Buying a new 21"

[littleberry]

Does anyone know if there is a place near Dallas/Ft Worth
where they have any of the top 21" monitors on dispaly?

The best one I have found is the Sony E540 at Fry's,
and it is pricey ($599) plus it doesn't look all that great.

I was thinking about the Sony G520 or the DiamondPro 2060U,
but, I would also like to see one of the better shadowmask
models if I could locate one on display somewhere.

I purchased an off-brand 21" last December (Magic),
and it went dark after 31 days - just like it had
a timer inside set to go bad one day after the 30
warranty (???)

I am hesitant to buy such an expensive item sight
unseen - driving a distance to see one before making
the purchase is probably a good idea - any suggestions?

Littleberry

 

[Teq]

Hi LittleBury,

First, are you sure that monitor only had a 30 day warranty? I've never seen one with less than a year but many stores do have a 30 day refund policy...
Do you have the warranty card that came with it?
Have you called the company you got it from and made inquiries?
Have you called the manufacturer and discussed it with them?

Second, Pick up your phone and make some calls to computer stores. Find one that has what you want in stock and arrange an "audition" with them. Most will unpack a product for customer approval without much argument...

 

[bobmitch]

If you live in DFW...try IMS Computers. Go to www.ims.com They have a large selection of Viewsonic, Hitachi and more. I have dealt with them over the years and they are very reputable. I purchased a monitor once, that I was totally dissatisfied with. They took it back, no questions (within the first 30 days). If there is something you want to see...they have multiple locations and can have it within your grasp in a day or so.

Bob

 

[alltaken]

consider a philips 201p screen (i think that would be the model number)

they are a good company at reasonable prices!!

 

[littleberry]

Thanks, Bob, I found the website is actually
www.imscomp.com
and they have both the Viewsonic and Hitachi 21"
monitors. They have three locations in Dallas so
I can go see for myself how the look - thanks.

Littleberry

 

[littleberry]

Question for ALLTAKEN about your Philips 201p -

Do you run at 1280X1024 or 1600X1200? How does
the black text on white (such as notepad) look
at the higher resolutions and near the edges
of the screen?
PCnation has this for about $405 - I think it is
shadow mask and not totally flat but with only
a small curvature - can you elaborate? WHat is
your overall satisfaction? What about service?
This might be a real savings if it has held up
good for you.

Thanks,

Littleberry

 

[littleberry]

(original poster)

Yesterday I purchased a NEC FE2111B from Fry's for
$599. They had just gotten in these models and I
took some time at the store looking it over first.
I don't notice those two horizontal lines - I can't see
them at all. This seems like a really good monitor,
but I am running at 1024X768 mostly because I just don't
like small print. For now, I am ready to recommend
this model (still, I took out a 2 year Fry warranty for
$49, just to be on the save side).
By the way, I also looked at a new offer at Sam's,
the Sceptre 19" LCD (X9S-NAGA), which they are selling
at $628 - seems like a really good price to me.
I decided against it because of the noticable flicker
when scrolling.

Littleberry

 

[Teq]

NEC's CRT monitors are about as good as it gets.

Sounds like you did the smart thing and made an informed choice. Previewing a monitor is always wise, as I suggested.

FWIW.. You will also like dealing with their customer support. They really do take the time to keep you happy. Heck, they've even read out voltage test points to me over the phone!

ENJOY!



<b>(</b>It ain't better if it don't work.<b>)</b>