This is a quick update on my new toy, the Dell 2309W.
So far in my technical odyssey into internet marketing, I have been using my trusty laptop. I bought this back in February (it’s just a Studio 15 from Dell) and I have since upgraded the hard disk and installed Windows 7 on it – ping me for details if you really care!
The only problem I’ve had with it, is the screen size. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good for almost everything. The trouble is, the only thing it is poor for is internet marketing and browsing….which is kind of what I’m doing. Doh!
The reason: as a result of the widescreen format, it only has an 900 pixel deep screen… and every man and his dog put their buttons somewhere between 900 and 1024 deep on the screen. That tiny amount of scroll is driving me mad.
As a result, I decided to “create an office” and buy myself something that wouldn’t kill my eyes (or give me tiny amounts of RSI all the time). So, I’m typing this up looking at my brand-new Dell 2309W monitor.
Have I turned into a raving Dell 2309W fan? Well, possibly but actually this is a stand-out screen for many reasons. I looked at Samsungs and others, some of them with TV tuners, some with better dynamic contrast. I learned a lot along the way but the thing that made it happen for Dell was the number 2048.
The Dell 2309W has an awesome 2048×1152 resolution and what that means in the real world is that I can have 2 standard 1024 width pages on screen at the same time. If you want to create new material this is a dream come true. The browser sits on one side for research, word sits on the other for typing….perfect.
If you haven’t got a fancy-schmanzy Apple and screen to match and you are looking for a new PC screen, do yourself the favour of at least looking at one of these before you buy. Make sure you get the high-res model with the W, it set me back around £200. Considering my old Iiyama square 19″ was around £1000 a few years back, you could definitely call me a happy bunny. All in all the Dell 2309W gets a “highly recommended” from me.
Martin I have a dell 2309W monitor since december 2010
My grandson just
gave me a new Dell 2320L
Shhould I replace the 2309 with the 2320L?
It’s much lighter than the 2309W . Does weight translate into better?
I get an extra 2 years of warranty with the new model
thanks for your opinion
Fred 86
Hi Fred, there are a few differences, so it may just boil down to your own preference.
The 2309W has that remarkable 2048 resolution which is slightly better than the more standard 1920 on the 2320.
It also has a USB hub built in. Nothing too sexy about that, but it does keep my cables tidy – and let me only make one connection when hooking up the laptop.
On the other hand, the 2320L is LED lit from behind and some folk think that’s a brighter light. It also leads to that lightness you noticed.
I suppose if you’re driving it with a sexy twin-port graphics card, you could run both simultaneously. Otherwise, if the 2320 is working fine, I’d say stick with it and the longer warranty and find a very worthy cause for the old monitor! If you are stuck for ideas and don’t want to go on ebay to sell it, try freecyle in your area, or check out local charities. They’ll all be running 17 inch screens from yesteryear and very happy with something better 🙂