Monitor Comparison

[Bruce]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

Hi,

I'm considering getting my daughter a Dell 4600 Dimension for college.
It's tempting to build, but she needs it to be a standard machine since I
won't be around to tweak/maintain.

The 4600 will have an NVidia FX5200 (128MB DDR) TV-out/DVI graphics card.
She doesn't play video games, buts will watch DVDs.

I'd like to get her a 17" digital LCD to save space.

Dell will include their 17" 1703FP Ultrasharp Digital FP for $459, or a
17" Samsung 173T Digital FP for $469. Both have a 3-year warranty, and
reviews rate them near equal.

Some specs:

Dell Samsung
Resolution: 1280x1024 1280x1024
Brightness: 250 270
Contrast: 600:1 450:1
View Angle: 170H/170V 150H/120V
Sync: 80H/75V 81H/75V

I belive the Dell's height is adjustable; don't know yet about the
Samsung.

I've got a 20" Ultrasharp at work, and it's ok. I'm not familiar with
the Samsung. Should the lower contrast ratio and viewing angle be of a
concern? Anyone know who makes the Dell Ultrasharp monitors?

Other comments?

Thanks a lot,
Bruce

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

> Dell Samsung
> Resolution: 1280x1024 1280x1024
> Brightness: 250 270
> Contrast: 600:1 450:1
> View Angle: 170H/170V 150H/120V
> Sync: 80H/75V 81H/75V
>
> I belive the Dell's height is adjustable; don't know yet about the
> Samsung.
>
> I've got a 20" Ultrasharp at work, and it's ok. I'm not familiar with
> the Samsung. Should the lower contrast ratio and viewing angle be of a
> concern? Anyone know who makes the Dell Ultrasharp monitors?
>
> Other comments?
>
> Thanks a lot,
> Bruce

If you must choose between those two, go for the Samsung. But I'd suggest
you consider the NEC 1760NX (black or silver) instead, as that one has
picture quality that blows away both Samsung and Dell. In fact, you should
be able to get a really good deal on a NEC 1760V (black) right now, as that
is the older model. Just be aware that the 1760v is a analog monitor, so
you'd need to confirm that your video card has analog connection as well as
DVI.

Pay no attention to manufacturer listed specs. for brightness, contrast or
viewing angle. These numbers are fudged so much, they are meaningless.
Trust your eyes to pick a good monitor. Or just take the word of a
professional who has seen all three in action . . . go for the NEC, the
Samsung or the Dell, in that order. In fact, anything on the market right
now runs a DISTANT second to the NEC (as far as picture quality goes), but
the Samsungs aren't too shabby for a low-end model. -Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

don't worry, both look identical after 2 bottles of jungle juice

"Bruce" <parcxman@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:Xns94DC60FA6B88parcxmannetscapenet@63.240.76.16...
> Hi,
>
> I'm considering getting my daughter a Dell 4600 Dimension for college.
> It's tempting to build, but she needs it to be a standard machine since I
> won't be around to tweak/maintain.
>
> The 4600 will have an NVidia FX5200 (128MB DDR) TV-out/DVI graphics card.
> She doesn't play video games, buts will watch DVDs.
>
> I'd like to get her a 17" digital LCD to save space.
>
> Dell will include their 17" 1703FP Ultrasharp Digital FP for $459, or a
> 17" Samsung 173T Digital FP for $469. Both have a 3-year warranty, and
> reviews rate them near equal.
>
> Some specs:
>
> Dell Samsung
> Resolution: 1280x1024 1280x1024
> Brightness: 250 270
> Contrast: 600:1 450:1
> View Angle: 170H/170V 150H/120V
> Sync: 80H/75V 81H/75V
>
> I belive the Dell's height is adjustable; don't know yet about the
> Samsung.
>
> I've got a 20" Ultrasharp at work, and it's ok. I'm not familiar with
> the Samsung. Should the lower contrast ratio and viewing angle be of a
> concern? Anyone know who makes the Dell Ultrasharp monitors?
>
> Other comments?
>
> Thanks a lot,
> Bruce

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>I'm considering getting my daughter a Dell 4600 Dimension for college.
>It's tempting to build,

Im curious why you aren't just considering getting her a good
laptop.... instead of desktop?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 1 May 2004 08:24:42 -0400, "Dave C." <mdupre@sff.net> wrote:

