14 DAY TRIAL // Even though the 16:9 aspect ratio is the one most often used nowadays, 4:3 and 5:4 monitors sometimes crop up as well, with the former appearing quite a bit more often than the latter.
Still, every once in a while, a 5:4 display will make its appearance on a monitor or TV aimed at a very specific segment of the industry.
In the case of the 19-inch NEC AccuSync AS193i, the target consumer base is that of small to medium-sized businesses and school classrooms.
The monitors will more easily fit side by side, allowing a greater number of workstations to be set up in a single computer lab.
The product is an entry-level display though, which means that its resolution and other traits don't measure up to even common consumer monitors and TVs.
Then again, they're not supposed to. If they were, they wouldn't be something that most schools and other institutions would easily be able to afford, even in bulk.
Case in point, the native resolution of the IPS panel is a modest 1280 x 1024 pixels.
The viewing angles are good (178 degrees, probably, given the IPS), and the brightness should be decent too, thanks to the LED backlight.
The monitor can also get touch input (on demand) and has integrated 1W speakers (two of them), plus a headphone jack and VRA/DVI-D inputs.
What's more, the 19-inch panel utilizes the Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) system and off timer, which reduces CO2 emissions (a carbon footprint meter shows their level) by automatically powering down when the monitor is on but not in use, or by shifting to lower power consumption levels.
The AS193i, as the display is called, can also enter an ECO mode. Thanks to all this, Energy Star 6.0, TCO 6.0 and EPEAT Silver ratings have been earned.
All in all, not bad for a mercury-free, wall-mountable business display. A 28 reduction in power consumption relative to its predecessor is nothing to scoff at.
Sales of the AS193i will begin this month (August 2013) for $179 / €135.