15" LCD Comparison Part III: Better and Cheaper

ADI S600S

ADI has demonstrated that it has little brand loyalty when it comes to panels. It has chosen yet another manufacturer for its latest model. Having tried CHIMEY and Hannstar, ADI has now gone to Samsung for its S600s. It was a good move. The new monitor is the best that they have ever lent to us. As long as the red level is increased manually from its default setting, there is a very wide color spectrum without any serious gaps. Furthermore (and this is particularly true in comparison to their second 15" screen, the S500), the colors are bright and true.

For game-playing, there is still a certain lack of brightness in the darker corners, but this defect is soon forgotten. The images are very clear and they hardly leave any trail. Textures show up in great detail. So it would be hard to continue to claim that cathode ray screens are better for gaming. The S600s is a perfect example of the way in which the gap between the CRT and LCD technologies has finally been bridged. The monitor performed surprisingly well during the tests, especially when compared to the specs. The contrast claimed is only 300:1, the brightness is 250 cd/m², and the angles of vision are no better than average. On paper, there is nothing to show that this screen is any better than the others. Yet apart from its ergonomics, this screen is one of the best.

In other respects, the screen is pretty standard. The price is similar to that of its high-end competitors at just under 600 Euros. There is no US price at press time, because the S600s is not yet featured in the ADI USA catalog, and the American branch is still selling the previous generation of screens.

Just like the LG and Philips monitors in this range, the S600s is encased in plastic. The casing is plain but not particularly stylish. As highlighted above, the screen ergonomics are limited. The screen does not pivot to portrait mode, the height is not adjustable, and it has only one VGA socket in the back.