Flat panels: recommended models?

[Anonymous]

looking at dual 19-20ish size LCD panels. Better to have 4x3 or 16x9 widescreen? Any brand or model better than others? have been crusing the Dell web site. Using Nvidia quadro 3400 graphics card in P4 3.4gig machine

[Dwight]

I had been using 2, 21" Sony CRT side by each. The divider between the two displays made it easy to split - plan and toolkits on one, 3D and other applications on the other. ArchiCAD was a natural for two displays. With the one big display, I am having trouble deciding exactly how to spread things out, managing all of the views. ArchiCAD 9 has a problem with Mac where it won't come to the front when you click a window (unlike many other applications). This is only about me and my buzzillion things at once. It just seemed easier before......

I have spoken enough about what I feel are the absolute limits of what my middle aged eyes can see at once, and addressed certain posture issues that I developed in matching my progressive bifocals with the low angle I need to manage my shoulder rotator cuff - so a second display is not an option. Even a small offtothesider would mean developing bouncingdoggieheadinthebackwindo syndrome.

So think carefully about this in assessing your own vision capabilities, not only your budget.

One one hand, you want the delight of the big thing, as did I, but the currency in this situation is pixels and ArchiCAD users should go for the most pixels for the buck. That extra video card is a problem - two 23" seems smarter if just in ArchiCAD - and 128mg card drives both just fine.

But I do watch a DVD on it full screen - we don't have a television, so this is our media station on Saturday night, clustered as we are around the work station, as ironic as that is. We try to pick movies about computers. Especially movies where the good guys use Apple and the bad guys use PC.

[Dwight]

AND THIS: JUST IN:

http://www.wacom.com/lcdtablets/index_21UX.cfm

CINTIQ DRAW-ON-IT Tablet display

Reviewed their 18" model for Canadian Architect Magazine and loved it.

21" is $2500. Check it out!!

[Stephen Dolbee]

Dwight wrote:
[keep your chin IN!!!] and eye correction issues requiring a special low position mount for the display - and why is the Aeron chair taking so long to arrive?]
There. I admitted it. Ergonomics wins.

Dwight,
Chin IN!!! is important. After a couple of years of looking UP! through my bi-focals, my neck/back is messed up. I now have "computer glasses" for work. Please let us know how your Aeron chair works for you. I bought a Freedom chair a couple of months ago. Cool chair, but didn't help my back much (was hoping for a quick cure).

Steve

[Dwight]

As long as it, looking as much like a giant inverted insect, doesn't eat me.

Main problem already solved by lowering display - when office renovated will use wall mount for display.

I am a long time user of Aeron at my professional association board meetings. Almost have the levers figured out but don't know where to put the batteries.

New problem incorporating Cintiq 21 drawonit display - some kind of rolling stand....

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

To those who are feeling the effects of postural misbehavior (including tension in the neck, for example) I enthusiastically recommend looking around for an Alexander Technique teacher.

Expensive chairs, chiropractics and pushing the chin in are attempts at dealing with the effects, while the underlying causes (overall bad poise, misuse of the body, unnecessary imbalances and tensions etc.) remain. The money saved on chairs and chiropractics can then go to two 30" I guess.

[Dwight]

Right.
The experience of youth.
I don't see you wearing bifocals, buster.
[This is a term usually applied to suggest failure of a mechanical contraceptive device, but used here merely as a tease]

And to anyone contemplating 2, 30" displays - no magical alexander technique [and it is splendid] will help you lash back and forth across 54" wide all day long. It is out of range. You'd need to gimbal like a teetering bowling pin to make that work.

BTW: custom Aeron chair arrived yesterday. wonderful. Got the adjustable arms and the posture assist. Still looks like insect parts. Don't forget to ask for the architect's discount.

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

Dwight wrote:
I don't see you wearing bifocals, buster.

You mean you do contortions with your neck and spine because you need to look at the screen with the lower part of your bifocals which are meant for reading paper below and not looking at a screen in front?

You might be interested in checking this (maybe you already did, but just in case):
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/office/computer_glasses.html
http://www.workcover.vic.gov.au/vwa/home.nsf/pages/so_vdu_common

[Dwight]

Thanks. But changing glasses is a problem becuase of accommodating different prescriptions.

By placing the display lower, as I said before, the issue is solved - I actually use a continuously variable correction that lets me easily adjust to a variety of situations. But still, 54" is a lot of head movement for anyone.

But, please remember, I am OLD - fifty, and this problem only happened because I had the display way too high. And I did have a lousy chair - first clue : don't sit on a tree stump.

I take back the buster tease.

[Rick Thompson]

I have an old 22" and a 15" cinema which I have been more than happy with... except the 22" one has a much warmer color to it (I got it when they first came out.. so it's old). I just saw that the new ones are reduced in price so I got out my tape and the new 23" and a 20" displays are very close to the same footprint because they have smaller edging. Those two seem perfect to me... not too big.. not too small... just right. I find AC works very well on the 22" one with email etc on the 15" one. I also leave another copy of AC on the 15" for copy/pasting. My 55 yr old eyes w/trifocal progressive lenses are a challenge, but having my chair up high (with a good chair), and a foot rest, has helped my neck issues a lot. (It helps keep the old head balanced on top of the spine (as in Alex technique).

[Dwight]

That seems like a really good play - sometimes lots of little things work better than one big thing. Like bees: If bees were bigger they would be easier to shoot when they swarmed.

I wish Mac could address three displays at once, then you could have two tiny displays sort of suspended around the main one. Sort of like science fiction: BattleStar GallactiCAD.

Back to work on "Thinking Like Photographer" segment.