Flat and Sharp Plays the Tune
Written: Sep 30 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sharp, clear, easy to use controls
Cons: Moire difficult to eradicate
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| kokomo36's Full Review: Cornerstone Professional P1401 CRT Monitor |
The old IBM 14" had seen better days and thankfully it was just a loaner for I was about ready to boot it and I do not mean start the computer. My computer guru gave it to me to use until I could find a big monitor and after much searching, one was found. I am looking at a 19" Cornerstone Flat Tube p1450 as I write this and I sure hope you will see how nice this post looks when you read it. (No reviews have been done on this model so it may appear under p1401.)
After searching for several weeks I had narrowed the selections to four brands, but was not particularly satisfied with them after seeing the units on active display in a store. It was back to the drawing board. One evening I read a review on another monitor that really caught my attention, so I decided that I would plunge in and get wet. Just as I approached the end of the diving board prepared to order, I spied an article in PC World about Cornerstone Monitors and then found Monitors Direct on the web. I began looking for the opportunity to make the big dive and really explored the web site (and I do mean really explored). Having more questions than a quiz bowl contest, I found a most helpful man, Jim Witkowski, Cornerstone Chief Hardware Engineer, who patiently answered all the many E-Mail questions that deluged him from my machine. I decided that anyone who identified themselves by name and had their picture on the web, had to be either crazy or honest. I chose honest because with his ID known he would be easy to find if he were not.
I asked him why I should buy his product and he said he thought I would be happy with it due to its many features. This man is a mind reader since I am very happy with the monitor.
Why did I buy a the Cornerstone p1450? It uses the Ergo Flat Hitachi 19" tube as does the Hitachi CM771 and I wanted a flat screen. It has a five year warranty and good tech support. Jim went the last mile with me and most impressively, he answered my first E-Mail on Sunday afternoon when I did not expect an answer until Monday. (One company has yet to send an answer to a question that was sent the same day.) The sales representative answered all the questions that I had concerning the on-line ordering process and the ordering went smoothly. The order was placed on Friday afternoon, Sept. 8, and the monitor arrived the following Friday.
The image is sharp and clear with good color saturation. The text is black and well defined. The 1280X1024 resolution at 85 Hz is rock solid and flicker free. The on screen adjustment menu is simple and easy to use when needed. Mostly, set it and forget it through boot after boot. The one negative is the horizontal moire which is stubborn and does not want to disappear. It takes some judicious fiddling with the controls to make the moire behave. It appears near the right and left sides but to me, it is not objectionable since it is minimal and does not appear in the major viewing area.
The software offered through a download is easy to use. It allows on the fly change of color and resolution through an icon bar (position customizable) that hides at the edge of the screen. Caress the edge of the screen with the pointer and the icon bar appears. Click on an icon and then click on a menu choice and it is done faster than a speeding bullet. I haven't had time to figure out the Screen Pro Organizer so cannot comment on it.
I could have gotten a competitive brand for the same price, shipped free. But the 5 year warranty compared to a three, the before sale attention by Jim and the sales representative, and the good ratings by PC World on the other Cornerstone models, tipped the diving board and I jumped.
Would I buy another p1450? The answer is yes, as soon as I recover from my wife's recent trip to the dentist. I have a 7 year old 15" AOC that is getting blurry and soon the next anchor on my desk will be another Cornerstone. Give your eyes a treat instead of a treatment. The price and quality are easy on the wallet and balm for weary peepers.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kokomo36
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Member: Donald Clem
Location: Fairfield Bay Arkansas
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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