"Frank R. Brown" wrote:
>
> I'm planning to get a new monitor, probably 17".
> (Certainly no more than one step in size up or
> down from there.)

I would recommend getting a 17" as the minimum. Most 15" monitors lack a
decent viewable. What this means is, the screen may measure 15" diagonal
but the viewable size (what you see) is usually only  13.9-14.8". To me
this is important in how much I have to manipulate the scroll bars to
see what is not displayed. A 19" CRT consumes a lot of desk top real
estate. For the money, a 17" should be adequate.
>
> I'd like to get a good quality monitor, but it's not for
> any special purpose (e.g., hardcore cad, true-color
> graphics).

I'm not into graphics, games or stuff that would require a lean and mean
monitor. I have chosen the Viewsonic G773 Graphics Series for my
personal use and I do recommend this to my clients.

This monitor is a 17" model with a 16" viewable area. it is also a .26
DPI (Dots per Inch) resolution and a decent refresh rate to eliminate
flicker. (Eye strain concern) It also has a USB hub built into the base.
That is worth a lot to me due to the fact that I have two USBs on the
tower and four on the base. They work nicely with a printer, scanner and
home network adapters.

The key to quality is the viewable area and most importantly the dot
pitch. The smaller the dot pitch and the larger the viewable, the image
will be sharper and clearer. The next important aspect is refresh rate.
75 and higher are good to prevent flicker and eye strain. <smile> All of
this hinges upon the quality of your video card too.

You may want to check out this Monitor Buyers Guide presented by
Viewsonic and judge for yourself. http://www.monitor101.com/ Arm
yourself with knowledge and the choice will be easier.

> In the past, I've had good luck with viewsonic --- are
> they still a good choice?  Other suggestions for what
> I should be looking at?

In my opinion yes. Mark Rhode made mention of a "Prince" monitor
however, I think he meant "Princeton". They to are a good manufacturer.
Bear in mind that there are only a hand full of manufacturers making
CRTs. (This is the actual tube that goes into the case) What this means
is, Princeton, View sonic and many others but their tubes for the same
places.
>
> I'm not looking to get the rock-bottom cheapest, but
> I do want to get value for the money I spend.

In that case, if View sonic has performed well for you stay with them. I
know many people will time after time purchase a vehicle from the same
manufacturer be it General Motors, Ford or whomever. Why? Basically due
to the same reason you gave above about having "good luck with View
sonic".

In closing, I recommend that you purchase a monitor in the 17" range
with a dot pitch of .26-.27 and a view able of 16" minimum.

Sincerely,

Frank Suszka
netTek Computers
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