Size does matter, monitor manufacturerers claim

Fourteen members of the Computer Suppliers Federation have joined forces to sponsor research into the impact of monitor size on office productivity. The project, titled Monitors Matter, will be carried out by City University in London. The CSF says that the aim of the research is to educate businesses on the elements to consider when buying monitors. Volunteers will be assigned tasks to complete on systems with varying screen size and resolution. The time taken to complete the tasks will be recorded, and a measure of productivity will be taken from those numbers. Bob Raikes, MD of Meko, said it was blindingly obvious that a bigger screen would increase productivity, and that he expected the research to confirm it. “All the vendors believe this,” he said. “It is just a question of getting some independent evidence to demonstrate exactly how much more productive users are when using bigger monitors.” The CSF says that the research will provide unbiased answers to an important set of questions. It maintains that users can benefit considerable from making what it calls the right purchase. It says it is a question of knowing what to look for. The work is expected to be completed, and findings released in September.

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