RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — If you are among PC users who have longed for a screen that would permit full viewing of an 8 ½ by 11 inch document, Lenovo will soon offer a solution.
Lenovo is rolling out a new 17-inch liquid crystal display monitor that can rotate 90 degrees into what it calls a “portrait mode” to display an entire document.
“Our eyes have been trained to scan information in a vertical orientation from left to right, top to bottom,” a Lenovo spokesperson tells Local Tech Wire. “Whether it’s your copy of USA Today, People Magazine or the latest Harry Potter novel, materials in print are always presented in portrait mode. So why do we work with applications on our monitors in landscape orientation?
“Studies estimate up to 25 percent of the average office worker’s time using a traditional 15 or 17-inch monitor can be wasted with extra tasks, such as scrolling, resizing or moving application windows because there isn’t enough room on the screen to make things fit comfortably. Some users even set display resolutions higher to shrink the information so more of the text or image is visible, causing undue eye strain.”
The ThinkVision L171p will be available starting Thursday.
“The majority of reading materials, such as newspapers, books or newsletters, have a vertical orientation. Monitors supporting pivot, or portrait mode capabilities, can increase productivity since users don’t have to keep scrolling up and down,” said Bob Galush, vice president of product marketing for Lenovo, in announcing the monitor. “Businesses are no longer limited to one viewing option. The L171p offers the choice between a landscape or portrait view.”
The monitor can also be swiveled 45 degrees left or right and support multiple configurations.
The swivel capabilities are built into the neck of the monitor rather than the base.
The L171p will have a retail price of $349.
Another new monitor, the ThinkVision L171, will offer tilt capabilities. It retails for $319.
For details, see: www.lenovo.com
