They Aced This One -- Acer 19" LCD Wide Screen Monitor
Written: Jul 08 '06 (Updated Jul 08 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: wide screen display is easy on the eyes, simple to install, CD contains operation manuals
Cons: installation of the Acer driver was a bit of work
The Bottom Line: A terrific monitor that is used by three people with different computing needs.
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Acer AL1916W Black 19in Wide Screen LCD Monitor |
One great benefit of spending time at my brother’s house is that he has all kinds of neat computer toys. It’s a wonderful try-it-before-you-buy-it situation. Then again, sometimes it’s just plain fun to see what he’s purchased and to play with it! I am currently sitting at my brother’s kitchen computer, watching my words appear on his Acer 19” LCD Wide Screen Monitor (Model # AL1916W). I had the pleasure of helping setup this monitor and now have the continued joy of using it when I visit.
Description
The black monitor came well packaged with custom formed foam-plastic pieces along each side of the monitor for protection. A clear plastic sheet covered the screen. Inside the carton was a smaller box that held the black monitor stand, a CD, a standard VGA cord, a power cord, a limited warranty, and Quick Start Manual. (A User’s Manual and the Quick Start Guide are on the CD along with Adobe Acrobat reader V.5.)
This is an analog monitor with a native resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels. The visible screen size screen measures 16” wide x 10” high. It has an 8ms refresh rate. The monitor also has anti-reflective coating.
Note that the instruction manual has a diagram of this monitor that shows a DVI port, and the manual states there is a DVI signal cable that is optional. Yet there is no DVI connector on the back of this monitor. There is only a VGA port on the back of the monitor. Checking the cover of the Quick Start Guide, it specifically says the instructions are for the AL 1916W model.
Installation
The setup of this monitor only took a few minutes. It was easy to pull the monitor from the packaging and to snap the base onto the monitor. Then plug the VGA cord and power cords into position. Next comes the installation of the drivers, which was more complicated.
Drivers
The manual states that this monitor does not need special drivers. The computer we are using has Windows XP Pro, and the manual says that Windows XP will recognize the monitor and install the correct drivers. However, there was a problem with this setup.
Windows automatically installed the Plug-and-Play Windows driver. Therefore, XP did not recognize this Acer monitor and install the correct driver. This was apparent when trying to select a different resolution. Even the auto configuration for sizing the screen to the monitor did not work. Since the auto configuration did not automatically start, we had to do it manually. There is a button on the front of the monitor that was pressed to start the auto configuration feature, but if one didn’t read the literature, they would not know this button existed.
(For those not computer savvy ... to see which driver is installed for the monitor, open the Control Panel and then System Properties. Then click the Hardware tab and select the Device Manager. Look down the list to find the word “Monitor”. Click on the plus-sign next to the word monitor to expand the listing. If the Windows Plug-and-Play driver is in use, you will see the word Plug-in-Play. If the Acer driver is being used, you will see the wording: Acer AL 1916W.)
Not happy with the Windows Plug-and-Play driver, we visited the Acer website. A driver search found a driver for the AL 1916 model. This Acer monitor is an AL 1916W. You have to click on the AL 1916 version, and a page opens with the choice of downloading the driver for the AL 1916W version as a zip file.
Once the driver is saved, it is easy to install. Don’t use the auto detect method of installing it, though. Windows doesn’t recognize it. Instead you have to go into the Windows Device Manager and Hardware properties to configure the driver for the monitor. On the options, you want to make sure you select, “Don’t Search. I will choose the driver to install.” Then you can point the browser to the driver folder where the driver .inf file is stored. Windows will flash a warning screen that says the driver is not a Windows approved driver. We ignored this. Click “Continue Anyway” to install the Acer driver.
After the driver is installed, go to the Control Panel and Display window. Choose the monitor resolution you wish (we opted for the 1440 x 900). Then the computer will automatically launch the auto configure screen to fit the displayed resolution to the screen size. If you don’t have the native resolution of 1440 x 900, the monitor will stretch the screen to fit … and this results in distorted images.
