Design
As with the L1740P, LG has spared no effort in developing the L1780U. It's light and ultra-flat - a model of elegance. The panel is attached to an arm which is itself connected to the chromed plastic base via an articulated joint. The heritage of the L1720 is again visible in the curved shape of the pilot light. LG has also used touch-sensitive adjustment buttons here; all you need to do is brush the power-on pilot to turn the monitor on. The materials (glossy white and chrome plastic) are also of excellent quality. The design of the unit bears some resemblance to the Samsung 173P.
Again LG has a magnificent product here from a design standpoint.
Ergonomics
We were pleased to see that this model has the same excellent OSD used on the 1740P. The same features are here as well, including the separation of the screen into two halves to make it easy to see changes in adjustment. The use of two pivot points gives this monitor's tilt adjustment a range the competition can't come close to, and the panel is also adjustable for height. The L1780 also has a pivot mode for working on text documents, and even better, the double articulation lets you turn the panel completely over and place it flat on the desk.
LG's Forte Manager software lets you enable automatic gravity detection, using a little sensor that determines the panel's orientation. When you turn it to portrait mode, Forte Manager automatically changes the desktop parameters to adapt the image. When you fold the panel completely down to put it on the desktop, the software turns the image completely without user intervention. While this device is not new, it's nonetheless a real advantage for office work. Finally, while the monitor isn't VESA compatible, LG supplies a suitable wall bracket.
