Firewater
I got a new monitor a few weeks ago. It was probably one of the first "big purchases" I made since getting a "real job," and it wasn't an easy decision. If you'll indulge me, I shall unfold a little gratuitous back story:
In the war of CRT monitors versus LCD, I was staunchly in the big and bulky camp. I believed that if you wanted deep contrast, kicky fast response times, and accurate/rich color reproduction (guilty on all three charges) at a decent size (no less than 21" diagonal), you needed an 80 pound monster of screen sitting on your desk. After looking to purchase one, however, I slowly began to realize that they didn't actually make these monitors, or at least they weren't made available through any conventional retail outlets. I ended up purchasing a "Refurbished" behemoth online, and while the actual monitor itself was only $175, shipping brought the grand total up to $250. Not a bad price to upgrade my 17" 1280x1024 max monitor for a 21" with resolutions that went so high that they weren't even feasible anymore. I'm talking workstation class, hardcore business type deal. It was big and bulky and the refresh rates were ridiculous, just like I had dreamed (you may remember my post heralding its arrival here). Things weren't all unicorns and rainbows in dreamland, however. The colors were a bit off, the green being too strong, and it wasn't particularly sharp or bright, and it always ended up looking washed out. I tweaked all the settings as much as I could, but in spite of its size, it never got to the point where it produced a truly breathtaking image. It became clear to me that if I wanted a really sweet screen, I was definitely going to have to spend more than $200 (+ S&H);
When I started getting some decent money flow going on, I decided that it was time to get back into the monitor market. The problem was, upon some browsing, that not only were CRTs just as hard to find as before, the market had actually gotten worse! I began toying with the idea of abandoning CRTs altogether and converting to the LCD side, out of sheer frustration. After perusing a couple largescreen LCD options, I discovered that there were even more reasons to switch. Prices, comparatively speaking, were low, and screen sizes were high. The average LCD is around 19" now, but I knew I would not be satisfied taking a step down in size. I wanted 21" at least, and especially appealing to me were the widescreen LCDs that fit more screen it to about the same horizontal space. I wasn't completely sold no LCD however; confusing specs, vast price and quality differences, and some pretty horrible horror stories I heard on the web about things like ghosting and dead pixels kept me from being an instant convert. I almost gave up on upgrading altogether. My true conversion came one night as I was browsing the meager monitor selection at good ol' CompUSA. They had just gotten a new shipment of Samsung's latest high-end LCD screens, and before I knew it I was gazing longingly into twenty two inches of widescreen liquid crystal bliss. Everything that the screen displayed was so sharp and vivid, with no hint of bleed or ghosting. I honestly never knew a display could look so good. I snatched it up as quick as I could and drove it home as fast as I could safely drive with one hand and caress the smooth, warm Samsung box with my other.
I've had this monitor for a few weeks and I have got to say that I'm a total LCD fan. All the problems I would bash flat-panels before about (ghosting, bad colors and contrast) are completely debunked. Colors are amazing, the refresh rate is so fast I can't even tell I'm not on a CRT, the brightness is actually too much (I have to keep it at 98), and of course I have the convenience of a monitor that was 53 pounds less than my old one. My only slight complaint is that the resolution maxes out at 1680x1050, but honestly that's higher than I would ever sensibly set it, and it works just fine. The screen size is just about as tall as my old CRT, but it's much wider. I literally improved every discernable attribute by upgrading my monitor, and I couldn't be happier with it. It truly is an awe-inspiring display.
And now the picture!
Oooh Aaah
In the war of CRT monitors versus LCD, I was staunchly in the big and bulky camp. I believed that if you wanted deep contrast, kicky fast response times, and accurate/rich color reproduction (guilty on all three charges) at a decent size (no less than 21" diagonal), you needed an 80 pound monster of screen sitting on your desk. After looking to purchase one, however, I slowly began to realize that they didn't actually make these monitors, or at least they weren't made available through any conventional retail outlets. I ended up purchasing a "Refurbished" behemoth online, and while the actual monitor itself was only $175, shipping brought the grand total up to $250. Not a bad price to upgrade my 17" 1280x1024 max monitor for a 21" with resolutions that went so high that they weren't even feasible anymore. I'm talking workstation class, hardcore business type deal. It was big and bulky and the refresh rates were ridiculous, just like I had dreamed (you may remember my post heralding its arrival here). Things weren't all unicorns and rainbows in dreamland, however. The colors were a bit off, the green being too strong, and it wasn't particularly sharp or bright, and it always ended up looking washed out. I tweaked all the settings as much as I could, but in spite of its size, it never got to the point where it produced a truly breathtaking image. It became clear to me that if I wanted a really sweet screen, I was definitely going to have to spend more than $200 (+ S&H);
When I started getting some decent money flow going on, I decided that it was time to get back into the monitor market. The problem was, upon some browsing, that not only were CRTs just as hard to find as before, the market had actually gotten worse! I began toying with the idea of abandoning CRTs altogether and converting to the LCD side, out of sheer frustration. After perusing a couple largescreen LCD options, I discovered that there were even more reasons to switch. Prices, comparatively speaking, were low, and screen sizes were high. The average LCD is around 19" now, but I knew I would not be satisfied taking a step down in size. I wanted 21" at least, and especially appealing to me were the widescreen LCDs that fit more screen it to about the same horizontal space. I wasn't completely sold no LCD however; confusing specs, vast price and quality differences, and some pretty horrible horror stories I heard on the web about things like ghosting and dead pixels kept me from being an instant convert. I almost gave up on upgrading altogether. My true conversion came one night as I was browsing the meager monitor selection at good ol' CompUSA. They had just gotten a new shipment of Samsung's latest high-end LCD screens, and before I knew it I was gazing longingly into twenty two inches of widescreen liquid crystal bliss. Everything that the screen displayed was so sharp and vivid, with no hint of bleed or ghosting. I honestly never knew a display could look so good. I snatched it up as quick as I could and drove it home as fast as I could safely drive with one hand and caress the smooth, warm Samsung box with my other.
I've had this monitor for a few weeks and I have got to say that I'm a total LCD fan. All the problems I would bash flat-panels before about (ghosting, bad colors and contrast) are completely debunked. Colors are amazing, the refresh rate is so fast I can't even tell I'm not on a CRT, the brightness is actually too much (I have to keep it at 98), and of course I have the convenience of a monitor that was 53 pounds less than my old one. My only slight complaint is that the resolution maxes out at 1680x1050, but honestly that's higher than I would ever sensibly set it, and it works just fine. The screen size is just about as tall as my old CRT, but it's much wider. I literally improved every discernable attribute by upgrading my monitor, and I couldn't be happier with it. It truly is an awe-inspiring display.
And now the picture!
Oooh Aaah