There's quite a price difference between a 17in and 19in TFT, although both run at a native resolution of 1,280 x 1,024. In our opinion it means that 19in is more difficult to justify and 17in is the sweet spot.

However, move up a notch to a 20in, such as Viewsonic's VP201 and you're in a different world. Admittedly, it's quite expensive, but you get a native resolution of 1,600 x 1,200, which is comparable to any CRT on the market. It's also available in black and silver, denoted by a b or s suffix to the model name.

The additional cost isn't just going towards a better panel, though. The rear of the screen houses both analogue and DVI-I inputs. It's good to see the digital input, as it gives the best image quality and there's no need to autotune the display.

The stand on this particular monitor has also had a lot of work put into it. As well as swivel, it has tilt, height adjustments and a pivot. The latter feature is perfect for anyone who spends a lot of time working with office documents.

As this monitor forms part of Viewsonic's professional range, the quality of the screen is top notch. As well as a 400:1 contrast ration it has 16ms response time, which is perfect for fast-moving images such as games or movies.

The 176 deg viewing angle (horizontal and vertical) is excellent, making it easy to see a clear picture from anywhere around the monitor. In general the picture was very good with very little variance in brightness across the image, as sometimes happens with cheaper monitors.

The price will probably put this out of the reach of many people, but, considering its quality, it's worth picking up if you want the high resolution that 20in panels bring.

Contact: Viewsonic 01293 643 900
www.viewsoniceurope.com

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