UltraSharp 2707WFP

This attractive but expensive 27-inch display provides excellent image quality.

The Dell UltraSharp 2707WFP, a 27-inch wide-screen LCD monitor, is a stunner. It delivers great image quality, features a thoughtful design, and has several useful and unusual inputs but at $1999, it's pricey.

You do get a lot for the investment. The monitor's generous 1920 by 1200 resolution makes it great for viewing text or spreadsheet documents side by side. Text in a Microsoft Word document looked extremely sharp and photos showed bright colours and excellent detail, even in shadows. One useful extra: The 2707WFP includes individual red, green, and blue colour adjustments, allowing you to tune colours more finely when necessary.

Several other features also help set the 2707WFP apart. On its left side are two media card slots that can read nine different formats. On the back, all of the connections are both labelled and identified with pictures, so you don't have to hunt to find the right input. Along with DVI, S-Video-in, and composite-in ports, the monitor has a component-in connection, which is fairly unusual for an LCD model; it's convenient, especially for directly connecting the monitor to a cable box for viewing television (albeit via an analogue, not digital, connection). Also, because the display offers picture-in-picture, you can view TV while getting some work done.

The 2707WFP has a pretty design, with a brushed-silver bezel and a shiny black stand. It also adjusts nicely: The attached, simple-to-manoeuvre silver arm allows you to tilt or swivel the screen with ease.

Despite all of the display's notable qualities, $1999 is still a fairly high price to pay. Nevertheless, for people who crave a monitor with great image quality, useful extra ports, and a sleek design, the Dell 2707WFP can't be beat.