I just ordered a Dell 2005fpw, which is a 20.1" widescreen LCD monitor. This will delay my purchase of an Intel Mini for a bit, but my old LCD was giving me eye strain and I desperately needed something better since I work on a computer roughly 12 hours a day. Anyway, Dell is currently running a 25% off select LCD monitors, which brings the 2005fpw down to $396.75 with free shipping. You can also snag a Dell coupon for $35 off orders over $300 from ebay. Costs about $2 for the coupon. Here's my price breakdown:
Dell 25% off select LCD monitors: $396.75 for the 2005fpw
Ebay coupon from seller "ponpongirl": $1.98 for $35 off orders over $300 in Dell Home (instant delivery)
Sub-total: $361.75
Shipping: Free 3-5 days
Tax: $21.71 for Connecticut
Total: $383.46 (plus $1.98 for the coupon)
So less than $400 for a monitor comparable to the Apple 20" widescreen LCD monitor. Apple sells their 20" LCD for $799, or $699 if you're a student. The Dell monitor is less than half the price of the Apple and just as good. I know it doesn't exactly match the Mini or other Mac equipment, but if you're on a budget like I am, it's a great deal for a killer monitor. Anandtech has a great article comparing the two monitors. Here are the specs -
Dell 2005fpw features:
-1680x1050 resolution
-20.1" widescreen panel
-16:10 aspect ratio (yay for widescreen movies!)
-600:1 contrast ratio
-300 nits of brightness
-12ms gray-to-gray response time (yay for games! bye bye ghosting!)
-.258 pixel pitch (yay for graphics!)
-Pivot/tilt/swivel; rotates 90 degrees (great for viewing documents)
-Can take a VESA mount
-4 USB 2.0 ports (sorry, no Firewire ports)
-DVI & VGA ports
-Composite & S-video ports (hook up your Playstation or VCR!)
-Supports picture-in-picture (PIP)
I'm glad that it has multiple input ports. I will initially be using this via VGA with my Windows laptop, then I'll hook up a Mini to the DVI port and switch between them when the time comes. The multiple ports coupled with the USB hub makes it a nice little switch as well as a great monitor. I have a USB keyboard and USB mouse, so I'll just have to swap one cable to transfer it from the laptop to the Mini and then switch the inputs. Yay!
Dell 25% off select LCD monitors: $396.75 for the 2005fpw
Ebay coupon from seller "ponpongirl": $1.98 for $35 off orders over $300 in Dell Home (instant delivery)
Sub-total: $361.75
Shipping: Free 3-5 days
Tax: $21.71 for Connecticut
Total: $383.46 (plus $1.98 for the coupon)
So less than $400 for a monitor comparable to the Apple 20" widescreen LCD monitor. Apple sells their 20" LCD for $799, or $699 if you're a student. The Dell monitor is less than half the price of the Apple and just as good. I know it doesn't exactly match the Mini or other Mac equipment, but if you're on a budget like I am, it's a great deal for a killer monitor. Anandtech has a great article comparing the two monitors. Here are the specs -
Dell 2005fpw features:
-1680x1050 resolution
-20.1" widescreen panel
-16:10 aspect ratio (yay for widescreen movies!)
-600:1 contrast ratio
-300 nits of brightness
-12ms gray-to-gray response time (yay for games! bye bye ghosting!)
-.258 pixel pitch (yay for graphics!)
-Pivot/tilt/swivel; rotates 90 degrees (great for viewing documents)
-Can take a VESA mount
-4 USB 2.0 ports (sorry, no Firewire ports)
-DVI & VGA ports
-Composite & S-video ports (hook up your Playstation or VCR!)
-Supports picture-in-picture (PIP)
I'm glad that it has multiple input ports. I will initially be using this via VGA with my Windows laptop, then I'll hook up a Mini to the DVI port and switch between them when the time comes. The multiple ports coupled with the USB hub makes it a nice little switch as well as a great monitor. I have a USB keyboard and USB mouse, so I'll just have to swap one cable to transfer it from the laptop to the Mini and then switch the inputs. Yay!