If you had £1200 to Spend on a Monitor.............

I have been considering and musing on what to do for my next Monitor for some time and have a couple of postings over the last six months regarding opinion on various options. I am now in a position to be able to purchase my new device however I find myself in a quandary...................

The two screens that I am looking at : Dell 3008AO2 & NEC 30" MultiSync LCD3090WQXI BK.

The quandary is that I would like to keep my monitor and be happy with it for 4-5 years - and my concern is that OLED is going to come along and pee on my parade in 12 months and obselete my new purchase. It's all over the AV industry, but as far as I can tell no where in the monitor world (aside from mp3 devices and the like)

Is that purely a case that the enthuisist PC monitor business is very small? But I would have thought that the pro market would be pretty big............

This isn't a case that I want reassurance - well not entirely. I'd just like opinion on the future of the monitor market and whether one of these 30's will be a poor comparison in a couple of years time, as IME to be fair the Dell 2405 I bought 4 years ago still stands up well to todays competition.

I don't know enough about OLED to know, only that I hear people saying this year will be the year of the OLED and that it has the potential to obsolete LCD like LCD did to CRT. But even if that's true, it took LCD some years to go from expensive niche technology to market dominance, and that's with a head start from laptops for years.

So I'd say it's not just about whether OLED is good enough to replace LCD, but also about the manufacturing process and yield rates, and about how much of an early-adopter premium is charged and for how long. It may be that in a few years, OLED is king and LCD is dead, but I'd expect it to take several years.

Of course, if you want the latest technology and to stay "one step ahead of the Joneses", then I'd think buying now is a mistake. But if you buy now, will the purchase give you several years of perfectly adequate service, even if it isn't the latest and greatest? Probably, yeah.

Then again, I wouldn't spend £1200 on a monitor now, either, so I'm no judge. Personally, and I stress personally 30" is just to big. If you have a real need for that, then fine, but I don't. Something of the likes of the Dell 2408 is probably as far as I'd go and I might consider a multi-monitor setup, but 30"? Not for me.

if i had £1200, i'd definitely buy a three monitor setup of very good 24" screens instead of one 30".

Don't forget you need to be able to drive three monitors, so factor a suitable video card into the price.

I'd like 3 or even 4, because it's so flashy, but with my sensible head on, I question what I'd use them for? Oh sure, I could find a use for the extra third and/or fourth, but do I need it enough to be prepared to pay for it? Realistically, no. Some people may have a genuine need (or simply loads of money) but for me, I couldn't justify the cost on the basis of what benefit it gave me.

If I was going to do it, though, I think I'd look for decent monitors more in the 20-22" range if there were going to be several of them .... such as the E-IPS Dell 2209WA. A twin monitor setup at about £400 (and £800 saved) appeals to me a LOT more than a 30" at £1200 .... but that's just my sense of value and priority. I'd get more benefit from spending that extra £800 on other things, or saving it until I did need to spend it on other things.

And two monitors I can see a worthwhile use for me from, be it photo/video editing, or simply keeping several extra windows (like a browser pointed here) open while working on something else full-screen. But personally, beyond two, I think the only benefit for me would be in showing off and it wouldn't be worth the extra cost to do it. Apart from anything else, very few people get into my home office to see it, which makes showing off a bit tricky. :D

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Originally Posted by Saracen

If I was going to do it, though, I think I'd look for decent monitors more in the 20-22" range if there were going to be several of them .... such as the E-IPS Dell 2209WA. A twin monitor setup at about £400 (and £800 saved) appeals to me a LOT more than a 30" at £1200.

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I have that exact setup - 2 x Dell 2209WAs - though the choice for me was between those and 1 good 24" screen. I'm glad I went with it and I make pretty good use of them though at times it can suffer from the same kind of issue I think you'd get with a 30" screen - you end up with a lot of neck / eyeball movement because the area is more than you can take in from a single comfortable position. I don't see how you'd use a 30" monitor as a normal desk monitor - great for games maybe but crap for work - though I've never worked with one so I could be talking out of my bum.

Thank you for your thoughts gentlemen - I do struggle with the price differential to go from a 'good' 24" to a 30" - it's just that I have grown into the 24 and now feel like i'd like more screen real estate. Multi screen options have never really appealed to me although if I got the 30 I would probably run the 24 as a second screen as well.

Sometimes it's just about what we want, rather than what we need. I spent rather more that £1200 on a new BMW M3 some time back, not because I needed it but because I wanted it. I've spent money on camera gear, audio gear and so on .... and yes, computer gear, not because I needed but because I wanted it.

So I certainly can't criticise going for a 30" because it's what you want - or rather, I could, but it'd make me a hypocrite. :D

So if 30" is what you want (:eek:) go for it.

As for the original question, I think given the potential onset of OLED, if I were in your shoes and wanting to spend £1200 on a monitor, I'd hold off for a few months and see how things go unless I had to act now. If the old 2405 had died and I needed to buy something, it'd force my hand. If not, were it me, I'd bide my time and watch and wait. After all, if you've the money now, presumably you still will in 3 months or 5 months?

Having said that, it's possible the exchange rate will go down the toilet and prices will go up. Or, probably more likely, they'll go down as technology improves and new models come out, That, my friend, is the gamble we all take every time we buy something high-tech.

If we always waited for something new coming out we'd never buy anything, because there's always something bigger/better/faster etc coming "soon"..

