which external display for a macbook for text?

i have a macbook (2.16 intel core 2 duo) with 2 GB 667 MHz SDRAM and OS 10.5.2

i am always working on projects that involve text and translations and multiple windows. currently i am using DEVONthink Pro with the applescript workspaces to have about 6 windows open while i write and translate (usually spanish or greek or latin). it gets pretty crowded on my 13 inch screen. i also use combinations of apps like voodoo pad and text edit plus and occasionally tinderbox and/or curio and/or omnigraffle pro. (i have found spaces to be not as helpful as it sounds)

i would like to hook up an external display to give me more room. i am a text person with only an occasional image/graphic here and there.

what do you (readers) recommend for an external display i can (i assume - i am new to this) use for a display? remember - TEXT is what i want, not lots of DTP/images/number crunching/games. just crisp text. i am willing to spend up to about $800 but would prefer less. i have looked (online) at the Apple Cinema 20" Flat-Panel Display at Amazon for $600 and although a relatively "old" workhorse, it looks good to me.

i would appreciate any and all suggestions. (i assume the DVI hook up is simple from my reading)

thanks a lot
rich ratzan

richrat said:

what do you (readers) recommend for an external display

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D'y want CRT or flat panel LCD?

The former gives better resolution in my view but is considered old-hat by the moderns. It's also bulky and heavy. Anything by Sony is good.

the Apple Cinema 20" Flat-Panel Display at Amazon for $600

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Seems a lot for a 2-hand unit. Are the Apple units really that good? What about brands like Viewsonic (my favourite), Benq or Samsung - NEW? You may need a video adaptor of some sort.

thanks! did not consider CRT, of which i still have a few? could i use an old iMac as a "slave" monitor??
thanks
rich ratzan

I wouldn't recommend CRT due to the eye strain it'll cause.
Apple's screens are great for image work as they produce very accurate colours. But they're pricy as well, so if you're mainly working with text $600 is too much.

I'd go with another brand and perhaps see if you can find one that can be rotated: That would allow you to read texts in portrait view, which might be handy.

I personally have the Samsung 206BW which costs $280 on amazon, but there are other models by other manufacturers in that price range which should do just as well...