My kids and husband gave me this 24" Samsung S24B300EL monitor for Mother's day. And I really love it! Actually, this is the latest upgrade for my vintage 2004 Gateway PC. I've upgraded the RAM, the video card, the DVD drive and the Network Card. My old PC is still a dinosaur, but with this new LED screen replacing our old 15" monitor, it's now the coolest place to surf the web and play video games in our house!

This 23.6" Diagonal LED Flat Panel Monitor has these features:
16:9 Aspect Ratio
1920 x 1080 Resolution
Mega Infinity Dynamic Contrast
Wide Full HD Screen
Eco Saving Options
5 ms Response Time
1 year Parts & Labor Warranty
HDMI Optional connection

My husband purchased this widescreen gem at Costco. It came in a large, shallow box. It was packed soundly with styrofoam inserts. The power cord and VGA cable were packed separately, as well as the stand base and neck. All I had to do was unpack everything and assemble the stand. The Quick Setup Guide is pretty minimal, but is written in 17 languages with diagrams and explanation of the cable connections. Then, I carefully attached the flat panel monitor to the base. The monitor is not too heavy to lift and carry around. It feels sturdy on its base, although it the angle is not physically adjustable, the monitor controls provide different view settings. I might prefer to tilt it back a little, but I'm now accustomed to its position (straight up and down).

As soon as I assembled the monitor, my husband and I turned off our Gateway and unplugged the old monitor. I attached the power cord and VGA cable to the back of the monitor, and then to our PC. Then, I turned on the power and booted up my PC. The monitor worked right away ~ it doesn't require any installation and only minimal setup. The CD included in the box contains the manual, which might come in handy some day.

Once my monitor booted up, I setup the display in the Control Panel ~ Display Properties menu. I chose 1920 x 1080 resolution setting. I also chose "Large" text, because the monitor is so large, there is ample room for larger text (and it's easier on my eyes). Then, I had to figure out how to adjust the monitor settings at the lower right corner of the screen. These controls are different from any controls I've ever used ~ you access them by touching your finger at the bottom of the monitor, starting with the power control on the lower right hand side. Just tap and the control menu pops up on the monitor screen. Small icons on the frame also help you navigate the controls.

It took me awhile to get used to the controls, but you scroll through the settings by touching the frame underneath the control you wish to access from the onscreen menu. As I was learning the controls, I accidentally setup the monitor for "German Language". That was funny ~ once I figured out how to use them properly, I was able to toggle back to English. After awhile, it became more intuitive, but I'm guessing this technology is already fairly commonplace.

The Ecosaving option can be adjusted to control the brightness and/or set a timer to turn off the monitor after a certain time limit. I lowered the brightness level, and it's still plenty bright without blinding me. Also, the screen turns off completely when not in use, and turns back on very quickly when I'm ready to resume.  I definitely appreciate these energy saving measures!

Why I love my new monitor:
1) Photos are huge and look gorgeous on the screen! The colors are so vibrant and images crisp, clear and sharp.

2) Websites are more fun to browse, especially Facebook and email. I can see dozens of emails on the screen without scrolling. My desktop no longer looks as cluttered, even though the number of icons hasn't decreased. Even reading and rating reviews on Epinions is easier on this monitor ~ I can read an entire review and rate it without having to scroll down to get the rating buttons. Now, that's efficient!

3) I've made the Windows text larger and it's more user friendly, especially if you need reading glasses or have presbyopia. I can have many windows open in Firefox and see all the tabs without scrolling.

4) This is ideal for graphic design, publishing, GIS, CAD and mapping applications, photo and video editing, video & tv streaming, and game playing. My son enjoys playing Minecraft, although the game window is still the same size, the graphics seem sharper and more colorful.

Overall, this is one of the best Mother's day gifts I've ever received! I don't remember complaining about my old monitor, but with this new one, I almost prefer using my old Gateway to using my Laptop!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Operating System: Windows