“There are numerous LCD monitors priced above $1,000. We
took a look at the Samsung SyncMaster 170MP, which possesses most
conventional monitor features and is compatible with Linux
desktops. The product also has one great feature for power
users: it acts as a television.”
“The SyncMaster 170MP and the smaller 150MP are active-matrix
LCD monitors with analog video connections. The 170MP measures 17
inches diagonally, but is larger than a cathode ray tube (CRT)
monitor marketed as 17 inches. Because of the curvature of their
screens, almost all tube monitors use less space than the diagonal
measurement indicates. Thus, a 17-inch monitor actually gives the
user a little over 16 inches of actual video image. Even the
flat-screen Sony Trinitron and similar products have some blank
space at their edges, where there are no pixels. With an LCD
monitor, 17 inches means 17 inches, so it tends to look more like
an 18- or 19-inch monitor….”
“Through no fault of its own, the 170MP exposes some limitations
of Linux’s font technology. Although the SyncMaster is cheaper than
similar models by $1000 or more, LCD technology must still become
more reliable and less costly before we all sport LCDs on our
tabletops and the old CRT becomes a dinosaur.”