ViewSonic's Cheap 21" CRT

If a big ol' monitor is on your holiday wish list, let your benefactors know that CRTs have become quite the bargain of late. Now that so many people want one of those skinny LCDs on their desk, their rubinesque older sisters are all but overlooked. If you've got the desk space, you might prefer a bigger screen to the portability of an LCD. ViewSonic's new 21" (20.0" viewable) E220 CRT monitor has an estimated street price of $575 and offers a 0.22 horizontal dot pitch and a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200. The E220 also features an anti-static, anti-glare screen coating and on-screen adjustments. A new lock function is also on the beast to prevent accidental changes to customized monitor settings, along with a three-year warranty on parts, labor and CRT. Incidentally, remember that the best way to buy a monitor is to go see it in a store to see if it fits your needs, as you'll learn if you read my old pal Guy Wright's recent CRT Guide .