
The touchscreen has been around in various forms for many years. But until recently, you would only see them in places like science museums or at restaurant server stations. They didn’t really hit the mainstream until Apple introduced its iPhone. Then the floodgates opened with hundreds of me-too products from other mobile device manufacturers. Now we have tablets, phablets, and phones in every imaginable shape and size.
Adoption has been much slower on the desktop, since the two major operating systems, OS X and Windows, have only gradually enabled multi-touch functionality on hardware platforms. Why this is the case can be debated, but I think it comes down to a matter of ergonomics.
Using a touchscreen with a graphical OS is a good deal slower and less-precise than what we can do with a keyboard and mouse or trackball. Windows does a decent job with its Metro interface and those large buttons that require no precision at all to operate. Once you start scrolling through menus or try to select tiny radio buttons in a dialog box, though, navigation becomes a more difficult proposition.
We thought Windows 8 might spawn a multitude of new touchscreen-based displays. However, to date, we have only reviewed one monitor fitting that description, Dell’s P2714T. Today, we look at NEC’s entry, the E232WMT.
| Panel Type & Backlight | AH-IPS / W-LED, edge array |
|---|---|
| Screen Size & Aspect | 23-inch / 16:9 |
| Touch Layer | Projected capacitive 10-point multi-touch |
| Max Resolution & Refresh | 1920x1080 @ 60 Hz |
| Native Color Depth & Gamut | 8-bit / sRGB |
| Response Time (GTG) | 5 ms |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m2 |
| Speakers | 2 x 1 W |
| Video Inputs | 1 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA |
| Audio | 1 x 3.5 mm, 1 x headphone |
| USB | v3.0: 1 x up, 4 x down |
| Camera | 2 MP, 1920x1080, 30 FPS |
| Microphone | Stereo, digital |
| Panel Dimensions W x H x D | 22.1 x 14.3-16.4 x 9.8 in 561 x 363-417 x 250 mm |
| Panel Thickness | 2.25 in / 57 mm |
| Bezel Width | 1 in / 25 mm |
| Weight | 16.8 lbs / 7.6 kg |
| Warranty | Three years |
NEC obviously started from scratch for the E232WMT’s design, beginning with an LED-lit AH-IPS panel at 1920x1080. Why not 2560x1440 or higher? You have to consider the size of on-screen objects and how that affects usability. Let’s just say that the resolution of the average index finger is poor, and if you want to interact with a PC's desktop, it can’t be packed with tiny icons and buttons. With a density of 96 pixels-per-inch, Windows objects are just the right size for easy selection.
The other major component in any touchscreen design is its stand, which most of us take for granted in typical desktop monitors. But a touchscreen only works if it is positioned comfortably. Interacting with a display in an upright position is impractical for anything but basic object selection like opening apps or placing a cursor, as examples. You really need to be able to lay it flat or at a steep keyboard-like angle.
NEC addresses this with a special stand that works accordion-style. It can position the E232WMT anywhere from perfectly flat to fully vertical and everywhere in between. An on-screen virtual keyboard suddenly becomes quite usable, and dragging or sizing objects is much easier when the screen is near-horizontal.
If you think about how people typically use tablets in their laps, the NEC’s design makes perfect sense. Like the Dell P2714T we reviewed back in January, the E232WMT supports 10-point multi-touch gestures like flick and pinch-to-zoom, which work in most applications.
NEC also adds a webcam and microphone to extend its functionality. These features are common on laptops and other portable devices, but only a few desktop monitors incorporate them. It all adds up to a potentially slick product. Let’s take a look.
The E232WMT ships in NEC’s usual solid and well-protected packaging. The stand and base are already attached, so no assembly is required. The power supply is internal and serviced with an included IEC cord. Additional cables include VGA, single-link DVI, USB 3.0, and analog audio. The only interface missing is HDMI. You also get a quick setup guide. The full user manual can be downloaded from NEC’s website.
We were initially surprised at the absence of a driver disc. But it turns out that all you need to do is connect the USB cable to a machine running Windows 7 or 8, enabling the touchscreen, camera, and microphone! The E232WMT is truly plug-and-play.
Product 360

The touch layer is glass of course, with a 7H-rated coating that's harder and more resistant to abrasion than the glass itself. It doesn’t quite have the slickness of the oleophobic coatings found on many handheld devices, but resists fingerprints well. Not surprisingly, it has no anti-glare properties. The image can be made bright enough to combat fairly harsh reflections. However, you should give some consideration to placement. The glass is superb optically and does not affect image clarity at all. If you look closely, you can see the gap between the touch layer and the LCD.

