Paulblow's Full Review: Acer X223WBD 22 inch Monitor
I've got two of these Acer x223w LCD 22-inch monitors now -- one at home on my PC and one at my job on a Macintosh G5 where I do graphic arts and page layout work. My former monitors were 19-inch CRT monitors which worked great for graphic arts work, but with today's graphic arts programs (mainly Photoshop and Adobe Indesign) with all their pallettes cluttering up the screen, I needed a nice 22-inch monitor so I could put all the pallettes on the right side of the screen out of the way. I had the chance to use a 24-inch wide Acer LCD monitor at my job, which actually was a bit too big for my needs, but using that monitor convinced me to purchase an LCD monitor for my home computer. I decided that what I needed was a 22 inch LCD monitor with good enough contrast ratio for graphic arts work that cost under $200. After comparing many models on the web, I decided on the Acer x223w and purchased one online for $180. The Acer seemed to fit my needs: 22-inches wide, good contrast ratio (advertised at 2500:1), had scores of good online reviews, and was under $200. After using the Acer x223w at home for several months (and after losing access to the 24-inch LCD monitor at my job) I convinced my employers to purchase a new 22-inch monitor for my work station and they also purchased this same model.
For graphic arts work you need an LCD monitor that displays colors correctly and smoothly. A problem with many cheaper or older LCD monitors with lower contrast is that they are too bright, even after calibrating, and low percentage tints of color (for example, a 3% tint of black, cyan, magenta, or cyan) are not viewable on the screen, making it difficult to do color correcting work on images in Photoshop or other comparable programs. That was my major beef with an older LCD monitor we had at my job -- I could not see low percentage tints on the xcreen and zoomed in on images the pixels appeared very grainy -- but the Acer x223w displays colors very well and smooth, and low percentage tints of color are viewable on the screen (after calibrating it) just as they are on CRT monitors, but much easier on the eyes than a CRT monitor and more room with the larger size.
The default settings that come with this monitor for setting the brightness and contrast may be good enough for the average user doing strictly gaming or surfing the web, but for graphic arts work calibrating the monitor is crucial. The default settings in the menu button has four presets: text, graphics, standard, and movie -- but all four are still far too bright for professional graphic arts work. The thing to do is to use the Adobe Gamma program that comes on Windows computers or the Display Calibrator Assistant that comes on Macintosh machines,follow the simple directions to calibrate the monitor, and then save your own "user" preset in the Acer monitor menu. Once done, this monitor works great for graphic arts, video editing, gaming, etc., etc.
I've had my Acer x223w LCD monitors now for over six months and have been very happy with them. The monitors make no noise, have no dead pixels, and I have had no problems with them. My only small complaint is that with the stand that comes with this monitor it is not possible to adjust the height of the monitor, although it does tilt. I've had to place books under the stands to get the height where I want it, but again, this is just a small complaint.
If you are looking for an inexpensive quality LCD monitor for graphic arts work, I would recommend the Acer x223w, you will not be dissapointed.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 180 Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
Maximum Resolution: 1680 x 1050Recommended Resolution: 1680 x 1050Viewing Angle: 170°(H) / 160°(V)Pixel Pitch: 0.282mmDisplay Colors: 16.7 MillionBr...More at Newegg.com
The smart and stylish Acer® X223Wbd gives you a large 22” viewing area and digital interface for entertainment enjoyment and work effeciency.More at TigerDirect.com
The smart and stylish Acer® X223Wbd gives you a large 22” viewing area and digital interface for entertainment enjoyment and work effeciency.More at CircuitCity.com
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