chippringle's Full Review: ViewSonic VP930 19 inch LCD Monitor
(revised 2006/09/27 - see below)
I did a great deal of investigation about monitors prior to securing this purchase, and concluded the Viewsonic VP930b offers the most sensible combination of utility and cost. I had purchased a VP730b a few months earlier, and was entirely happy with that transaction. When I went shopping for another monitor, I found the VP930b for less than what I had paid for it's smaller sibling, so I went with this instead.
The colors are pretty, the images sharp, the screen is shiny, the base is functional and solid, the response time is quick, and the contrast is very good. The monitor can be beheld from a very conspicuous watching angle -- 140 degrees, which is wonderful. It accepts both DVI and Analog signals. It shipped with no dead pixels approximately 3 months ago, and I have been enjoying it since then.
I wish it provided 1600 x 1200 resolution, but for that you have to spend a lot additional for a monitor at minimum 20" in size. I couldn't afford it. In lieu, the VP930b provides 1280 x 1024 resolution, which is sufficient for the majority of folks as long as your needs do not need a great deal of screen space. I think 2 would work great in a dual monitor configuration.
A fact everyone buying a monitor ought to be aware of: There is a LARGE discrepancy between monitors that can display 16.2 million colors (also often stated as "more than 16 million colors") and those that are able to display 16.7 million colors. It does not seem it should matter much, but it does. The 16.2 million color monitors arrive at that color depth only by dithering. The 16.7 million color monitors possess the ability to display this number of colors without dithering.
Color depth is one big explanation why certain monitors look superior to others. Macs are sold with 16.7 million color monitors these days. Folks who are unaware of the distinction between 16.2 million color monitors and 16.7 million color monitors, or who do not take note of the discrepancy in the specification, frequently make the error of purchasing a less expensive 16.2 million color monitor only to consider why other monitors look nicer.
Viewsonic is a great company, and this is a great monitor. Other monitors are sold for less, but I have never seen a cheaper monitor that offers this level of quality.
(addition 2006/09/27)
Due to strict interpretations of the epinions guidelines, the above is the result of having been told to change the wording of this review to make it sufficiently different from my review of the 17" version of this identical monitor, which I also own. You can see the other review here:
It's kind of a silly requirement, isn't it? The two reviews are mostly technical specs and terminology for which no good synonyms exist. I think facts are facts, and if there is a good way of stating them in one review, and I stated them all there, and the facts are the same for another review, it makes sense to simply repeat the facts; if the same words apply to both reviews, let them. How many ways are there to say "resolution", "contrast", or "response time"? It serves no good purpose to get creative with the vocabulary. Somehow saying the screen is "shiny" doesn't get the same point across as saying the screen is "bright". What's the difference between "BIG difference" and "LARGE discrepancy" anyway? The difference is it was better stated as originally written.
Not all rules make sense, all the time. :)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 285.99 Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
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