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(More customer reviews)This 23-inch HP display is an improvement over previous HP offerings in 3 regards. It's a cleaner, more elegant design, it's thinner and lighter, and it's more energy efficient.
The primary improvement of this display is driven by its use of next-generation LED back-lighting instead of compact fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury vapor. The benefit of LEDs is several-fold. One is the elimination of the mercury, which is an obvious environmental boon. Two is the significantly greater energy efficiency of the LEDs over the compact fluorescents. Three is that the LEDs are brighter and will maintain their brightness longer than fluorescent bulbs, which will extend the usable life of these displays. Four is that the LEDs are smaller, allowing for a thinner, lighter overall package. Finally, the LEDs give off a fuller spectrum of light than the compact fluorescent bulbs, giving brighter, more vibrant colors with greater saturation.
Indeed, the display is noticeably thinner than previous iterations, and considerably lighter. The design appears less bulky, more svelte. They also decided to go to a all glossy black design, with some texture to give the appearance of two-tones. It's simpler than the two-tone silver and black of the previous HPs. I like the economy of this approach, which gives some appearance of sophistication without being too showy. The design is consistent with most of the HP line - clean lines, and simple, elegant forms, with understated repetition of the HP branding on the front and back.
It comes in a very narrow box. You do have to do a bit of assembly, but it's trivial. I recommend testing the display before snapping it together, just it case you wind up deciding to return it, due to dead pixels or whatever. My display did not appear to have any dead or hot pixels. It seems that manufacturers no longer ship displays with such problems. This may be an issue of the past.
One added bonus here in California is that you won't be charged the state-imposed $8 recycling fee, thanks to the elimination of the mercury. I don't think Amazon charges you that anyway.
Some basic specs follow.
-The display is 1920 x 1080 resolution at 60 Hz. It's not 120 Hz, so it cannot be used for 3D display in the future.
-I find 23-inches to be a perfect size for general use. It seems smaller than it is because the margins around the display are smaller, so it doesn't quite feel like it's 23 inches large.
-I like the option of having DVI or HDMI input. It has VGA too, but I consider that a total waste. The plug-ins at the rear are normal to the panel, and are much easier to access. On the previous versions, the connectors mounted in the vertical, making it a difficult, blind connection. Also, the power supply is smaller, due to the lower power consumption, and plugs into the display with a tidy little DC jack.
-It is indeed a matte-finish display. I personally prefer matte finishes as they reduce room-lighting glare. However, the glossy displays do tend to mellow and smooth out the imagery.
-There is a tilt-hinge, but height is not adjustable. There is some elevation to the display already, so most people will not care to adjust any further.
I only have one caveat about this display. I'm not sure what to make of LED back-lighting technology for quality of light. The display is brighter, and there are myriad indisputable benefits to using LEDs. My concern is the quality of the color gamut. Some colors seems more vibrant, but at the same time, it also seems harsh and a bit washed-out. I couldn't find a way to tweak the brightness and contrast settings to adjust for this. Maybe it just requires some getting used to. For my needs it will be just fine, and I expect to get used to the difference. Others may find it a bit jarring. There is no doubt that most manufacturers will standardize on LED back-lit displays, so I figure we should try to get used to it. For graphic designers, or anybody for whom color matching is critical, this may be an issue.
I tried the Samsung 23-inch LED display before this one but returned it because the text display on it wasn't smooth. To be fair, this may have been a display adjustment I failed to make, but the Samsung menus were not as simple and easy to use as the HP menus. The Samsung uses capacitive, touch-style controls, whereas the HP uses REAL BUTTONS. I know touchscreens are cool, but I think it's a mistake to eliminate real buttons altogether. The tactile feedback given by a proper button makes certain things much easier. When I've pressed a capacitive touch button and nothing happens, I'm always asking, "Is my finger in the right place? Did I actually press the button?" This is not an issue with real buttons.
Note that the tilt-image above shows the previous generation HP 23-inch monitor. That's a mistake. This monitor does not have that range of tilt motion.
Overall, for anyone considering a 23-inch display for general use, you cannot go too wrong with this product.
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