HONEY IT'S SO BIG: BENQ VALUE V991 19" CRT CONVENTIONAL MONITOR
Written: Apr 25 '05 (Updated May 05 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It really is big.
Cons: Too big for my desk.
The Bottom Line: I was wrong, size does make a difference.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: BenQ Value V991 19 in. CRT Conventional Monitor |
A little over a year ago I was forced to replace my computer. Basically it had become the victim of a virus and was beyond salvaging. Fortunately I had a friend, yes I have those, who’s both an IT type and who was able build me a new one to my specific needs and wants rather than shop around for something that more or less would do what I wanted. An added bonus was more than a few bucks saved in the bargain. He refused payment for his time and I promised to get him drunk and laid. I’m a man of my word or at least 50% in this case.
As long as we were at the store loading up on assorted colourful boxes that would soon grace my dining room table and eventually become a functioning PC, I opted for a new keyboard and mouse too. I'd already
opted for a new scanner a few months previously, although unknown to me at the time I was due to upgrade again shortly. (http://www.epinions.com/content_138167488132) This added two more pretty coloured boxes to the pile and a little more to my monthly VISA bill.
That left only two items from the original computer package I'd bought way back in 1999 still functioning, the printer the monitor. As both were still working fine I saw no need to replace either at the time, besides even though I was getting a deal in this custom built PC, my VISA was still taking a fair hit. The printer incidentally shows no sign of slowing down, and will probably outlast all the newest "replacements." (http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-7323-9FC037C-3944707E-prod2)
Sure enough a couple of weeks after I'd replaced the CPU and then the scanner I began to notice some problems with the monitor. The image was starting to waver and while I'm far from an expert in computers, I know when TV starts to do that it's time to check out those flyers in the weekend paper for what’s on sale.
Soon after one day after work I decided to check out "silicon alley" the techy nickname given to a section of Downtown Toronto near College and Spadina so called because of it's abundance of discount computer stores. This was the area my IT friend had so recently introduced myself to in our search for lots and lots of pretty coloured boxes, and incidentally a large number of young men who I presume live in their parent’s basements, know way too much about certain sci fi shows and have a somewhat casual attitide towards personal hygiene, but that’s just a personal observation.
Prior to going I'd called him and given him the bad news about the monitor. He had in turn confirmed that it was past it's prime and ready fore the recycle bin. Basically the only advice he could offer was to let my wallet guide me in regards to what I wanted/bought.
Now as flat screen monitors were all the rage, I immediately began looking at them. One look at the price tags with all the zeros on the wrong side of the decimal point had me looking elsewhere. The neat thing though about our consumer oriented society is that once something is "in" everything else is automatically "out" no matter if it still works or not. All the older style monitors were marked down in price, some even
coming close to what I could afford.
Fortunately prior to running down to silicon alley I'd done a bit of research. No I hadn't come onto this web site and read reviews and specs on various monitors, lets be realistic. I had however discovered the
magic words "factory refurbished." And more importantly what they meant. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to those items, including computer monitors that have been purchased and for whatever reason returned by your fellow consumer.
Now there are many reasons why someone would return a product, it not working being the most obvious. In that case I wouldn't be touching it with the proverbial 3.2 metre (sorry I use metric) pole. There are though other reasons something could be returned, wrong size, colour or just incompatible. There's also that old standby that your significant other found out just how much your latest toy actually cost and made you
take it back.
Such items cannot legally be sold as "new" anymore. They are returned to the manufacturer, checked over, repackaged and then sent out for sale once more as "refurbished" and usually for a discount, seeing as how they're technically not "new" anymore. The operative words there, aside from discount, are checked out again. Unlike the new product, which has been checked out once to ensure it actually works, or at least will until the warranty expires, these puppies have been checked twice. Now even a Luddite like me knows two is better than one especially when it comes to checking to ensure the damn thing really works.
The downside with refurbished products is that they will usually come with a much-reduced warranty, thirty to ninety days as opposed to the 1-year for the same thing new. Then again in some discount places the warranty period might be as long as it takes you to get it from the sales counter to the parking lot, which with most computer equipment also appears to be the same length of time before it becomes obsolete.
