COMDEX: ViewSonic's VX Series 17 and 18" LCDs

Monitors are the part of the computer with which we have the most interaction and that makes them a pretty important part of our daily lives. A crappy monitor will give you eye strain and maybe even headaches but it's still the last piece of equipment most folks upgrade. A lot of people think that LCD monitors are more pleasing to the eye due to the reduced flicker, but as I've said many times before, they're still pretty expensive when you get to the bigger sizes. The big ones are getting cheaper (slowly) as evidenced by ViewSonic's VX series include 17" and 18" models. Note that the picture above is of a smaller, VX500 model, but the styling for the two new units is about the same (see how honest I am?). As you can see, the VX line has a thin, two-tone, metallic look bezel for the fashion conscious, but what's more important to the rest of us is a contrast ratio of 400:1 and 1280 x 1024 resolution for the 17" VX700 and the 18" VX800. The displays include ViewSonic's OptiSync and SuperClearMVA technology for analog and digital (DVI) input and comply with TCO '99 and Energy Star. If you're trying to justify the cost of upgrading to an LCD, ViewSonic says these ones use up to 70 percent less energy than a similarly sized CRT. The VX700 and VX800 will be available in December with estimated street prices of $819 and $1099 respectively. Both are backed by a three-year limited warranty on parts, labor and backlight.