The Basics:
The 22 inch HP debranded DVI widescreen LCD monitor is one of the heavier screens I have used in recent years. When I first lifted it out of the box I was reminded of a CRT monitor, and my guess is that most of the weight is in the base. This has to be one of the best bases I have ever seen, and it was so nice I decided to start by looking at it first. You are provided a wide range of motion, and you pretty much have three dimensions of adjustability. It can tilt, pivot, rotate, and telescope. The arm will let the screen sit as low as two inches off of your desk's surface, and at its highest point it is four inches higher. The range may not sound very large, but I'm rather tall and I am comfortable with the screen at about its midpoint.
Taking a look at the above right image shows that the base has two channels (one on either side) that can be used for cable management. Using these to secure your power and video cables will keep things neat, and make sure that the plugs don't pull out when the monitor's position is adjusted.
The next set of images show the input connections available. From left to right we have power, audio, DVI, VGA, and USB. A pair of built-in speakers provide a basic audio solution, and the USB connection is provided to power a 2-port USB hub. Two nice extras that could definitely come in handy.
The below left image shows the 2-port USB hub. This is located on the left edge of the monitor, about two inches from the bottom. It is a convenient place to connect thumb drives, but anything with a cable might be best plugged in somewhere else where they won't get in the way or clutter your desktop. The only note here would be that the Geeks.com site says it has "three USB ports", which is true, but just don't confuse that with having a three port USB hub since one of the ports is for connecting to your PC.
The above right image shows the oddly situated power button. I am used to the power button being on the front of the display, generally near the bottom. Here we find the power button on the top edge of the display, off to the right hand side. This seems a bit impractical to me, but the bigger issue is that turning the screen on is now a two hand operation. The screen is intended to have the ability to rotate ninety degrees, but in reality it has about ninety two degrees of motion. When pressing the power button, even just enough to turn it on, the screen rotates another two degrees (or so). My solution is to brace the left side of the screen with my left hand, as I press the power button with my right hand. Otherwise you may drive yourself crazy trying to work on a monitor just shy of level.
|
|