Monitor help, please...
 

I'm looking for a monitor. This monitor need to be compatable with Mac, be 17-19' in diameter, have a refresh rate of less than 18ms (16ms or less would be ideal), have a non bland look, I'd like it to be white or gray (not black, teal or ivory), and my price range doesn't exceed $500. I've checked out Cnet, CDW, Circuit City, Frys (Outpost.com), Best Buy, and a few other places with no luck. Maybe I'm being too picky, I've never bought a monitor seperate from the computer (iMacs come with a decent one). I'd appreciate any help that you can provide.

First: Yes, you're being too picky.

Second: Do you mean a flatscreen monitor? Because if not, $500 is plenty for a good 17" monitor (or 19", even). If so, however, you might run into a little trouble.

Also, why does it have to be white or gray? To match your computer? If that's the case, why not get an Apple monitor?

That's what I was afraid of.
I was hoping for an LCD, flat screen.
White or gray to match the comp. I'd get an Apple monitor, but I don't feel like paying an arm and a leg. They start at like $1400.

If necessary, I'd be willing to part with the color prefrence, and maybe the 19 inch. 17 should suffice. I'm not willing to budge on Mac compatibility, decent refrech rate, and price. I simply can't afford to buy a monitor for more than $500 right now. I have christmas presents to buy.

i dont know if this is Mac compatible
monitor
Brand Fujiplus
Model FP-988D
Cabinet Color Silver-Black
Display
Panel TFT LCD
Screen Size 19"
Display Type SXGA
Maximum Resolution 1280x1024
Recommended Resolution 1280x1024
Viewing Angle 160°(H) / 160°(V)
Pixel Pitch 0.264mm
Display Colours 16.7 Million
Brightness 250 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio 600:1
Response Time 12ms
Horizontal Fresh Rate 30~80 KHz
Vertical Fresh Rate 60-75 Hz
Connectivity
Input Video Compatibility Analog RGB 0.7 Vp-p / 75 ohm, TTL Sync Digital RGB TMDS
Connectors D-Sub, DVI-D
D-Sub 1
DVI 1
$220 after MIR

if your looking for deals just go to fatwallet.com and then the forum and search for LCD. I found this deal through that.

Most excelent, thank you very much. Found another from Sony.

Oh, forgot to ask. What sort of connection do you have? I assume, since you're looking for flatscreen, that it's DVI, right? Or is it some proprietary Apple connection?

Not that I condone buying Apple products (I think they're simply way overpriced), but the 20 in. studio display is at $800 right now, and this is right off the Apple website.

If you're looking for something less expensive, however, try the Samsung 915N. It got excellent reviews, and it's a really great monitor for the money.

For somewhere in the $300-400 range, you can find plenty of monitors that claim 8ms response time. In actuality, they're probably slower than that, but you should still be well within your 16ms limit. LCD technology gets less expensive by the day. You don't have to sell your firstborn for a decent monitor anymore. And if the fact that it doesn't say "iMonitor" on it doesn't make you cry at night, you can save a lot of money by going with someone other than Apple.

Check Newegg.com

y'all need some monitor education! :D


first, LCD sucks compared to CRT. The refresh rate won't be as good, and you'r epaying a lot more for similar (or worse) overall quality. Unless you're using a 2X4 as a desk, you should get a CRT.

Second, black is the ideal color. Black creates a high contrast border around your display, which makes colors look better.

Third. . . dude, go NEC. They've got incredible monitors. Here. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance

$210 and you get a 19" with an amazing display.

Maybe in 2003.. LCDs can get in the 3ms range, with 1000:1 color ratios and identical quality to a CRT. If you're still seeing ghosting on a modern day LCD, it's not the LCD's fault.

That's why he said "similar (or worse) quality." What he said is still absolutely true: to get an LCD that performs similarly to a good CRT, you pay a lot more. Even the monitors I mentioned aren't really professional quality. You still have to spend in the $600-700 range to get an outstanding LCD.

Yes, LCDs are capable of performing *nearly* as well as CRTs. In theory, they should be able to perform better (digital vs analog signal, higher bandwidth, etc), but we haven't reached that point yet. And they're still a lot more expensive. The only reason I picked an LCD vs a CRT is because that was one of the requirements. CRTs are still a lot more cost effective.

You can find killer CRT deals on craigslist. I've picked up pro Sony, Viewsonic, & NEC 21's for $50. People moving to LCD's tend to undervalue their CRT's. There's junk to be sure, but if you're willing to inspect first it's a great CB alternative.

Ya but LCD's have there advantages also. Desk Space, Dont put off the heat CRT's do they?(not possative on this one cuz i have never realy checked.) Personaly id buy a lcd for the desk space. And i find the LCD easier on the eyes.

Much less heat, because they're much less power usage.

Certainly not, sir.. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116355

19", 3 ms gray-to-gray, 270 cd/m2 550:1... $360.00

That's a "luxury" model, too. I certainly will give you that LCDs USED to be cost-prohibitive and shitty, but you can't keep using that argument forever.

Wow thanks for all the suggestions. We are talking about a very small desk on which a CRT would make things tricky (it is a functionality issue less than a quality issue). I have nothing against CRT's as a matter of fact I recently bought a tube television over a flat panel because the picture quality was better. The color issue (gray, white vs. black, teal) was somply one of asthetics. A black monitor would look out of place, simply put.

Really any monitor now days is everything compatible. If your Mac has the ADC (apple display connector), there are converters to convert them to DVI, VGA, etc.

Anything is possible.

I got my Dell 2005FPW monitor for $383 shipped. This monitor uses the same LCD panel as Apple monitors and except for the color, would fit all your specs. It's great for gaming, movies, etc.

You need to know how to play the Dell game to get that price, but it wasn't hard. I had to wait about 3 weeks to see the price/coupon deals fall in line to get it but I got it and many others have done so as well. I gave up my beloved RadiusView 21" CRT for this monitor and haven't looked back since.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000020041567/

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...lish/about.htm

I'd like to chime in about my 20" Dell 2001FP (non-widescreen version of the 2005FPW). I got it nearly a year ago for $600. I love it. It beats the hell out of the 24" SGI GDM-90W11 I used to have, as well as most, perhaps all CRTs I've used. It's so easy on the eyes. I use one at work and one at home.

Refresh rate on LCDs doesn't matter. You'll never see flicker like you would on a CRT due to the way LCDs work. Although ghosting used to be common, it isn't anymore. I heartily recommend the 2001FP to anyone who needs a decent monitor. You can buy better ones, but not for the money.