Now it just so happened that there before me was a pile of BenQ Value V991 19 in. CRT Conventional Monitors all marked refurbished and subsequently discounted. Adding in the excessive sales tax this 19"
monitor was going to set me back less that a $90.00 Canadian. As the retail sales price lists at $150.00 US that sounded like a deal. The Canadian Dollar was hovering at about 70 cents US then, so you do the math.
Now to be honest I hadn't planned on getting such a large monitor. The one it was replacing was a mere 14" and up until then it had seemed big enough. Then again there wasn't anything small new or used in the shop
in my price range so why not. Sure I know size doesn't matter, but then again maybe that's not true in regards to PCs, I'll have to check with my IT buddy.
Now to be honest the hardest part of setting up the new monitor was dragging the almost 50 lbs (whoops sorry that should have been in metric) of assorted monitor, box and packaging back to my apartment. Once there it was a simple matter to remove it from the box, toss the instructions away and begin. I' already unhooked the old monitor and it was laying on the floor. Doing my imitation of a East German weightlifter I heaved and jerked this monolith into place and hooked it up.
Windows 2000 immediately recognized the new monitor and it only took a few minutes of jiggling with the colour, tint, and contrast controls at the bottom of the monitor to get them where I wanted.
Later the old one went down to the garbage room for recycling. It wasn't there long by the way, and for all I know some neighbours kid has already used it for parts for some death ray or cappuccino maker.
There were two things I immediately noticed about this new monitor. First of course was the size. Like I said my previous one was 14" and the difference was readily apparent. Who'd have thought those five inches could made such a difference (get your minds out of the gutter you know what I mean).
The second thing I noticed was the colours and overall picture quality. Now again I realize that my old monitor was both cheap and at the end of its rope, and that there had been some advances in the preceding five years, but the differences in quality was almost too much to handle. The wife did wonder why I was wearing my sunglasses while surfing, but she's become used to my eccentricities by now.
Now I mostly use my computer for work (writing) and surfing. Occasionally though I do unwind with one of the three PC games I own. The differences in size and colour/picture quality when playing a game
were more evident than when just surfing a web site.
The other are of improvement I notes was in watching movies or video clips. I prefer not to watch a DVD on the PC, that's what I have a side screen TV and comfy couch in the living room for. However there all those sometimes amusing little video clips, usually commercials that it seems everyone who has your email address insists on forwarding to you. It’s a good thing I don’t check out porn, I don’t think my brain could handle the sensory overload.
About the only drawback I can find with this "new" monitor after almost a year now is the size. As I said it's big and it replaced a much smaller one. When I originally bought my PC naturally I bough a desk to go with it. While after a week of watching it sit on the floor in my dining room that is.
That desk was more than enough to hold, CPU, monitor, printer, scanner and have plenty of work space for other junk to build up on. Now I've had to relocate the CPU to the floor, and both the scanner and
printer to small table to the side. As it is the monitor still overwhelms the desk. That's easily solved though; I'm shopping around for a bigger desk. I wonder if IKEA is familiar with the term “factory refurbished?”
Now for those of you techno types that have yet to master the old point and click routine, here’s the cut and pasted boring details from the manufacturers web page:
Manufacturer Part Number V991
UPC 0750519056974 • 750519056974
More Information:
The BenQ V991 is a 19" flat-screen CRT offering a large viewing area of 18"/47.5 cm. Its high refresh rate produces flicker-free images that make it easy on the eyes. The diagonal dot pitch is set at an ultra-fine 0.25 mm, making this CRT perfect for use in highly demanding situations. It also has an iScreen OSD control, allowing instant adjustment to the most suitable settings. The BenQV991 does not offer a continental breakfast, nor does it come with a supply of fluffy bathroom towels. However one can look at pretty pictures of either of these and/or read reviews of the later if one has hooked it up to both a computer and the Internet.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): -90.00 Cdn
Operating System: Windows
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JAMES23
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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