Finding the Best 19" LCD Monitor for Your Application

LG L1980U

The L1980U is the big brother of the L1780U , and has the same extra-flat design. Unlike the L1940P, it includes the excellent choice of a 12 ms LG/Philips panel - the same one that had impressed us in the Philips 190X5 .

Design

The extra-flat design of the L1980U is likely to win over even the most skeptical potential buyer. Light and elegant, the L1980U follows the tradition of the L1780U. And like it, it reuses the features of the L1720 that accounted for its success - clean lines, quality materials and a finish that's beyond reproach. The touch-sensitive adjustment buttons usually associated with this vendor are placed under the panel. The plastics (glossy white and matte black) are of excellent quality. The chrome-plastic base is well constructed.

Ergonomics

We were pleased to see that this model has the excellent OSD also used on the 1940P, including separation of the screen into two halves for judging changes in adjustment. The panel is adjustable for height, with a limited range. But the panel tilts freely, and can pivot into portrait mode, and even be flipped completely over to place the edge of the panel directly on the desktop. There's no problem where managing the display is concerned, since the L1980U has a gravity detector that lets it tell the computer what position the screen is in (landscape, portrait, upside-down landscape, etc.). The display adapts automatically.