Gone are the days of the 15 inch CRT monitors that computer users had to deal with. The new computer monitors are sleeker and the LCD flat screens provide excellent color and images (close to that of your television). If you buy a new computer from Dell or HP odds are that you may get an LCD monitor with it. The 17 inch monitors are probably the smallest you will find with 19 inch and 22 inch computer monitors being the norm these days. I have seen the latest 26" widescreen models from Samsung which are fantastic and the huge 30 inch Gateway XDH3000 monitor that is probably beyond the budget for most of us. Like PC's, computer monitors have fallen in price and the widescreen LCD monitors are becoming cheap enough for the average owner. I must admit it's hard to justify buying a $500 LCD monitor when the computer you purchase may cost even less. The point being though, is that your eyes look at the monitor all day so you want a large enough screen that provides the best combination of resolution, contrast ratio, and brightness.
When it comes to computer monitor reviews there are dozens of websites that offer their expert opinions like CNET, PCWorld, and Digitaltrends.com. We have always trusted the research done by magazines like Consumer Reports that do unbiased testing of LCD monitors and provide the public with their "best buy" ratings and awards. The top brands for computer monitors include Dell, HP, Acer, Samsung, and Viewsonic. Acer monitors are the cheapest of the bunch and they do get great reviews on consumer website like Amazon.com. We have found that the feedback posted from Amazon customers is some of the best you will find anywhere. You get ACTUAL owners of computer monitors (not just expert comments) that give you pros and cons of each particular model. Some monitors are better for gaming purposes and others look best for those interested in photography and digital photos. As technology moves along, LCD computer monitors and television screens are slowly morphing into one product. Now you can buy a computer monitor that doubles as a TV and vice versa. This partially justifies the high price you will see on the Samsung Touch of Color series. With flat panel monitors you get more desk space for other things and they are much lighter than the previous CRT monitors. Flat screen monitors are extremely thin and the color quality is far superior to those sold even a few years ago. RECOMMENDED - We suggest shopping online at Amazon.com since they carry all the leading brand names and usually have the LOWEST PRICES on the Internet. You can browse their top selling computer monitors online here.
Best LCD Monitor:
Whether you go into Best Buy to purchase a new monitor for your computer or go online to Amazon.com, a few brands stand out. If you want a basic monitor, consider the Acer LCD monitors which range in price from $100 to $200 and offer screen sizes of 17 to 23 inches. Another excellent line of monitors are the HP Widescreen LCD Monitors and the most popular size is the 22" HP W2207H. Reviews are extremely positive on the HP monitors for color quality and overall reliability. RECOMMENDED - We think the LCD HDTV monitors from Samsung are the wave of the future and their 26 inch model doubles as a TV screen for watching television. Samsung offers both the SyncMaster and the latest Touch of Color monitors. Prices for the Samsung LCD computer monitors are higher than some of the competition but owner comments show that they are satisfied with their purchase. You can find the entire lineup of Samsung monitors online here.
Computer Monitors for Gaming:
One of the main reasons for buying a new computer monitor is because you are a serious gamer and want your game graphics to show up properly on the screen. Many gamers complain about "ghosting" when playing games on less than perfect monitors. RECOMMENDED - One name that came up quite often in reviews was the HP W2207H 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor which is less than $220 on Amazon. The flat panel monitor gives you 22 inches with a 1680 x 1050 Resolution and 1000:1 Contrast Ratio. Features include a 5 ms response time, height adjustment, swivel and tilt, and the dual inputs support both traditional analog and true digital (HDMI) signals. For those of you that want a larger viewing area and HDTV quality, consider the Samsung Touch of Color T260HD 26-Inch LCD HDTV Monitor which sells for around $450 and provides full 1920 X 1200 resolution. Samsung gets the best reviews for high end monitors on Amazon and this one is the #2 top selling LCD monitor on Amazon.
Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.
BUYING GUIDES
.
which sells for around $450 and provides full 1920 X 1200 resolution. Samsung gets the best reviews for high end monitors on Amazon and this one is the #2 top selling LCD monitor on Amazon.