Don’t overlook your monitor

used with permission from HP Technology at Work

For some, the term “tech innovation” brings to mind new PC form factors and unique printing methods. But high-tech innovation doesn’t stop at hardware—it also includes displays.

In recent years, display innovation has produced heightened resolution, connectivity, functionality, and ROI. Displays are sleek, stylish, more robust, and thoughtfully aligned with today’s dynamic, agile, and collaborative workspaces. Designed to drive work teams, the latest iterations of this oft-overlooked, but critical technology can boost your performance, productivity, and efficiency.

Displays: Then and now

Given the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and laptops in our mobile business environment, displays often fade into the background, with users never questioning how they contribute to a more productive workday. However, displays are office necessities that have a powerful, innovative impact on productivity.

Here’s a look at how displays have evolved in the past 10 years:

• More connectors: Once upon a time, a monitor hosted only two connection points: a VGA and DVI. Today’s modern displays include a diverse assortment of ports—VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C. These added connectors help us do more, from supporting our video and audio needs to fast power delivery over USB connections.
• Higher resolution: The increased pixel density in 4k and 5k resolution displays allow us to work with more detail (good for coders), sharper image quality (good for photo editors), and high-definition video (good for streamers), while also reducing eye strain (good for all of us).
• Wider aspect ratio: Displays can be measured several ways, one of which is aspect ratio. The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height. The square 4:3 aspect ratio used to be the desktop display standard; and while the widescreen 16:9 has been the norm for several years, curved 21:9 formats are now on the market. Benefits of wider aspect ratio include a high degree of image detail for graphics editing, and a unique immersive gaming experience, to name two.
• Larger screens: Much like TVs, display screens have seen a growth spurt. Just a few years ago, the 19-inch display was the benchmark. Many flat-panel displays are now 22-inches or larger, while curved displays increase your field of vision and make the most of all available screen space. These larger displays allow you to view multiple windows and documents at once, replacing the need for multiple monitors at one desk. That way, you get more screen real estate and more desk space to boot.
• Improved collaboration: We share with local and global colleagues more than ever before, so staying connected requires evolving how we collaborate. Whether you’re conferencing at your desk or in a huddle room, displays like the Skype for Business-certified HP EliteDisplay E240c and HP EliteDisplay S340c Curved Monitor make meetings more manageable and productive.
• More comfortable: If your head and neck aren’t comfortable while working in front of a PC, chances are you’re not doing your best work. New displays are designed with your well-being in mind. Pivot rotation allows you to configure multiple displays to best fit the shape of your workstation. Pro tip: For eye comfort, position your display 18″–28″ away, adjust it to the right height, and take visual breaks.
• Greater ROI: Though display technology is at an all-time high, its costs are not. Display prices have reduced significantly, below top models available just five years ago that claimed far fewer capabilities. Meanwhile, display hardware is made from 85% post-consumer recycled plastics and holds some of the top energy/sustainability certifications to help reduce environmental impact and make responsible end-of-life return and recycling easier.

Displays for the office of the future

When we interact with technology for hours each day, we tend to care about its design, appearance, and functionality. Understandably, most of us gravitate toward modern, intuitive technology that helps push productivity and add convenience and capacity to our workday. Today’s displays are meeting these needs by fueling team members’ work in powerful, tangible ways through optimizing performance, streamlining collaboration, and driving the bottom line.