FLAT PANEL SCREENS - SEPTEMBER 2004
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BIG SCREEN ACTION
With sizes ranging from 17 up to 19-inches, now is the time to add an external monitor to your home or office set-up. We put seven would-be starlets to the screen test, to find the best for you.
CONTENTS
Elitegroup ECS EZ18A
Ilyama Prolite E341S
Maxdata Belinea 10 19 20
Philips 170B5
Sharp LL-191A-B
Sony SDM-HS73P
Viewsonic VX750
REVIEW CO-ORDINATOR:
Michael Browne
It may seem strange that anyone who owns a laptop, which has its own screen attached, would want to go and buy an external monitor. Other than the expense, there is the extra space requirement to consider. However, reader feedback has suggested that many users actually prefer to use a large panel in the office or at home and only use the laptop’s screen when out-and-about.
Whether for ergonomic reasons or for the need of a larger area to display text or images, an external monitor can enhance the computing experience. Previous owners of a desktop PC often choose to use their laptop as little more than a base unit, complementing it with an external keyboard and flat panel display. This adds a larger display and also a far more ergonomic typing position. If you bought a laptop to save space, an external monitor may seem a backward step. But many flat panels can be wall-mounted, alleviating the need for extra desk space.
As the role of laptops in home and office becomes more defined, many people find buying a flat panel display fits with how they wish to work. In this group test you’ll find eight devices ranging from 17 to 19 inches, many of them with built-in speakers. With the average laptop coming with a standard 15-inch panel, we have chosen to look at external screens with a minimum size of 17-inches. Such panel sizes offer greater usability and increased performance.
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