Rapid Travel Chai

I just got a 34″ ultrawide  monitor. A bit of an indulgence. I slipped the behemoth in under cover of dark hoping my wife wouldn’t notice the giant new occupant of our guest room/office.

I got it set up last night.

Wow.

How to Go Wide

A rule of my former corporate life was ‘never have a job that requires two monitors.’ That, along with ‘don’t be the person who everyone knows can fix the copier,’ were two rules that guided me through the corporate minefield.

For all the time I spend online, having the space of two screens has been appealing. I haven’t acted because I don’t want the clutter of two monitors and all their cables.

I noticed an ultrawide LG monitor in-store at Costco for $330 (plus massive Seattle sales tax) and got hooked.

I went back home to research ultrawides. There are only a few manufacturers and most new models are $600 and up.

The dividing line is resolution: cheaper models are 2560 x 1080, more expensive are 3440 x 1440. I dove into the maze of tech people arguing about the difference and in the end was no closer to a clear picture.

Newegg Refurb Deals

Newegg is running a sale through Sun 5/28 for a refurbished LG 34UM58-P for $229.99. They also just put up what they call B-grade (cosmetic flaws) for $199.99 ($219.99 with a $20 rebate card).

The newer model refurbished LG 34UM68-P goes for $319.99 and up.

Both are 2560 x 1080. For $229.99, I took the plunge.

I got it last night and it is a spectacular work experience. I can have two full-size windows side by side. I don’t know how 3440 x 1440 would look and it doesn’t matter to me. For my productivity purposes the image is sharp and beautiful.

The mental adjustment seems like it will take a bit of time. Pushing things way to the side is a bit mind-bending. In the first day I am still doing most work toward the center.

A Tech Warning from a Non-Techie

Older systems and graphics cards may not fully support ultra-wide. You can do a lot of research and still have no clue if your system will work.

I had to install the software and fiddle with my Dell Latitude laptop settings. It is a 4-year old computer that itself was a refurb. I run Windows 10. I don’t have a fancy graphics card. I did get it to work. Occasionally my screen goes dark and flicks back on, maybe a loose cable, maybe I am overwhelming my laptop. I am replacing my laptop next week so not going to spend hours troubleshooting this one.

Your experience may vary.

Free 2-Day Shipping With ShopRunner Via Amex

Many American Express cards with with free ShopRunner membership. Newegg is a participating 2-day shipping merchant. This does not exclude you from cashback offers.

3% Cash Back with Visa SavingsEdge

Eligible Visa business cards such as Ink Plus can now earn 3% cash back with Newegg. Enroll before purchase here. Rebate by statement credit. This also does not exclude you from cashback offers.

Cash Back Portals

Newegg does not have generous cash back portal awards. Consulting Cashbackmonitor, the most attractive current offer for me is 2% with Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Some portals exclude purchases from Newegg Marketplace. The monitors listed here are ‘Shipped and Sold By Newegg’ so should each cash back on portals.

Readers, have you gone ultrawide?