HP w2338h user reviews (LCD monitor - 23")

3.5 stars

"great looking monitor, useless but convenient speakers" on October 15, 2009 by workstation_jockey

Pros: Nice sharp image. Rich colors for my photoshopping and illustrator work. Displays my CAD models well with clean sharp lines. Its got a rotating foot on the bottom so it can swivel left to right as well as tilt.

Cons: Slight color difference in any given color from top to bottom of the screen when using Adobe CS4 suite. Slight "ghost" image on text in certain display modes. Absolutely useless speakers, but i wasn't expecting Dolby.

Summary: The color difference from top to bottom isn't as bad now that I have it on a monitor stand at eye level... but it is still there. I'm extremely picky but on a student budget so I cannot afford a high end graphics display. I purchased this because I got a discount at my workplace and it was one of only a couple monitors we sell with a glossy screen. I hate matte finish monitors. All in all, prices on monitors are going down and this was very reasonable especially with my employee discount. It doesn't have the fastest response time but I'm not playing games or many movies. It is strictly for my CAD/graphics workstation desktop. Don't get me wrong, it is a great monitor. I'm just EXTREMELY picky. The average person wouldn't notice the things I mentioned in a million years.

The swivel is a nice feature. There are 4 major feet and a 5th foot in the middle that allows you to actually turn the full monitor/stand assembly with ease. It makes the whole thing a tad bit wonky but seriously, how often are you shaking your desk so much that the monitor would wobble around. I find it hilarious when my customers grab a monitor and shake it back and forth to test the strength of a monitor's stand. I mean really... are you going to be shaking your desk so much that the monitor would ever wobble like that? Actually, on a more serious note. I'll bet if you wanted to modify the stand and remove the "swivel" foot from underneath, it would be the most solid monitor out there. The base is nice and wide.

Another nifty thing that I appreciate is that the power button is on the top. The smaller versions of this monitor as well as many other brand's monitors are on the bottom. I find it easier to hit the button on the top when i'm standing in front of my desk. And the blueish green glow when its on is very nice. Stupid little feature I know but I appreciate little design cues like that.

Its a great looking monitor no doubt. I love the shiny bezel (looks better than the dell monitors with a similar shiny bezel in my opinion). Plus this one has the cool silver accent behind the black bezel. The only downside to a glossy screen and bezel is that it shows fingerprints like no other. But as previously mentioned, I am picky. I don't let anybody get their fingers NEAR the thing.

I wanted a monitor with good color and contrast, decent looks, and a decent price. I'm not an HP fan... nor any other computer brand for that matter (i build my own)... but its a monitor, and HP doesn't make their own LCD panels (or do they?). Thus I figure its just a badge that says HP... nothing more. It is worth the price. If I had to choose all over again, I would probably buy this one again anyway. I can't speak for any gamers out there about the response time (5ms) effect on fast motion, but the colors will look damn nice, thats for sure.

So in summation. If you're looking to buy a nice 23" monitor. Buy this one. its nice. it does the job well. There's my two cents.