Monitor Accessories

You may think that monitors are one of the few computer parts that don’t have any accessories to buy.  However, there are a few extra items you can purchase for your monitor.  Some you may need, but most of these are optional.

A replacement power cord.  Every new monitor is going to come with a power cord, but sometimes, that cord gets lost or destroyed.  If you cord is lost in a move or gets chewed up, you can either purchase a new one or use it as an excuse to buy a new monitor (which may not be a bad idea if your monitor is on the small side or is fairly old).

A monitor stand or shelf.  If your monitor doesn’t seem to be quite at eye level, you can purchase a stand or shelf for it to sit on.  The shelves come in several varieties.  Some are simply a raiser, while others may be separated into two cubby holes or have drawers.  These monitor stands come in several different styles, too, so you can find one that matches the rest of your desk accessories.

A privacy filter.  These are special screens that slip over the front of your monitor.  They are tinted along the sides so that you can only see what’s on the monitor if you’re looking directly at it.  These are nice for offices if you share your workspace with another person and are working with sensitive information.  If you have a widescreen monitor, it might be difficult to find a privacy filter in the correct size, so be sure to keep that in mind when shopping for one.

A magnifying filter.  Like the privacy filter, a magnifying filter goes over your current screen and enlarges everything.  It’s kind of like a magnifying lens, and it’s useful if your eyesight is really bad.  These aren’t made that much anymore since Microsoft Windows features a built-in screen magnifying program that works with any monitor, however, so you may have a hard time finding one.

Monitor wipes.  Your monitor is going to get dirty—this is just a fact.  You can’t simply use any type of glass or window cleaner on it, though.  To properly clean your monitor, you’ll need to purchase special static-free wipes to use.  These wipes are specially created to clean off monitors without interfering with how they work.  These wipes are fairly inexpensive, too, so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money.  The wipes can often be used to clean other electronic equipment as well, including DVD players, scanners, and more.