The one-inch bezel is completely flush and unbroken by logos, lights, or buttons. The bulge at the top contains the camera and a stereo microphone.
The camera and microphone are enabled automatically when the monitor is connected via USB. You get 2 MP resolution (1920x1080) at a maximum of 30 FPS. Even though the E232WMT supports USB 3.0, camera functionality still works attached to a USB 2.0 port on your computer. The stereo microphone has its own analog-to-digital converter, and captures the voice well when you’re seated at a normal two- to three-foot distance. I tried out a few Skype calls and had no issues with either audio or video.
The E232WMT’s controls are hidden around the lower-right side of the panel. You'll have to operate them by feel. They are labeled, but the text is molded into the plastic and hard to read. Luckily, pressing any key pops up on-screen icons that tell you the different functions. The OSD is pretty simple though, so you won’t need to tweak the display much once you get it set up.
The coolest thing about the E232WMT is its stand, which works in an accordion fashion to provide normal tilt function, plus the ability to lie at any angle between full vertical and full horizontal. The stand sports high-end build quality and the panel doesn't budge once positioned. There is no slop either; it feels like a single piece of hardware rather than a collection of parts.

In its flat position, the panel sits about 4.75 inches off the desktop, a perfect height for interaction on a typical table. If you want to use a virtual keyboard, just tilt the back up a little and your elbows are at an ideal 90-degree angle (if you’re of average height).
If you’re wondering about portrait mode, you can use the E232WMT in a vertical position by removing and re-attaching the stand with its four screws. The mount is a standard 100 mm VESA, and you can flip the image in Windows. Users editing a lot of documents might consider making the change.

Used as a traditional monitor, the E232WMT sits at the correct height and angle for comfortable viewing. Considering the extra touch layer, it’s a tribute to NEC’s engineering that this display is no thicker than a traditional panel. Two of the USB 3.0 ports are on the left side of the power bulge, inset from the edge by about 1.5 inches.
Speakers are mounted at the top of the bulge and fire upwards. With only one watt of power apiece, they sound fairly anemic. You’ll hear only the upper-mid-range frequencies. Even at maximum volume, they’re pretty soft-spoken.

You get one of every relevant video input, except for DisplayPort. The HDMI connector accepts an audio stream, or you can pipe sound in through the 3.5 mm analog stereo jack. You can also see the headphone output and remaining USB 3.0 ports. Of course, to enable touchscreen, camera, and microphone functionality, you must connect the upstream port to your computer.
The first three control keys bring up Volume, Eco Mode, and Input Selector, respectively.
The Volume slider controls both the internal speakers and the headphone output. Audio Source switches between analog and HDMI inputs.
The E232WMT has five backlight level presets called Eco Mode. Engaging them locks out the Brightness and Contrast controls. The brightness levels range from 60 to 230 cd/m2. Selecting Off lets you set the backlight manually.
OSD Tour
Selecting menu brings up a simple but efficient menu system.
As long as Eco Mode is off, you can set Brightness and Contrast yourself. Dynamic is either on or off, and increases contrast at the expense of skewed gamma, along with crushed highlight and shadow detail.
Image Setup options are grayed out for digital signals. If you connect a source to the VGA port, you can adjust the picture’s size, position, and timing.
The color menu has four presets plus an adjustable User mode. In our tests, sRGB mode proved to be the most accurate without calibration. If you have the necessary tools, the best results are found in User. The RGB sliders start at the center of their ranges, making it easier to correct white balance without reducing contrast. Our only beef is that their resolution is a little coarse.
The menu timeout can be as long as 100 seconds, and it’s available in seven languages.
The final screen has an input selector and a reset function to return the E232WMT to factory defaults. Also included are signal information and the monitor’s serial number.
Calibration
With minimal options available, calibration is a simple matter. We selected the User color mode and adjusted the RGB sliders to achieve accurate grayscale tracking. There are no gamma presets, but they’re not missed since the display is right on spec from the factory. Brightness controls the backlight. No matter where you set it, contrast is consistent. We had to reduce the Contrast slider a little to maintain accuracy at 100-percent brightness, which reduced the on/off ratio a little. Also, don’t forget to turn Eco Mode off if you want full control of the light output.
| NEC E232WMT Calibration Settings | |
|---|---|
| Color Mode | User |
| RGB | Red 53, Green 48, Blue 48 |
| Contrast | 45 |
| Brightness | 82 |
| EcoMode | Off |
| Dynamic | Off |
To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please read Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. Brightness and Contrast testing is covered on page two.
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Since our most recent reviews covered gaming and professional monitors, we reached back into our database to come up with more relevant displays for a comparison group. Today’s round-up includes NEC’s business-class EA274WMi, Asus’ 28-inch Ultra HD PB287Q, BenQ’s RL2460HT, LG’s ultra-wide 34UM95, and Dell’s touchscreen P2714T.
Uncalibrated: Maximum Backlight Level

NEC rates the E232WMT at 250 cd/m2, but we got a reading of over 280. While it’s not tremendously bright, the screen boasts enough light output for any business or entertainment application we can think of. To achieve that number, you must turn off the Eco feature.

