On the surface, the $400 Dell S2740L—an LED-backlit, 27-inch display with a high-quality in-plane switching (IPS) LCD panel—looks like a great deal.
Dig deeper, though, and the reason for its attractive price becomes apparent. Yes, it does use high-quality components, but the resolution is considerably lower than that of Dell’s own U2713HM ($799) or of Apple’s LED Cinema Display, which is available only as a refurbished product for $829.
DellIt comes down to pixel pitch. For a 24-inch display, 1920 by 1080 pixels is not a low resolution, but when you spread those pixels out over a 27-inch display such as the S2740L, on-screen elements appear much larger than they do on a 27-inch display with a 2560-by-1440-pixel resolution, such as the aforementioned U2713HM and LED Cinema Display. In some instances—or I should say, at some distances—larger elements can be beneficial. Presentations and games look better when you're sitting a few feet or more from the screen. When I sat directly in front of the S2740L, as one does in a traditional desktop-computer setup, my first instinct was to back up. The individual pixels are visible, which can make text look a little jaggy. In many ways, it’s the opposite of a Retina display.
The trade-offs don’t end with the resolution, though. While the S2740L offers VGA, DVI, and HDMI connection options, only an inexpensive VGA cable ships with the display. To use this monitor with a Mac, you’ll need to buy the appropriate adapter, depending on the video output connector on your Mac.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here