Monitors for Measure
If you're reading this, then maybe you are considering upgrading your monitor.
If you are using Measure on a laptop screen, or a monitor from the 90’s that’s the weight of a VW Beetle, you will be amazed at the how different the experience of using Measure is on a large modern monitor.
It's important to remember that Measure will run fine on almost any monitor you can buy today. To improve your experience, however, here's a brief guide on what to look for in a monitor.
At the outset, many monitors are marketed as gaming monitors. All this means is that there are some features on-board that have some usefulness when playing games. There is no reason not to purchase a monitor marketed this way, however—as you'll see further on—some of the features that earn the monitor the gaming label are not necessary for Measure and can be ignored when comparing models.
S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
Number of Monitors
In addition to size and type of monitor, it is worth considering having two monitors; this can add a lot of value allowing you to have other resources (finishing schedules, emails etc.) on-screen while you work on the project. Two monitors will significantly improve your efficiency and remove the frustrations associated with multiple applications open at the same time.
Size
Monitors are always measured in inches diagonally. You may notice that laptops come in 13" and 15" sizes, while desktop monitors usually come in anything from 24" to 32" and beyond. If you're buying a new monitor for Measure, I would recommend going for some of the larger sizes; 27" is a good size, but bigger can be better.
As a side-note, I'll touch on ultrawide monitors as they are becoming popular. Ultrawide monitors do not add any significant benefit to Measure when compared with a similarly sized non-ultrawide monitor. However, because they are very useful when working out of several different programs side-by-side, you may consider an ultrawide model for the sake of the work you do outside of Measure.
Panel
There are three panel types you will see on most monitors: IPS, VA, and TN
In short, we suggest IPS or VA (preferably IPS). TN panels are typically seen on the more budget-focused monitors. The main disadvantage of TN is that it suffers from discolouration at different viewing angles. This fact becomes more critical when considering larger monitors, 27" and above. IPS and VA comparatively have better viewing angles. Of course, Measure will just fine run on any of these monitors but being familiar with these panel types will aid you as you compare monitors.
Resolution
Most Monitors come at a resolution of 1080p (otherwise known as FHD or "Full High Definition"). I would strongly advise against going any lower than this (although, you would be hard-pressed to find anything lower than this).
While 1080p is fine for Measure (and most applications for that matter), higher resolutions such as 1440p (aka QHD) and 4K (aka UHD) become more attractive when considering larger monitors 32" and above. If you work with larger, more complicated plans where seeing the detail is important, the higher resolutions are worth considering. Although it should be noted that 1080p is perfectly suitable for Measure.
Refresh Rate
Usually expressed as hertz (Hz) or frames-per-second (fps) the refresh rate determines how 'smooth' the image will appear. The majority of monitors run at 60hz (sometimes 75hz). This is fine for Measure. The higher refresh rates such as 120hz, 144hz, and even 240hz are aimed more so at the gaming market. While there's no reason not to purchase such a monitor for Measure, just know that you can disregard this particular specification (as long as the monitor at least runs at 60hz). In other words, if comparing two monitors where the refresh rate is the only differentiating factor, you could reason that it's better to save money and go with the lower refresh-rate option.
Curved
While curved displays may seem like a gimmick, there's actually a lot of utility to the feature, especially for larger monitors (32" and above). As the monitor size gets larger, the edges of the screen get further away. A curved monitor brings the edges a little closer so that you're not straining so much to see them. I would only concern yourself with this feature on monitors 32" and larger.
A curved display is not a make-or-break feature, but it is very useful if it falls within budget.
We spend a lot of time each day in front of computer monitors; as a tool that we use daily, it should contribute to our wellbeing and efficiency.