NEC recently commissioned the University of Utah to research how a computer monitor’s size affects productivity. According to their findings:

• Using a 24″ monitor rather than an 18″ monitor can save you 2.5 hours per workday or equivalent to 76 workdays per year.
• Widescreen is best for text editing tasks.
  >> Two 20″ monitors were 44% faster at text editing than one 18″ monitor.
  >> One 24″ monitor was 52% faster at text editing than one 18″ monitor.
• Dual monitors are best for spreadsheet editing tasks.
  >> Two 20″ monitors were 29% faster at spreadsheet editing than one 18″ monitor.
  >> One 24″ monitor was 26% faster at spreadsheet editing than one 18″ monitor.
• Overall, increasing screen size increases productivity. However, these productivity gains max out and begin to decline once the screen becomes too large. The research shows a 30″ monitor as less efficient than a 26″ monitor but more efficient than a 24″ monitor.
• Screen space also affects the amount of satisfaction obtained from the work.

For a PDF from NEC with research highlights, visit their website. NEC also offers a free online tool to calculate how much you or your company can save by changing your monitors. Their research shows that a company of 250 employees can potentially save $2.3 million per year by upgrading their 17″ monitors to 24″ monitors.

[via The Wall Street Journal]