I Have Seen the Future and It Is Curved (and ultrawide)

curved-future

Scott Kelley

Sr. Product Marketing Manager

Commercial Displays Division | LG Electronics USA, Inc.

 

 


It is difficult to describe how one feels when seeing the LG 38” UltraWide® curved display on someone’s desk, shining in all its IPS glory. When I first saw one, I thought I heard angels singing, but that turned out to be the two 10-watt stereo speakers inside this display. The one thing people typically say when they see one of these is, “Wow!” But these monitors are more than just a 3840×1600 gamer’s paradise. These represent the future of office productivity.

Workbench Tools Versus Computers

When you purchase a monitor, it’s more like buying a workbench tool than buying the computer that usually comes with it. Think about it – people don’t typically get rid of old tools, even if the tools are mediocre. It’s just not in our nature to throw away a “perfectly good” Phillips screwdriver (even if it’s a bit chewed-up). The same paradigm fits old monitors. We tend to keep them forever – past the life cycles of several computers. It’s tough for us to justify throwing away a “perfectly good” 15-inch monitor even if it is ancient and only has a single VGA input connection. So we string together multiple old, small monitors (sometimes of different sizes) to cobble together viewing spaces large enough to run the multiple windows we need at a reasonable size for us to be productive. So with multiple power cords and data cables, we unleash our inner nerd to create our own home-grown version of a NASA command center at our desks. Add to that multiple data connectors of various types (VGA, DVI, HDMI) and trying to drive them with one computer and the “desktop” settings in Windows become a nightmare. And if you have two laptops – say a Macbook Pro and a Surface Pro – you need to use a separate mouse and keyboard for each. Your workspace becomes a cluttered mess that is no longer productive, it’s distracting.

Screen Space, Windows and Multiple Sources

Screen space is needed in today’s workplace now more than ever to increase productivity. We have multiple windows open at the same time to assist us in receiving and processing information. In the past, taking advantage of a large monitor was more difficult, but with free LG On Screen Control software this is no longer an issue. This software allows you to split the screen quickly and easily so that you don’t spend all your time resizing Windows where you want them. Check out a demonstration of this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-jqqQdRRzI. When you purchase LG UltraWide® monitors for your workspace, make sure that every employee is shown the basics of LG On Screen Control so they do not become frustrated resizing windows trying to maximize their workspaces.

Now on to the most amazing part – controlling two computers with one monitor, keyboard and mouse via a single LG UltraWide® curved display. With the free LG Dual Controller Software, you can easily connect your Macbook Pro AND your Windows Surface Pro to the same UltraWide® monitor and use one mouse and keyboard to control BOTH computers simultaneously on one LG display. So you can sit in the sweet spot of your curved display and work productively and seamlessly on both devices at the same time. Check out a demonstration of the capability here and here.

 

Future Proofing

So when you invest in an UltraWide® curved monitor of any size, you are investing in the productivity of your team members going forward. Why? You give them the screen real estate they need with a clean desktop, amazing sound and the ability to run two computers at one time on the same display. This efficiency will last for several generations of computers as your team members work on state-of-the-art displays designed to maximize productivity. Plus, you’ve got to admit they are incredibly cool looking in the office!