I pity you if you are forced to use this monitor daily as I have to. I do not recommend this monitor.

Background

When I started a new job I got this monitor along with a desktop system assigned to me. Granted, the monitor wasn’t as big as my 19" trinitron at home, but I figured that it wasn’t a big deal. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Screen Size

This isn't a very big screen. Because I use my monitor as just a terminal to reach the Internet and check email, this isn't a big deal. Thank goodness I have a UNIX machine with a nice 20" trinitron to do my real work on.

Screen Curvature

This shouldn't be an issue, but it is. With all the manufacturers out there making flatter screens every day, the curved screen on this monitor just shows that it isn't the highest quality. You can’t do reliable drafting or photo editing on a curved screen because straight lines will appear curved and so on.

Monitor Warm Up

This is totally inexcusable. When you first turn on the monitor, the picture sits in the middle of the screen. However, as the monitor warms up, the picture slowly expands to fill the screen and then to bleed off of the sides of the screen. This means that if you want to have your picture properly fill the screen, you must constantly adjust the screen size. In all of my years of computer use, this has not been necessary. This is the main reason that I am thoroughly disappointed with this monitor.

On Screen Controls

This monitor has on screen controls. Unfortunately IBM tried to be cheap and only put four buttons on the front (yes, no, left, and right). The on screen menu for controlling the monitor functions (geometry, etc.) is not very intuitive and takes some getting used to. This would be okay if I only had to adjust the geometry once, but because of the flaws mentioned in monitor warm up I am forced to constantly use the on screen display. This is not a user friendly menu design.

Color

The color is adequate, perhaps a little dim if you work in an environment with a lot of light.

Exterior

This monitor takes up about the same amount of desk width as a typical 17" monitor, but it is deeper than a typical monitor. The styling isn't very exciting or elegant, it is typical IBM stuff. The corduroy on the outside looks okay but becomes a real pain when you realize that you can’t clean in those little gaps and gunk and dust start to build up.

Overall

I do not recommend this monitor. In fact, because of this experience, I would be hesitant to ever buy IBM products for myself. In any case, steer clear of the G74.



Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): company
Operating System: Windows