>
>> Dell Samsung
>> Resolution: 1280x1024 1280x1024
>> Brightness: 250 270
>> Contrast: 600:1 450:1
>> View Angle: 170H/170V 150H/120V
>> Sync: 80H/75V 81H/75V
>>
>> I belive the Dell's height is adjustable; don't know yet about the
>> Samsung.
>>
>> I've got a 20" Ultrasharp at work, and it's ok. I'm not familiar with
>> the Samsung. Should the lower contrast ratio and viewing angle be of a
>> concern? Anyone know who makes the Dell Ultrasharp monitors?
>>
>> Other comments?
>>
>> Thanks a lot,
>> Bruce
>
>If you must choose between those two, go for the Samsung. But I'd suggest
>you consider the NEC 1760NX (black or silver) instead, as that one has
>picture quality that blows away both Samsung and Dell. In fact, you should
>be able to get a really good deal on a NEC 1760V (black) right now, as that
>is the older model. Just be aware that the 1760v is a analog monitor, so
>you'd need to confirm that your video card has analog connection as well as
>DVI.
>
>Pay no attention to manufacturer listed specs. for brightness, contrast or
>viewing angle. These numbers are fudged so much, they are meaningless.
>Trust your eyes to pick a good monitor. Or just take the word of a
>professional who has seen all three in action . . . go for the NEC, the
>Samsung or the Dell, in that order. In fact, anything on the market right
>now runs a DISTANT second to the NEC (as far as picture quality goes), but
>the Samsungs aren't too shabby for a low-end model. -Dave

Thanks for the tip Dave. I must admit I haven't had a real peek at
NEC. Do you happen to know the bit width of the color channels?

ancra

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>
> Thanks for the tip Dave. I must admit I haven't had a real peek at
> NEC. Do you happen to know the bit width of the color channels?
>
> ancra
>

It's 24 bit. My wife has one, we run it in 16 bit mode. AWESOME, realistic
color. -Dave

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>Thanks for the tip Dave. I must admit I haven't had a real peek at
>NEC. Do you happen to know the bit width of the color channels?

I also thank him for the tip on NEC. I haven't ever really looked at
NEC lcd monitors either.....and I also believe that Costco sells them

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

<me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:mgi7905gv28b6nk4jsso41renpudi2ap52@4ax.com...
> >Thanks for the tip Dave. I must admit I haven't had a real peek at
> >NEC. Do you happen to know the bit width of the color channels?
>
> I also thank him for the tip on NEC. I haven't ever really looked at
> NEC lcd monitors either.....and I also believe that Costco sells them

Yeah, NEC lcd monitors are darned near perfect as far as performance and
PICTURE QUALITY goes. Just be aware that the factory settings have
brightness maxed, probably so they will look good if used as display models
in a brightly lit store. This isn't good for home or office use, as colors
will be a bit washed out and the picture will be hard on your eyes. But if
you buy a NEC lcd monitor, you just need to set brightness and contrast both
near the mid-range, then change your video card setting to 1280 X 1024 or
whatever the NATIVE resolution of your monitor is. That's about it. Plug
it in, adjust two settings on the monitor, crank up resolution on the video
card, DONE!!! Windows XP even recognized the NEC as a plug and play, so no
driver is required, and picture quality is awesome with the default driver
that Windows XP chooses. -Dave

 

[Bruce]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

me6@privacy.net wrote in news:9ii7905pfseu8egnm4suvb2hlcc0breivg@4ax.com:

>>I'm considering getting my daughter a Dell 4600 Dimension for college.
>>It's tempting to build,
>
> Im curious why you aren't just considering getting her a good
> laptop.... instead of desktop?
>

Good question, I know what you mean, and we may still go to laptop route.

The primary reason for the desktop is she likes the larger screen (she's
use to an 18" viewable crt) and the larger typing surface.
Unfortunately, theft is another issue.

She's used my older son's Inspirion 8200 (?) that he uses in college, but
she just didn't like the 'ergonomics'. I think she could use to it. I
also think the laptop is a better way to go since it can go to the
library, where she'll be spending a lot of time.

When my son went to college, he took along his PII desktop, but
eventually bought himself the laptop, and rarely uses the desktop.

Any laptops you'd suggest for $1500 and under?

