What Size External Monitors Do you guys Have?

[americanm00se]

I want to run a laptop+external monitor setup for my workstation in med school. My laptop will be a 13" Macbook Pro or Macbook Air. What size external monitors do you guys usually use at home with a 13" laptop as your other screen?

Is 27" overkill? Is 24" worth it? Any brand recommendations? I don't need anything more than 1080p.

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[deleted480308]

I want to run a laptop+external monitor setup for my workstation in med school. My laptop will be a 13" Macbook Pro or Macbook Air. What size external monitors do you guys usually use at home with a 13" laptop as your other screen?

Is 27" overkill? Is 24" worth it? Any brand recommendations? I don't need anything more than 1080p.

For at school? Yes, overkill

For at home? Do whatever you want

 

[DocFarnsworth]

Unless you find a good deal on a 27'' (check newegg and other sites) id go with the 24''. I had the same decision to make for my monitor when building a comp, pleased with the 24'' ASUS. As sb247 said though you'll be fine with just a laptop.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Frogger27]

For at school? Yes, overkill

For at home? Do whatever you want

What is a good size for "at school" external monitor? Is this just one you would carry around with you?

 

[sazerac]

I tried the external monitor thing for my Mac laptop for a while. The theory is nice- you can even run the laptop display and the external display at the same time, giving you even more real estate!

Inevitably it would get confused about power saving options or the lid open vs closed, and I would have to flip the lid several times or even power cycle the monitor or Mac in order to get the external screen running again.

After a while I started using the multiple desktop feature on the mac. With 3 desktops open, I had a 39 inch screen, of which I could see 13 inches at a time. Eventually this became 2 desktops, with the calendar app running maximized in 1, and everything else running on the other.

Medical school just isn't that resource heavy or real estate heavy. You want to watch a video? Watch it. You want to flip through slides? Flip through them. Go read a PDF.

A MacBook Air 13 inch with no monitor will work just fine. And it will always work.

 

[MeltingIceCube]

I purchased a 27" AOC (I had never heard of it, I'm sure you have never heard of it) from Best Buy for $150 after a friend had recommended it and I could not be happier. It is beautiful.

 

[motu]

I have a 27 inch Asus. So nice. Especially when you want to read a pdf, take notes, and have other apps like a calendar or spotify open.

Btw, if you have an iPad - the "Duet" app is only $20 and extends the monitor of your computer screen when connected by usb. Its pretty great!!

 

[ExEngineer]

I use an iPad....

 

[libertyyne]

40 inch 4k tv as a monitor! replaces all multimonitor set up, and is cheaper. Make sure to buy a good panel with low delay and thank me later.

 

[oceanman]

I was literally in the same dilemma last week. I ended up getting a 24" HP 23er for $110 on amazon (sale). I could not be happier.

 

[mimelim]

I have three 24" monitors for my primary computer. But, I've always used desktops as my primary computer. I never hook up my MBP to anything unless I'm presenting something at the hospital. If I'm doing something that requires that much screen space, it requires using a real keyboard/mouse.

 

[AnonPanda1]

24 inches is great as an external monitor. You won't feel like you're "lacking" when compared to a 27 inch. Also make sure you have the space on your desk. If it's for work, the best feature you're looking for is IPS. It has the best viewing angles and colors. The price premium should be minimal. Check out /r/buildapcsales for sales.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

24 is solid, but I love my 28. Got it at an estate sale for $40. Check out local good will, thrift stores, or estate sales and you can find some great deals!

 

[ncide]

32" and a 24" dual setup for my dedicated home PC. I don't connect my laptop usually but if I do I run it on my TV.

 

[gcuddles]

I have an HP 27" (the 27es), I got it as a Christmas gift and love it. It has a "Low Blue Light" mode and I can look at the monitor for hours without my eyes burning (great for late-night studying). It is expensive, and maybe the 24" would work fine too, but I figure I'll have this for a long time. I think an external monitor (or whole separate computer) is a great idea, especially when working with a 13" laptop (I have one too), which I find frustratingly small.

If buying an older monitor, I'd double check compatability with resolution before purchasing. I was running an old 19" Dell monitor before my current one and the resolution on my laptop caused things to become hilariously large when I pulled them over to the second monitor (happened more in certain software apps, like Adobe).

 

[libertyyne]

I have an HP 27" (the 27es), I got it as a Christmas gift and love it. It has a "Low Blue Light" mode and I can look at the monitor for hours without my eyes burning (great for late-night studying). It is expensive, and maybe the 24" would work fine too, but I figure I'll have this for a long time. I think an external monitor (or whole separate computer) is a great idea, especially when working with a 13" laptop (I have one too), which I find frustratingly small.

If buying an older monitor, I'd double check compatability with resolution before purchasing. I was running an old 19" Dell monitor before my current one and the resolution on my laptop caused things to become hilariously large when I pulled them over to the second monitor (happened more in certain software apps, like Adobe).

You dont need a hardware button to get "Low Blue Light" modes. f.lux
Provides the same benefit in software form on any computer, and you get to adjust times/extent of blue light reduction.

 

[anbuitachi]

I had a desktop and used two 21 inch monitors. Made typing notes easier
Now in residency, i am using a 36 inch monitor for my desktop

 

[NYCNative]

I use two 27s and it's great. Four large browsers/programs all fit nicely, side-by-side, so there's never any flipping between programs.

 

[Astra]

Acer Predator X34 Curved IPS NVIDIA G-sync Gaming Monitor 21:9 WQHD Display with Built-in Overclocking 100Hz Refresh Rate Boost-Newegg.com

this is the dream

 

[kamakazi5]

BenQ also makes nice monitors for a good price. I purchased a 27" 1440p monitor last year and love it. The extra desktop space is great.

 

[sovereign0]

I've got a 27" Acer, 1440p. Gives me enough real estate on its own. I use it with my desktop at home though. I personally don't hook my laptop up to anything.

 

[NeuResurgens]

I bought a 27" 4K for a good deal at Best Buy (they price matched it) and have a 13" MacBook pro to power it. It's nice and looks great. Whole thing cost a lot (I powered up the computer a bit). I was willing to spend a little extra to finally have my dream computer setup, if you want to wait a bit I don't think it's an absolute must though.