I am a university professor and wanted a single wide-screen curved monitor for more efficiently managing my writing projects and online videoconferences. This monitor is neither the cheapest nor most expensive one out there, but it is quite good for the money, I think. It has stunning color quality and is exceedingly sharp. I can have multiple documents open as well as a good sized amount of the screen set aside for Zoom or Google Hangouts conferences with students.
The Dell Display Manager software greatly increases the utility of this monitor and is one of the factors that sealed the deal for me. With a screen this large, it's important to have a way of organizing all of that screen real estate. The DDM software allows you to partition the screen into either predefined or customized grids, and then drag and drop programs and files that just snap into the grid. I have grids I use for videoconferences, research and writing projects, and so forth. The only thing I would caution is that, unless I am mistaken, there is not a Mac OS version of the DDM software, which is a real shame for Mac users who might be considering this otherwise excellent monitor.
If you happen to be using a newer-generation Dell laptop, as I am, the monitor also functions as a docking station. My Latitude E7490 has USB-C connectivity for video, charging, and USB ports. What this means is that I simply plug in a single cable from the monitor to the laptop and it handles all of the laptop's charging and power requirements, as well as connects me to my keyboard, mouse, webcams, speakers, and all other peripherals that remain connected to the monitor's generous number of USB ports. Indeed, I have a small USB hub that is hooked into the monitor, multiplying the number of ports even further. It's really nice not to have to plug and unplug a bunch of stuff every time I have to set up my laptop for home office use.
The monitor also allows you to hook up two different computers to it and then toggle between the computers. I've not had any need for this function so I've not tried it yet.
This may not be the best monitor for gaming as it does not offer insanely high refresh rates--though based on some of the reviews I read it appears to do well enough in that category. But I'm not a gamer and use it for text-based functions almost exclusively. I can say that it works marvelously well for videos, such as YouTube and Amazon Prime. And the colors are amazingly vibrant.
The built-in speakers are nothing to get excited about. They are weak and kind of muddy. I am using a set of external speakers anyway, so that doesn't concern me. But don't expect much from them.
The display adjustments are easy enough to use even if slightly awkward. But with the Dell Display Manager Software (mentioned above) the brightness and contrast controls, as well as the main image modes for color presets, are readily available through a software shortcut. Those are the only settings I adjust with any regularity anyway.
All in all, this is a great monitor and I'd buy it again.
| Standing screen display size | 34 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 3440x1440 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 3440 x 1440 Pixels |