Our Experiences
We really like this monitor. Three people use it ... my brother, sister-in-law, and me. My brother does a lot of networking between the various computers in the house and often has multiple programs operating at once. He also occasionally pops a DVD into the machine to watch a movie while working. My sister-in-law surfs the web, creates her own greeting cards, and visits many cooking websites to collect recipes. I use this computer to write in MS Word and surf the internet to do research. I’ve been known to watch a movie on the computer if the children have claimed the DVD player. The widescreen monitor allows me to have multiple items open in the taskbar (my writing files plus various internet sites). Plus, there is plenty of room to display the many windows I tend to keep open. The wide width comes in handy! I haven’t noticed any glare, either, and this monitor is located next to several windows.
The colors are excellent, very clear and the tones are accurate. The monitor offers a bright screen, too. Viewing family photos, the flesh tones of the people are lifelike. The green grass looks like a well-manicured lawn. I can even see great detail such as water beads on the faces of those in the pool. My brother and I were looking at photos he had taken at a fireworks event. I couldn’t believe the vivid colors and detail in the images. Of course, some of it had to do with the digital camera that took the photographs, but the monitor did not show any grainy textures or pixelization. Watching DVDs, the action is smooth. I didn’t notice any slowness or jerky movements in movie action. Since I do a lot of writing and internet surfing for research, I’m pleased the text displayed on the monitor is crisp and easy to read.
This computer is located on a compact computer table. It’s great that the monitor stand has a small footprint. The monitor easily fits on the left side of the table while a Canon Pixma printer sits on the right of the table. A bit of the monitor screen overhangs the edge of the table, but it’s not a problem since it is not in an area where someone will bump it.
Silver rectangular buttons are located beneath the monitor screen. The buttons control the typical features that are universal to monitors. The buttons are slightly raised for easy pressing. While the buttons are identified by embossed print, I wish the buttons were marked with printed labels. The embossed print is impossible to see against the black plastic. Even when the monitor is shifted to better focus light on the embossed wording and symbols, I still can barely make out what they say. Page two of the Quick Start Guide features a diagram with pictures and an explanation of what each button does.
A good feature is that the on/off button is larger than the other silver buttons. It also has a green LED light that signals the monitor is turned on. In bright daylight, the green light is faint but visible.
Purchasing
This monitor was bought on special at Tiger Direct for $184.99.
Summary
The Acer 19” LCD Wide Screen Monitor is a great monitor. We are very satisfied. Not only does the monitor look streamlined with its black border and wide screen, but the images are terrific. Working on this monitor when I visit my brother makes my computing much easier on the eyes!
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Specifications
Display: 19" color active matrix LCD (TFT)
Resolution: 1440 x 900 native
Pixel Pitch: 0.294 mm
Contrast Ratio: 500:1
Brightness (typical): 300 cd/m2
Viewing Angle (H/V): 140/140
Video Inputs: Analog RGB (15 pin HD D-sub)
Power Consumption: Operational 55 watt / Standby 5 watt
Dimensions: 17" x 16 1/2" x 7"
Weight: 12 pounds
Platforms: PC & Mac compatible
Warranty: 3-year limited warranty includes parts, labor and backlight
Please read my other reviews:
Toshiba Satellite Notebook Computer with 15.4" diagonal widescreen
Antec Notebook Cooler – to prolong computer life
Logitech V200 Cordless Notebook Mouse
Logitech MouseMan Dual Optical Mouse
Logitech S510 Cordless Keyboard and Mouse
Belkin UPS Emergency Battery Backup – F6C-750AVR
Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Control
Canon PowerShot A400 Digital Camera
Concord Eye-Q Digital Camera
Staples.com Online Store
BestBuy.com Online Store
Buy.com (online store)
Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 184.99
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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