Crisp as Apple Cobbler
Written: Sep 08 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Crisp, sharp picture, decent price, USB hub
Cons: The Trinitron lines.
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| j3nny3lf's Full Review: Sony HMD A100 CRT Monitor |
Like every other computer geek on the planet, I need the biggest monitor I can squeeze onto a limited amount of desk real estate. In my case, I literally cannot squeeze anything larger than a 15 inch monitor onto this postage stamp I like to call a desk. As a graphic artist and web designer, this has had a tendency to cripple me in the past.
About six months ago, my ancient Packard Bell monitor (15 inches, max 640x480 resolution) finally gave up the ghost, leaving me with no choice but to purchase a new monitor. My budget basically gave me the option of shopping on eBay and praying I could find a monitor in my price range - but since my monitor was dead, I couldn't go online. Enter my fiance and CompUSA.
Isaac and I went trotting down to CompUSA, where we looked at several monitors. I drooled a lot over some 20+ inch models, but realistically I knew that I couldn't get one of those into my tiny desk hutch, so I regretfully looked away from them and pondered the 15 inchers. Typical for me, I looked at the cheaper end stuff, in the $75, "Well, it turns on" category. Typical for Isaac, he was looking at flat LCD displays for hundreds of dollars. Then we both saw it sitting on a bottom shelf on the wall-o-monitors, a little slate grey monitor with a flat screen, the word 'SONY' emblazoned below the screen, and a mere two buttons on the casing. What was this?
This, according to the stat sheet I just pulled out of my files, was a 15 inch, Trinitron CRT with a screen that, if not flat, is so close that you would need some sort of scientific instrument to determine how curved it actually is. With a .24-.25 aperture grill pitch, it delivers clear precise images, and the Digital Multiscan technology used to create this little baby supports resolutions of up to 1280x1024 at 60 Hz. It also acts as a 4 port USB hub for connecting peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard.
Viewable image size on this monitor is 14 inches, but because of the virtually flat screen, that 14 inches is a lot more effective and feels much larger than the old curved monitor I had prior to this one. The screen has a high contrast black coating that reduces glare and washout.
Although it will operate at a screen res of 1280x1024, Sony recommends running it at 800x600. I run it at 1024x768 with absolutely no hassles, and I darn near slobber every time I look at my screen, because the clarity and color are so superb.
The only thing I don't love about this monitor is the two nearly invisible lines that run across it. These lines are only visible when the screen is white, but when visible they can be distracting. However, since the lines are required for the Trinitron tube, and Trinitron tubes are, in my opinion, simply the best that there are, it is a small price to pay.
Overall, this monitor is a great one for people who want a small monitor, but are not willing to sacrifice quality for size. Although it runs a fair bit more expensive than similar sized monitors, at $190, it's not too hefty a pricetag, not for the quality it delivers. After we find a new place to live and I have more space, my next monitor will be a Sony also, and my daughter will inherit this one.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
j3nny3lf
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Member: Jenn Thomas
Location: San Carlos, CA
Reviews written: 98
Trusted by: 46 members
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