Via Amazon this was only about $229 when I bought it. I'm new to Acer monitors so I was completely unsure what to expect and currently the description is less than vague. I had no idea it has integrated speakers. I assumed that was extra glass hanging down in the photos for support. But it's not. It has 2 watt speakers included. The speakers are less than great (they sound significantly worse than the speakers built into my HP Pavilion laptops), but at least they are there if you need them.
The pictures on Amazon led me to believe that this has a solid glass edge-to-edge screen (notice the reflection is uninterrupted across the entire monitor in their photos). I'm not sure how or why they did that, but it does have a plastic bezel around the perimeter. Regardless, it works great with Windows 8.1. What they've done is leave about 0.25" of black glass just inside the plastic bezel so that you can swipe inward easily from any edge or corner as Windows 8 requires.
The 10-point touch and picture quality are stunning as you would expect (actually more than you should expect for this price). I'm using HDMI input (and USB for the touch-feedback) to a Plugable UD-3900 docking station, which in turn is connected by USB 3.0 to whichever laptop I connect to it (we mostly have HP Pavilions).
I do wish that it had a DVI input (it has 2 x HDMI/MHL + a VGA) because the Plugable has DVI and HDMI outputs (meaning I need a DVI to HDMI converter if I want to add a second one of these in my current setup with decent quality). Who is going to use VGA these days? I'm not sure, but it does include a VGA cable and an audio cable (not needed if you use HDMI). HDMI and USB cables are also included.
I'm thinking I will get an MHL cable so my Samsung S4 smartphones can connect easily to see photos we've taken, since it has video extra inputs.
The instruction manual is lamer than lame. It doesn't even mention the buttons on the monitor which control all the settings and adjustments. Play with them and figure it out I guess. that's what I did, but it would be nice to have a description of what the various video modes are intended for. In any case Windows 8.1 recognized this monitor and didn't need to install anything to use it. I did need to power cycle the Plugable unit to get the touch feedback to work the first time. Also I installed the latest (Feb 2014) Displaylink drivers that Plugable recommends, before adding this monitor.
I'm also using a Logitech 520 wireless keyboard and mouse, Samsung DVD USB drive, Logitech speakers, and various other accessories via my Plugable dock with this monitor, and all work great.
I'm not a huge fan of the slightly reclined (maximum upright angle) this monitor allows, but at least it has the VESA holes on the back in case you want to screw it onto another monitor mount (I might get a dual monitor mount if I buy another one of these). It's about 10 degrees shy of vertical in it's most upright position (which is similar to other Windows 8 monitors). It's designed that way for easy touch screen use I suppose. You can recline it all the way to flat on your desk or lap if you want to (to play games I suppose).
It is pretty glossy (and reflective), but less so than an HP 22" monitor that I also have.
I have no hesitation buying another one (or more) of these if I want more screens. Amazon is making that an easy decision at the moment since they are out of stock (mid-March 2014).
This really is a phenomenal bargain considering the current alternatives for Windows 8 are at least 50 bones more currently.
| Standing screen display size | 21.5 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
