> Displays with 16x9 aspect ratio - they’re stretched in the wrong direction, vertically cramping my editor window and ergonomically poor for web browsing. Sadly, I expect to have to live with 16x9 in the future.
When you rotate the display the image quality drops significantly. The change in hue is very high on the vertical and you'll notice it even if you don't pay attention.
What you say is true if you rotate the cheaper TN based monitors. I have a Dell 24' monitor in portrait mode and it looks just fine as it is an IPS monitor.
I also have one Dell and one HP IPS monitor in portrait mode and they don't look fine at all. They are barely acceptable. There's no hue degradation, but there's a huge contrast degradation plus font subpixel rendering is broken.
I do see a difference between the portrait monitor and the others (it seats between two TN 24' Samsungs) but it is perfectably acceptable for writing code.
Cheaper TN panels are better at fast moving graphics (video games for example), but have a poor viewing angle. More expensive IPS panels have a better viewing angle, but not as good at moving graphics. I have a Dell IPS panel, which I specifically bought to use in portrait mode.
You can't rotate most desktop monitors (though its easy to find one you can rotate if you look), and I'm not aware of any laptop that lets you rotate the display.
To physically position the monitor, changing to an external VESA-mount arm is a good solution. Since the hole pattern is square, you don't have to opt for a rotating mount -- though many such arms will do that for you, as well.
To rotate a laptop display, better plug in an external keyboard and pointing device. Then you need to figure out a rest for it...
Looking at the top 4 monitors advertised to me on NewEgg, only the most expensive one had the right holes on the back for you to use that sort of mounting arm.
Does he not realize you can rotate the displays?