A result of .2741 cd/m2 is a decent black level for an IPS screen. In this group, it’s only beaten by the BenQ TN-based display, and the E232WMT measures better than the other IPS monitors.

NEC's E232WMT crosses our threshold of 1000 cd/m2 by a comfortable margin. If you need to turn the backlight up all the way, you can be assured of a high-contrast image with good depth and detail.
Uncalibrated: Minimum Backlight Level
All of the NEC monitors we review seem to have an extremely low minimum white level. The E232WMT is really dim at only 9.4241 cd/m2. We’re not sure so little output could be useful. To hit 50 cd/m2, turn the Brightness control up to 15.

Of course, the low output results in a super-dark black level of only .0119 cd/m2. It’s the lowest minimum number we’ve measured in some time.

Minimum contrast suffers a bit due to the low white level. At 50 cd/m2 output, the ratio is a nice 1004 to 1, which does make a visible difference in image quality. Bottom line: don’t drop the Brightness control below 15!
After Calibration to 200 cd/m2
Here’s what black levels and contrast look like after calibration with the maximum output set at 200 cd/m2.

Thanks to RGB sliders that start in the center of their ranges, there is no effect on the calibrated black level. It’s a little lower than the peak number, which is right where it should be.

To clean up the white balance at 100-percent brightness, we had to reduce Contrast to 45. That cuts the calibrated contrast ratio to 846.7 to 1. The decision you have to make is between giving up a tiny amount of depth and seeing a slight blue-green tint to the brightest whites. Ultimately, it boils down to personal preference.
ANSI Contrast Ratio

Intra-image contrast stays pretty solid at 814 to 1, a drop of only four percent.
Overall, contrast performance in our tests is quite good. The E232WMT’s lack of an anti-glare layer enhances the perception of image depth and clarity, so, in our observation, this display looks as good or better than a majority of the LCD monitors we’ve reviewed.
Our grayscale and gamma tests are described in detail here.
Grayscale Tracking
If you don’t plan to calibrate the E232WMT, we recommend sRGB mode as the most accurate. To adjust the white balance, you have to select the User mode, which is based on the non-adjustable Native mode shown below.

This is how the monitor shows up from the factory. The blue-green tint pervades all brightness levels starting at 30 percent. If you select User, you see the same result before calibration.

sRGB is the best fire-and-forget mode on the E232WMT. It still has visible errors starting at 40 percent, but in our opinion provides the best uncalibrated image. The tint leans toward blue and rises in intensity up to the maximum level.

The RGB sliders are a little coarse in operation. Fortunately, we still achieved good results with our calibration. There are slight spikes at 40, 50, and 100 percent, but they aren't visible. Accuracy is obviously not the primary design goal. Still, this panel performs well indeed.
Here is our comparison group:

Among business-class screens, the E232WMT lags in its out-of-box performance. A 4.60 Delta E measurement reflects what we see from Native mode, and switching to sRGB only improves the average error to 4.29. We definitely recommend calibrating this monitor for the best picture quality.

Adjusting the RGB sliders takes the E232WMT to a fairly high level of accuracy. We always shoot for an average error of less than one Delta E, so 1.02 only misses that mark by a hair.
Gamma Response

The E232WMT’s gamma performance is consistent in every color mode whether you calibrate or not. There is a dynamic contrast option that skews our findings significantly, but if you leave it off, you’re rewarded with near-perfect tracking. Our only beef is that there are no other gamma presets available. If you want something other than 2.2, you’re out of luck.
Here is our comparison group again:

Gamma tracking is super-tight at only a .14 variance from lowest to highest. In output terms, it never varies from the standard by more than 1.65 cd/m2. That's excellent.
We calculate gamma deviation by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.

The E232WMT misses the 2.2 average value by a scant .0204. Even the most sensitive eyes won't see a problem. We’re glad to see that gamma doesn’t interact with any of the monitor’s image adjustments.
For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, please click here.
We’re showing you the same three configurations as on the previous page: Native, sRGB, and calibrated modes.

The factory default Native mode isn’t too bad, but there are hue errors in magenta and yellow. The 20-, 40-, and 60-percent saturation levels are also below their targets. As the measurements move towards the edge of the gamut, accuracy improves. This means the brightest images are more color-accurate than darker ones.

In sRGB mode, things are much better. There is a little over-saturation in blue and hue errors in cyan, but red is much-improved, while magenta is closer as well. Luminance levels are also near-perfect except for 100-percent blue, which is 19 percent too high.

