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Josh P. Miller/CNET)
Price can be a huge determining factor when purchasing an electronics product. Nearly every week, I get blasted with e-mails asking, "What's the best sub-$100 monitor?" I rarely answer this question because, well, frankly, most monitors at that price are ones I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending.
If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say when purchasing a new monitor, the majority of consumers are more concerned with the price than the performance. As I see it, most consumers just want their monitor to fulfill very basic functions. Does it turn on? Yes. Does it show a picture? Yes. Does the picture look like what I'd reasonably expect? Yes. Sold!
Obviously, there are those who require something more high end. For those people I point you in the direction of the Dell UltraSharp U2410.
For all of you "I just want it to work and not break the bank" people, check out the full review of the Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW.
Also, be sure to keep your eye on CNET for the latest monitor reviews.
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The frog returns in his LED splendor.
(Credit: NEC)LED is definitely the new black in the world of computer monitors. Most vendors have gotten behind the technology and many more are beginning to announce LED-based products. Check out my list of the five best LED monitors, and see what the current top-rated models are.
NEC is the latest vendor to drop its hat into the mix. On Wednesday, it announced the MultiSync EA222WMe, the company's first LED monitor.
Aesthetically, judging just by the picture, the monitor resembles the previously reviewed NEC MultiSync EA221WM.
Like the EA221WM, the EA222WMe has a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, 1,680x1,050 resolution, and a four-way ergonomic stand. In addition, the LED-based monitor includes a 250 cd/m2 brightness, 30,000 dynamic contrast ratio, VGA, DVI, USB, and DisplayPort inputs, and built-in speakers.
The monitor includes an Eco mode that caps the brightness, a carbon meter, and a cost meter. According to NEC, it also uses less packing materials than the company's non-LED monitors.
The MultiSync EA222WMe comes with a three-year, parts-and-labor limited warranty and is now available at an estimated street price of $339.
Just thought I'd show something different to illustrate how the XL2370 takes advantage of its technology.
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)Over the last few months I've seen a flood of LED-based monitors released, and by "flood" I mean like four. Thing is, four is a huge improvement over the first half of the year where we saw fewer than half that number of LED-backlit monitors come through these offices.
While I'm as excited as the next person about the prospects of LED-based displays, not all of them live up to their promise of brighter screens, thinner panels, and more accurate colors.
There are a few that do and a couple others that come close. I've compiled a short list of my current favorites.
Seriously, a plant pot in your monitor. I bet you'll never question the "greeness" of this monitor now!
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)LED monitors were the new hotness at CES last January, but it wasn't until the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 debuted that we really started to believe in them.
That was the first monitor that really seemed to live up to what LED monitor manufacturers' have promised.That was the first monitor that really seemed to live up to what has been promised by LED monitor manufacturers'.
That monitor was followed by several more that, while not as impressive as the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370, were still good, solid monitors--like the LG W2486L and AOC V22.
The new BenQ V2400 Eco gets a few things right--very low power consumption and a thin design. Not to mention a small pot built into the footstand, just in case you wanted start a small garden in your monitor. Seriously.
Check out the full review to see what else it gets right (and wrong).
Hey! A black ViewSonic monitor!
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)We get in a lot of 16:9 monitors, but this is the first we've gotten that didn't have a TN-based panel. The 23-inch wide-screen ViewSonic VP2365wb monitor has an Enhanced In-Plane Switching panel (E-IPS).
E-IPS panels usually have improved viewing angles over TNs, especially from the lower angle. The VP2365wb does, indeed, have the type of viewing angle you'd expect from an IPS model, but its brightness leaves a bit to be desired.
Check out the full review. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the monitor product door for new monitor reviews every week.
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Shiny buttons...
(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)I've been talking about the Samsung LD190 since January (and by "talking about" I mean I've mentioned it once and really haven't since then).
Samsung is pushing the LD190N as a companion monitor for use with a laptop. Meaning, they expect you to use it in extend mode when in need of extra screen space.
The monitor includes a 18.5-inch, 1360x768 resolution screen, VGA, and upstream USB. The USB includes DisplayLink technology, which allows you to circumvent the VGA connection altogether.
Check out the pics below of the $150 companion piece and look for a full review of Samsung's LD190 soon.
If not sexy, then...practical.
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)I've been looking forward to the Dell UltraSharp U2410 with as much (or more) anticipation as some of our most fervent readers.
I feel a lot of monitor enthusiasts were expecting perfection from this monitor, so I'll get this out of the way right now: It's not perfect.
This may seem more disappointing than with other monitors, but that's mostly because of the super high expectations the U2410 had prerelease.
The monitor includes a H-IPS panel, one of the newer iterations of IPS panel technology and one that I have little hands-on experience with. Some of the problems I encountered with the monitor could be inherent to the technology, but having not dealt with another H-IPS, I can't say for certain.
Still, it earned our editors' choice, so it must have done something right. Right?!
So, the cat's out of the bag. The Dell UltraSharp U2410 isn't perfect; however, that doesn't mean it can't be perfect for you. Read the full review to determine if it is.
As always, new monitor reviews can always be found here.
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The Dell U2410 bleeds tough.
(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)The Dell U2410 is finally here! And by "here," I mean in CNET's office. I've been pestering Dell about this since September, and they've finally accepted my tithe.
Unofficially, the successor to the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP, the U2410 has lots of promise. Luckily I still have a 2408WFP in the office to compare it to.
Expect a review next week, but for now, check out some candid pics I talked the monitor into taking.
The LP3065 is a proud 30-incher that sticks to tradition.
(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)It's rare that I get my hands on a 30-inch monitor these days, as only a handful of vendors actually make them. Not surprising given their usual prices, which can range from $1,000 up to $1,600 in some cases.
The HP LP3065 is a typical 30-inch monitor. A resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels? Check. A number of useful ergonomic options? Check. A wide viewing angle thanks to its use of high-end panel technology? Checkeroo!
Unfortunately, the LP3065 also inherits the 30-inch monitor trend of only including a brightness setting as the sole video adjustment option. Check out the full review of the LP3065 to see what else HP did or didn't include.
Also, check out our new Monitor Buying Guide and be sure to check here for new monitor reviews.
(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)
Starting next week, the holiday season drops on us like an object of infinite mass hurled from the moon at the speed of light. Keep your eyes open in the coming weeks for a number of CNET holiday guides.
Sometimes, though a guide specific to the holidays isn't enough and you need something a bit more...all encompassing.
CNET's Monitor Buying Guide has been around for a while, but we felt it really wasn't addressing all that it could. So we revamped it. Check it out and let us know how it can be improved upon even more. Is there any aspect of purchasing a monitor we neglected? Would you like to see more detail on what we have included? Is there anything inaccurate?
If so, leave a comment or send an e-mail. This is a work in progress, so feel free to offer anything constructive.
Eric Franklin's colleagues once had the following to say to him: "Eric, you've been doing this performance testing thing for over 10 years now. How about you try something different?" To which Eric responded, "How about you shut the #%$@! up?" This candid attitude
allows him to go toe-to-toe with the most extreme of personalities, including that of Dong Ngo. This bio was written by Eric Franklin.
Dong Ngo is a knowledgeable, opinionated individual who wants to convince the world that he's just a normal person; but he hasn't had much success. According to him, this is because the world itself is abnormal. Dong loves traveling and is well-versed in several languages. He, unfortunately, is not so well-versed in English. Still, it's best to ask him questions. From networking and how to optimize your system, to turning a strange place into home or what the meaning of life is…most of the time, he has the answers. The question is: Will he make himself understood? Subscribe and find out!
