Listen Guys, Sometimes Size DOES Matter...
Written: Apr 17 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of real estate for page layout or web browsing
Cons: Takes up a lot of desk space
The Bottom Line: This has been a good solid, reliable monitor with good clarity and lots of usable space.
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Samsung SyncMaster 1000 P CRT Monitor |
How big is the monitor on your computer? According to industry analysts, most home computers have 14 or 15 inch monitors on them while the average office worker uses a 17 inch monitor. The boss might get a 19 inch monitor. People who do detail intensive work, like page layout and graphic design almost always use 21 inch or better monitors. The reason is simple: bigger monitors are better -- you can see more and you can see better.
I've been using a 21 inch Samsung SyncMaster 1000p as my daily workhorse monitor for almost 2 years now. It's currently attached to an HP Vectra running Windows NT 4.0. I appreciate the SynMaster's brilliant clarity, durability, and of course, the benefits that go along with any 21 inch monitor -- like the ability to do full-page layout, to use fine screen resolutions, and to be able to view large web pages without having to scroll.
Setup:
Setting up a monitor is usually a snap. It sure is with the SyncMaster. It comes with a 15-pin cable that connects to any PC, plus it includes a cable adapter to hook the monitor up to a Macintosh. That's a smart move on Samsung's part since big 21-inch monitors appeal to professional graphics people -- most of whom prefer Macs.
The hardware controls are managed by three buttons on the front of the monitor. There's a little "Menu" button that you press to activate the controls and an "Exit" button next to it for when you're done, then there's one big button with arrow keys that you use for changing all the settings. The things that you can set directly from the hardware controls include brightness, contrast, color settings, geometry settings (size, parallelogram, rotation, trapezoid, etc.), color controls, degauss, menu settings (language, position, duration, etc.) and more.
Additional software is provided on an accompanying CD-ROM. The monitor also came with another CD-ROM for something called the Colorific color matching system. I've never loaded this CD and have no idea whether its any good or not (there is a URL on the CD: www.colorific.com).
Durability:
I don't abuse my equipment, but I do use it -- heavily. This monitor is on my primary workstation in my office. It's on at least 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. During that time, I've had zero problems with it and I notice no display flaws. It is backed by a 3-year factory warranty.
I am very happy with the fit and quality of all the components -- it seems like a very solid monitor. Which brings me to the one con of having a big monitor -- you'll need a big desk to put it on. It weighs 75 pounds and is roughly 2 feet square (you want exact, I'll give you exact, it's 20x21.7x19.9 inches).
Technical Specs:
Size: 21 inches (53cm) with 19.7 inches viewable (50cm)
Max Resolution: 1600x1200 at 80 Hz
Dot pitch: 0.25
Screen treatment: anti-reflection with anti-electrostatic
Synchronization: 30-107 kHz (horizontal), 50-160 Hz (vertical)
Max Power Consumption: 170 watts
Documentation:
I love getting products that have good documentation, and conversely, I will always drop a minimum of a star rating from products that are badly documented. The SyncMaster 1000p loses no stars -- its got a good solid owners guide that clearly explains how to connect the manual, how to use the controls, and that provides clear tables listing relevant technical specs (which you might not care about if you're a casual home user, but that computer professionals often need when troubleshooting or hooking up peripherals to boxes running different operating systems.
Samsung gets extra credit on the documentation for providing complete instructions in French, Spanish, German, and Portugese.
I like the crisp, clear illustrations. They're clearly labeled, they reflect reality, and they've got callouts to specific instructions in the text. Even their screen snapshots are well focused with good contrast.
Good Bang for the Buck
These monitors are not cheap -- they run more than $1,000. But if you're doing any kind of design-intensive work, they're a necessity not a luxury. It's also a pretty darn nice luxury if you're the kind of person who buys top-of-the-line everything. Imagine surfing the web with 20 inches of glorious space for your wonderful epinions....ahhh!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1200
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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