Calibrating User mode produces the best gamut result by far. There is still a hue issue with magenta, but all other colors are close to their targets. Luminance levels are land in a tight pattern with the exception of red and 100-percent blue. These are minor errors, however. Overall, color performance is excellent.
Now we return to the comparison group:

We expect a professional-grade display to break the one Delta E barrier. But a business or gaming monitor should have a maximum average color error between one and two. The E232WMT is well within that range, and it’s right in the middle of the group.
Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998 And sRGB

The E232WMT comes pretty close to full coverage of the sRGB gamut with 97.69 percent. The gap comes from a slight hue error in the green primary and a little under-saturation of cyan.
To learn how we measure screen uniformity, please click here.
The E232WMT's glass touch layer creates an additional variable, which affects off-axis image quality. It’s an IPS screen though, so the shift in luminance and color is small. To the side, you can see a blue tint and a drop in brightness. From above, the color goes a little green, while shadow detail is crushed. Overall, NEC still exceeds the performance of a regular TN monitor. It'd be easy to conclude, then, that TN technology is a poor choice for touchscreens.
Screen Uniformity: Luminance

To the eye, black uniformity is decent. However, our meter reveals hotspots in the upper-left and center of the screen. In case you’re wondering, the touch layer does not cause image distortion when it's pressed. Rather, the surface is quite solid, sitting high enough above the TFT layer to prevent contact.
Here’s the white field measurement:

The E232WMT’s white field uniformity is excellent, matching some of the better displays we’ve reviewed. I didn't see any issues with it whatsoever. Our measurements show slightly elevated levels in the lower-right corner of the screen, though.
Screen Uniformity: Color

Color uniformity registers a near-invisible 1.66 Delta E. In fact, only three of the nine zones measured a result over one.
Pixel Response And Input Lag
Please click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

A 23-millisecond draw time puts the E232WMT slightly ahead of a typical IPS display. Visually, there isn’t a difference in the blur level, but the number above does positively affect the overall lag result below.
And here are the lag results:

We were pleasantly surprised to see the E232WMT post a lag result in 60 Hz gaming monitor territory. While we don’t expect gamers to flock to this or any other display emphasizing touch input, you should still get decent responsiveness from it in fast-paced titles. You’ll want a higher native refresh rate or G-Sync technology for top performance. But this NEC acquits itself well.
Is the E232WMT qualified to fulfill your touchscreen desires? We believe it is. At $629, the price of admission lands well above what you'd pay for other 23-inch monitors. But adding a touch layer is not without cost. On the upside, NEC goes beyond simply adding one feature to an existing panel and calling it a day. By designing a proper stand and incorporating a camera and microphone, it created a fairly unique product with no real competition at present.
Video-wise, it performs as well as any high-end business-class display we’ve reviewed. The image has excellent contrast at all brightness levels. Color, grayscale, and gamma are all very close to our specs. Even without calibration, the sRGB mode provides a solid picture with properly saturated color and fully-rendered detail. Our only recommendation is that you avoid the dynamic contrast option.

Ergonomically, NEC leaps ahead of its minimal competition. Using a touchscreen effectively means placing the display in different positions than you would a desktop monitor. The stand will undoubtedly be copied by others because it is, by far, the smartest design we’ve seen. No matter how you choose to interact with it, you’ll find a configuration that’s comfortable.
We tried it with a few different machines, from desktop PCs to laptops. Our favorite setup was to place a keyboard directly in front with the E232WMT at a 15-degree angle. Visually, it’s sized perfectly. If the screen were any bigger, the top would be too far away unless you made it more vertical. Then it would be harder to use multi-touch gestures effectively. Twenty-three inches seems like a sweet spot. You get a lot more room to work with than any tablet offers, but not so much that you have to move your body to reach one edge or the other.
And don’t be put off by a 1920x1080 resolution. The extra pixel density of QHD at this size would translate to really tiny icons and on-screen buttons. Even with a high-resolution touch layer, you can only be so precise with your index finger.

With tablets and smartphones so deeply integrated into our daily lives, it stands to reason that some users will want to replicate that same kind of interaction on the desktop. We don’t expect the E232WMT, or any touchscreen monitor for that matter, to suddenly trigger a paradigm shift in the way people use their computers. But if you’ve been waiting for a well-designed product to create a new kind of workstation, this may very well be it.
The feature list is certainly long enough. Ten-point multi-touch, an integrated camera, a stereo microphone, and USB 3.0, all accessible through a true plug-and-play connection. Just connect the cables and go; there are no drivers to install. NEC's price lands in the luxury range for sure, but for now it’s the best product of its kind out there.
Pros:
Stand design, built-in camera and microphone, image quality, contrast, true plug-and-play functionality
Cons:
Expensive
Verdict :
The ergonomic design and video performance of the E232WMT is first-rate and we found no flaws of consequence. Compared to other touchscreens, NEC is the easy winner.

