While touch interaction is everywhere around us these days, large monitors and displays still haven’t caught up to the touch screen life.

Before we start seeing how good the monitor is, here’s a look at the keys specs of the Dell P2418HT touch-screen monitor.

Dell P2418HT: Design

The Dell P2418HT looks like any of Dell’s recent monitors at first glance thanks to a clean outline and minimal bezels. Everything is clad in matte black which is just the ideal color for a monitor, while the stand and the base are painted silver.

You can bring it down closer to the desk surface to use it as an angled drawing board, or if installed in public, they can be neat information screens. You can pull up the display and use it in regular position, or pull it down such that the bottom bezel is nearly flush with any desk making it seem more up-close and useful for touch interaction. ‘

This ability is enabled by the two-piece articulated stand offers a sturdy build quality. But this stand doesn’t let you adjust the height of the display on the same plane, so you can either bring the display forward to lower the height, or push it back to increase its height, which is not ideal.

The Dell P2418HT features a 24-inch IPS panel with touch support and a bog-standard 1920 x 1080 resolution (no fancy aspect ratios here). It’s certainly not a gaming laptop as it just goes up to 60Hz refresh rate in terms of refresh rate, but no one is stopping you from using it for games or any other apps.

This problem could be attributed to Dell adding a plastic top layer. It definitely makes the monitor less resilient to scratches, and also makes everything look as if you are seeing it through a haze, but it is less expensive to use in production. Add to that, the weird feeling you get from using a plastic touch screen – glass is just better and smoother for every day use.

While colors may not be its strong point, the grayscale performance – important for those involved in web or graphic design – seems to be on point.

As mentioned the low refresh rate and the 6ms pixel response time do not make this a gaming monitor. Dell has added an Overdrive feature, which helps to reduce blurring and ghosting, which may help things. Unfortunately, we didn’t use this monitor to play games so we can’t say for sure how much of a difference it makes. Nevertheless, this is not a monitor for competitive players or even casual gamers.

The Dell P2418HT comes with quite a few connectivity ports. They are hidden under a lip on the back, and Dell supplies a cable management cover to keep the cables tucked away. Using it is not the easiest thing in the world, but it snaps into place after a bit of wiggling around.

On the back, Dell has added a standard DisplayPort, a DVI slot and a VGA connector. You will also get an HDMI port as well as the bank of USB 3.0 upstream and downstream slots. The former go into the PC you are using – for touch connectivity – while the latter let you hook up peripherals to the monitor. Given the number of ports, it’s really convenient to use the monitor even with older legacy devices, or with more modern laptops.

Despite it’s broad lower body, Dell couldn’t find room on the P2418HT to fit in built-in speakers, but it has a very rich ports selection, especially considering this is not the most high-end model out there.

We always have high expectations from Dell when it comes to any consumer tech product. Unfortunately, the company has not covered itself in glory with the P2418HT. The touch support isn’t new any more, and the only real unique aspect of the monitor is its versatility thanks to the hinged design of the stand. It’s a shame such a novel design doesn’t get the screen it deserves.

  • Low weight and slim bezels

  • Versatile usage modes

  • Sturdy build quality

  • Touch support

  • Plenty of ports

  • Uninspiring color reproduction

  • Plastic top layer

  • No in-built speakers

  • Non pressure-sensitive screen

  • Bad value for money

Dell P2418HT: Misses the Mark

A few years ago, I would have questioned the utility of a touchscreen monitor, but not any more. What I do question is Dell’s use of a plastic top layer which robs the Dell P2418HT (Rs 34,699) of some of the sheen, while the lacklustre picture quality when it comes to vibrant colors or deep blacks, is another demerit.

Dell itself makes much more vibrant and brighter panels in its consumer lineup. Other offerings from brands like Acer, HP or Asus also have higher brightness values and seem to be more feature-packed.