) but flat, although despite this it isn't
technically Windows 8-certified. That's because it doesn't use a capacitive
touchscreen, instead relying on 'acoustic wave' technology to detect where your
finger hits the screen.
Elo
2201L
The upshot of this is that you can use
anything to touch it. Your finger, a hand inside a glove, a pen or pencil,
literally anything that makes a sufficient jab will be detected. Useful if
you're working in an arctic research facility, perhaps, but not a huge
practical advantage in absolute terms. Like infra-red touch-screens, acoustic
wave technology can only handle two points of multitouch, hence the lack of
Windows 8 certification for this device.
We can't find any specification for the
panel, but given the poor viewing angles (170 vertical, 160 horizontal) we have
to assume it's a TN rather than an IPS panel (if not another type entirely),
and not a very good one at that. Good viewing angles are important for
touch-screens, since they have to be angled for ease of use, and the poor
quality of the Elo 2201 L's internals could severely restrict your options.
Elo
might be selling this as a PC monitor, but can only be recommended to those
building an ePOS terminal - and even then, only if you might want to
Although it's light on extras and
connectivity (it supports DVI and VGA only, has one USB input and an audio
jack), you can buy versions with some ePOS-related extras, such as a card
reader. Still, it's a heavy piece of hardware despite its lack of features,
very expensive for what it is, and unaccountably oversized. Elo might be
selling this as a PC monitor, but can only be recommended to those building an
ePOS terminal and even then, only if you might want to.
Specifications
·
Screen size: 21.5”
·
Screen resolution: 1920x1080
·
Panel type: TN?
·
Win 8 certified: No