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Bruce]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

"Dave C." <mdupre@sff.net> wrote in
news:c704vc$gqh48$1@ID-233294.news.uni-berlin.de:

>
>> Dell Samsung
>> Resolution: 1280x1024 1280x1024
>> Brightness: 250 270
>> Contrast: 600:1 450:1
>> View Angle: 170H/170V 150H/120V
>> Sync: 80H/75V 81H/75V
>>
>> I belive the Dell's height is adjustable; don't know yet about the
>> Samsung.
>>
>> I've got a 20" Ultrasharp at work, and it's ok. I'm not familiar
>> with the Samsung. Should the lower contrast ratio and viewing angle
>> be of a concern? Anyone know who makes the Dell Ultrasharp monitors?
>>
>> Other comments?
>>
>> Thanks a lot,
>> Bruce
>
> If you must choose between those two, go for the Samsung. But I'd
> suggest you consider the NEC 1760NX (black or silver) instead, as that
> one has picture quality that blows away both Samsung and Dell. In
> fact, you should be able to get a really good deal on a NEC 1760V
> (black) right now, as that is the older model. Just be aware that the
> 1760v is a analog monitor, so you'd need to confirm that your video
> card has analog connection as well as DVI.
>
> Pay no attention to manufacturer listed specs. for brightness,
> contrast or viewing angle. These numbers are fudged so much, they are
> meaningless. Trust your eyes to pick a good monitor. Or just take the
> word of a professional who has seen all three in action . . . go for
> the NEC, the Samsung or the Dell, in that order. In fact, anything on
> the market right now runs a DISTANT second to the NEC (as far as
> picture quality goes), but the Samsungs aren't too shabby for a
> low-end model. -Dave
>
>
>

Thanks for the tip.

I just checked out the reviews and prices on the NEC 1760NX and the
1760V. Thanks for the tip.

Dell sells them for $546 and $515, but of course I wouldn't go there.
Office Depot has the V for $530; they've discontinued the NX that was
$500.
Amazon has the NX for $488, 1-2 weeks, and the V for $440, 2 days, no tax
and free shipping on both.

Now, from what I can tell, the NVidia card supports both analog and DVI,
and from reviews I've read, analog is now as good as DVI. If that's the
case, is there any benefit other than cost, to using an analog FPD when
you have a card that will support both?

I guess what I'm asking is it true that an analog FPD with an analog
signal is as good as a digital FPD with a digital signal?

One other thing, regardles of type of FPD (analog or digital), they must
run in native resolution or else they have to interpolate?

I guess it's time for me to push myself away form the keyboard and go
look at these monitors.

Thanks again,
Bruce

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 01 May 2004 07:35:40 GMT, Bruce <parcxman@netscape.net> wrote:

SNIP
>

>Other comments?
>
Somewhat OT

Having put 2 through college, with one still in, the first bit of
advice I have for you is to find out if the college your daughter is
going to attend has a purchase program with a manufacturer. In some
cases individual schools may have specific requirements. Many
undergrad business programs now require a notebook be used in class
for accounting and finance classes. The sciences may also require
notebooks for in lab work. Number one son had to ditch his desktop
for a notebook when he went for his masters in botany.

Number three son is just finishing his Jr year at Virginia Tech. I
was amazed at the specific requirements that individual departments
within the various schools have. One thing I found interesting is
that VT professors no longer accept paper papers. CDR is the
preferred method. Zip cartridges are accepted by some departments.
E-Mail is frown on.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

>Any laptops you'd suggest for $1500 and under?

No.....really cant give any advice Bruce. Was just curious on your
thinking as I have a 18 yr old nephew getting ready to go to college
next fall as well.

For some reason he doesn't seem to want a laptop.... but to my way of
thinking a laptop is ideal for a college student. But maybe Im
wrong...who knows? lol

Anyway.... was just curious on your thinking on the subject

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

> Number one son had to ditch his desktop
>for a notebook when he went for his masters in botany.

Good advice

My nephew is hoping to become a dentist and going to Kansas city to
college there to that end.

I wonder if they require laptops vs desktops?

 

[jad]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

Our Son is in 3 rd year now. the problems with a desktop for Us were:

Can't move it around. When the vacation time comes and the
apartments/dorms are left alone, things disappear. Laptop cab go in
the trunk if you had to.

No desk to put a desktop on, limited space when your sharing living
quarters.

The biggest thing is mobility, desktops can't help you with the
playing of a presentation in the class room. Other systems may or may
not have the software to playback your files. These are some of the
things we went through over the last few years.

<me6@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:26ma90pvt1els44snjfdkmflhdi1ke7agi@4ax.com...
> > Number one son had to ditch his desktop
> >for a notebook when he went for his masters in botany.
>
> Good advice
>
> My nephew is hoping to become a dentist and going to Kansas city to
> college there to that end.
>
> I wonder if they require laptops vs desktops?