19in LCD Monitor

Toiling away as I do with a 17in screen, even a 19in CRT would be a big improvement, but a 19in LCD monitor - now, that's really something. ViewSonic's new 19in ViewPanel VG191 with supercrisp text is definitely worth a look - if you have a spare $3211.

The VG191 is a step up "from most CRTs for viewing text: at its native resolution of 1280x1024, the shipping "LCD's precise, flicker-free pixels rendered clean, crisp characters in Microsoft Word and Excel. Its graphics also looked good. Like many high-end LCDs, the VG191 offers both analog and digital inputs, but I noticed little difference in image quality between the two options.

The VG191 has a clean, basic design. It lacks some extras, like a USB hub or built-in speakers, but it includes other convenient features. The adjustable base, for example, smoothly telescopes up and down, and swivels about 45§ to either side. The field of vision - the angle at which the screen remains viewable as you move from side to side or up and down - is about 140§ (the full range, from one extreme to the other). While that's a very good range, I noticed that the screen began to look darker at approximately 30§ from centre.

The screen also rotates from landscape to portrait mode - a nice feature for working in long text documents or for viewing Web pages. Included software lets you smoothly reorient the screen after you rotate it, but rotating the panel itself is a bit clunky. ViewSonic's standard four-button controls allow you to easily access advanced adjustments such as colour temperature and screen sharpness.

The ViewPanel VG191 is a good buy at the price of $3211. With some vendors shipping 18in LCD monitors for just under $3000, you may want to make sure you check this one out.

ViewSonic ViewPanel VG191 ****

It's expensive, but the VG191 will reward you with a huge, crisp image that displays text especially well.

Price: $3211.

Phone: (02) 9929 3955.

URL: www.viewsonic.com.au.