Gateway EV700 17" Conventional Monitor: When The Basics Are All You Need
Written: Jul 06 '03 (Updated Nov 06 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: hasn't needed to be replaced
Cons: attracts dust
The Bottom Line: I'd definitely recommend this to someone looking for an inexpensive used monitor.
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| jdhauer's Full Review: Gateway EV 700 17 inch CRT Monitor |
I have a year old Dell computer. It's cute. It's grey. It sits under my desk and I could swear it smiles at me. It's a good thing that it can't see what's sitting on top of the desk.
And what's on top of the desk? A Gateway EV700 monitor, circa 1997. It's that usual off-white/cream default monitor color. It doesn't match the cute little Dell one whit.
But you know something? They're happy together, making the drab old monitor a winner (as is my pocketbook).
The story behind this monitor is that it came packaged with a Gateway computer that my husband bought right after we became engaged to one another. He used the monitor (and computer) for about 3 years before he needed a newer, faster, flashier computer in order to play games. I inherited the Gateway to replace an old Hewlett-Packard 386SX that was running DOS.
Unfortunately, the Gateway computer wasn't made of the same quality stuff as the monitor with which it was paired. First the CD-ROM broke, keeping me from adding software. Then the modem started acting funny. The final indignity was when the hard drive started crashing. While the HP still kept chugging along, the Gateway was toast.
We ordered the Dell a year ago but the Gateway monitor still seemed to be in good shape so I decided to keep it and save some money.
This is a 17" standard CRT monitor and it does take up a good amount of desk space. I have the base pushed as far back as possible on my desk and it still takes up over a foot of desk space. It hangs off the side of the desk by about 8 inches.
When it was in a box, with a little maneuvering, it fit in a 2 door 1993 Nissan Sentra in the front passenger seat as long as the seat was laid back and pushed back as far as possible. Without a box, it took up half of the back seat. I haven't transported the computer in any other vehicle.
It's not lightweight. It weighs probably about 30 pounds. I haven't bothered to take it off the desk and weigh it so I'm approximating. I'm assuming the specifications for the monitor would give me this information but when I went through all of my manuals for the Gateway computer, I found manuals for the computer, the SCSI card, the hard drive, the modem, the keyboard, everything BUT the monitor.
Speaking of the lack of a manual, I'd like to note that the monitor merely has "Gateway 2000" and "CrystalScan" imprinted on the front. There used to be a sticker stating that the monitor is Energy Star compliant on the front but it was promptly peeled off. Unfortunately, it left a residue behind. We've been too lazy to get some Windex or something to take care of the goo.
The screen looks pretty nice with no color fading after six years of use. The text could be considered a little fuzzy by perfectionists but I'm not fussy and haven't had any trouble deciphering anything. There are no dead pixels on the screen. I've been using the monitor with the following settings: 1024 x 768 pixels, 32 bit color, Normal size DPI and a 75 Hertz refresh rate.
The one control is very simple to operate. The knob dial for brightness/contrast is located on the front of the monitor, behind a small door.
Be aware that there are no other on-screen controls for this monitor - you cannot adjust the viewing area, either horizontally or vertically nor can you degauss. The only adjustments I've been able to make are using the Control Panel through Windows.
In conclusion, if you're in need of an inexpensive used monitor, the Gateway EV700 could possibly fit your needs well. I'd certainly purchase another one if I needed an extra monitor.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): no idea
Operating System: Windows
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