Although in this case, if it's not about to fall apart/explode, I'd certainly wait a bit as Saracen mentioned - the displays market is about to go through a large transition phase, but if you can't or don't want to, then go for it and enjoy it :)

Hell, there's always these:

http://www.cinemassivedisplays.com/m...r-displays.php

;)

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Originally Posted by Saracen

Sometimes it's just about what we want, rather than what we need. I spent rather more that £1200 on a new BMW M3 some time back, not because I needed it but because I wanted it. I've spent money on camera gear, audio gear and so on .... and yes, computer gear, not because I needed but because I wanted it.

So I certainly can't criticise going for a 30" because it's what you want - or rather, I could, but it'd make me a hypocrite. :D

So if 30" is what you want (:eek:) go for it.


As for the original question, I think given the potential onset of OLED, if I were in your shoes and wanting to spend £1200 on a monitor, I'd hold off for a few months and see how things go unless I had to act now. If the old 2405 had died and I needed to buy something, it'd force my hand. If not, were it me, I'd bide my time and watch and wait. After all, if you've the money now, presumably you still will in 3 months or 5 months?

Having said that, it's possible the exchange rate will go down the toilet and prices will go up. Or, probably more likely, they'll go down as technology improves and new models come out, That, my friend, is the gamble we all take every time we buy something hoigh-tech.

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Hehe - I sell those for a living - great cars, just a little hairy in these snowy conditions!
And don't worry I fully understand the difference between Need and Want. If it was just me I'd have bought the 30 about 2 years ago - but it has taken 4 years to be able to justify an upgrade from the 2405 to my other half, and once I have made this purchase it will be another 4-5 years till I can justify another upgrade on the monitor front - Hence why I have to try and get it right when I buy somthing like this:)

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Originally Posted by Stoo

If we always waited for something new coming out we'd never buy anything, because there's always something bigger/better/faster etc coming "soon"..

Although in this case, if it's not about to fall apart/explode, I'd certainly wait a bit as Saracen mentioned - the displays market is about to go through a large transition phase, but if you can't or don't want to, then go for it and enjoy it :)

Hell, there's always these:

http://www.cinemassivedisplays.com/m...r-displays.php

;)

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They are pretty cool Stoo :)

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Originally Posted by Syd

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They are pretty cool Stoo :)

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Indeed they are.

Did you see the program last year about how author Terry Pratchett was handing discussing the onset of Alzheimers? He had a very impressive multi-monitor setup.

And by the way, I was upset by that news. Not only is he one of my favourite authors with a fantastic (literally) imagination and a greet way with words, but even as a very successful author, he was very approachable. I used to chat with him on CIX many years ago, and he gave me more than a few pointers at the start of my writing career. I've never met the bloke (though would love to) but his friendliness and help pointed me in the right direction. Hearing he was ill upset me but seeing how he handled it was an inspiration. I would call him brave but I suspect he wouldn't like it, and would just say he ls facing reality and coping with it as best he can. I hope I could do as well if I ever find myself in that situation.

Anyway, that's going ever so slightly off-topic. Those multi-screen displays just reminded me of that program.

Well.......

If you want to go silly try to track down an IBM T221 (the DG05 version), very hard to find now but 3840x2400 in a 24" format.

If you want to be sensible the multi monitor format is probably the better play....

If you want to buy something to 'hold off' till OLED develops then pick up a Samsung T260HD (must be the HD not just the T260). Great piece of kit and you can often pick them up for mid £200's now....Onboard Digital TV Tuner, DVI, HDMI (x 3 IIRC), VGA, 26" great quality LCD... In a year if you decide to upgrade you can hang it off your wall as a TV/PS3/XBOX360 unit.

GL

If you're searching for a reason to upgrade then 30" then don't buy one. For all the reasons you've stated I would recommend it's more an itch than a need and you may well come to regret it in future, especially if such a purchase will preclude you from buying something else for 4-5 years. For me, 24" was too small and I tried to find reasons not to upgrade to 30", but obviously the need won over in the end.

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Originally Posted by Bugbait

If you're searching for a reason to upgrade then 30" then don't buy one. For all the reasons you've stated I would recommend it's more an itch than a need and you may well come to regret it in future, especially if such a purchase will preclude you from buying something else for 4-5 years. For me, 24" was too small and I tried to find reasons not to upgrade to 30", but obviously the need won over in the end.

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It's not really a case of searching for a reason - I have wanted a bigger screen for a couple of years. Gaming, Browsing, Image reviewing/editing and general useage so although not a need it's def a want. It's not going to stop me buying ANYTHING else for 5 years but it will prob stop me upgrading the monitor again!

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Originally Posted by Syd

It's not really a case of searching for a reason - I have wanted a bigger screen for a couple of years. Gaming, Browsing, Image reviewing/editing and general useage so although not a need it's def a want. It's not going to stop me buying ANYTHING else for 5 years but it will prob stop me upgrading the monitor again!

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If you want to go the 30" route in the near future then you may as well buy one now. You have to remember that the current IPS 30" monitors haven't really changed in many years. I wouldn't be surprised if it took a while for the OLED and even LED backlight technology to reach the 30" segment. Then again, I don't have a crystal ball and could be completely wrong. Even if they do arrive in the next 12 months, the first generation may be somewhat lacking.

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Originally Posted by Bugbait

Even if they do arrive in the next 12 months, the first generation may be somewhat lacking.

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And I'm guessing pretty darn expensive

Forget about OLED for a resonable price or larger sizes atm, they still have problems manufactoring them in large sizes and big enough quatities (anything bigger than 5 inches). Easy way to tell about OLED is wait for the end of CES to see if any in the size/price range your looking for get announced (remember add 6-12 months from first shown to even get a release date).