Sunday, January 13, 2013

Brief review of Viewsonic 22" touchscreen monitors

Smitten by the touch screen bug from using an iPad since the original came out, I took the plunge and purchased two 22 inch touch screens last week. They are Viewsonics, 2-point touch, and the goal was to reduce my reliance on using the mouse at work. If you read my speech recognition blog, you'll know that I get sore hands very quickly from using computers. Getting a touch screen was another way of varying my work habits.

Note: This review will focus on the touch capabilities only. I was not too concerned about color vibrancy or sharpness, assuming they will be decent (and they are for me).

When starting my research, I found that most larg-ish touch screens (over 20") were out of my price range, since I wanted 2. The Viewsonics were the least expensive I could find, at 300-400 $ (one has Android built in). Price was important as I was paying for them myself, to use at work. The screens use optical technology (the bevel senses the position of your finger) instead of capacitive (what is used by iPads and most tablets). If I were to do it over again I would probably save some money by just getting two VT2220's, but the techy in my wanted to play with Android as a desktop experience. (I have an iPhone and have had limited access to the Android world.)

From a touch performance standpoint, these monitors work as well as my iPad for most actions. Dragging is fine as is reliable tapping and the albeit limited number of gestures I use. (I have a close "flick" defined in Windows 7.) Sometimes a tap is registered before I even tap the screen but this is expected since the touch is camera based.

Touching the corners of the monitor is the only real problem. Because the monitors are using cameras or some kind of infrared system (not sure which), when you try to tap the corners or edges, the accuracy goes down. This is usually not a problem unless I'm trying to hit the small X of a tab in Chrome. For most other software, it's not an issue because most hit points are a bit off the edge of the screen. For example, in Word 2007, the Ribbon tabs are far enough down so that I can hit them without a problem.

Tip: If tapping works well in Windows, don't calibrate, or get rid of the calibration data (Control Panel > Tablet PC Settings > Display options). I found I was more easily able to touch corners and the top more accurately without callibration. Still a bit inaccurate and corners still nigh untouchable, but better.

The stand for the VSD220 is unusual for a monitor but terrific. It's essentially like a photo frame stand with a tight spring. You can bend it pretty far without worrying about the monitor slipping off the desk. I don't plan on using it horizontal because of neck pain, but you can get pretty close (maybe 20 degrees). Right now I'm using it near vertical and keeping the monitor very close to me to avoid arm fatigue.

The stand for the VSD220:


The stand for the VT2220 is more typical of your average monitor stand, which, having used the VSD220, I'm not too fond of. When I tap the VT2220, the screen "gives" slightly (moves backward), which does not occur in the VSD2220. It is also much less bendable than the VSD220 - which doesn't have an impact on my usage because I use it near vertical anyway, but if you are looking to have it horizontal, the VT2220 isn't your screen. Why Viewsonic didn' reuse the same stand for both, I'm not sure.

The stand for the VT2220: 


When it comes to using the monitors with Windows 7 and 8, I only have experience with Windows 7. The one thing that should be noted about using these monitors with Windows 8 is that you cannot slide from outside the monitor because of the raised bevel. This eliminates use of some Windows 8 gestures. For example, you can't slide from outside the right side of the monitor to the inside, to bring up the Charms bar. This could be a deal breaker for some. I plan on upgrading my computer to Windows 8 next week and will provide information on my experiences. For me, it's not a big deal, as I know I can press Windows-C. However if you plan to work exclusively with touch, it's something to keep in mind.

Bottom line: Both monitors are very capable solutions for those looking to add touch screen input to their work environments. The monitors are the smallest I was willing to get for work, the touch performance is accurate except near the edges and corners, and the price is decent.

Stay tuned for new blog entries describing my experience using touch in Windows 7 and as I migrate to Windows 8.

Updated Jan 18: Corrected ability to change slant of VT2220.