Monitors.(Buyers guide)

Prices are dropping for larger CRT monitors and for flat-panel LCD displays that free up desk space.

Deciding whether to buy a flat-panel LCD or a standard, fairly fat CRT monitor comes down to this: Do you need more space on the surface of your desk or on the screen? If freeing up space on your desk is a priority, an LCD is the clear choice. But since LCDs are more costly, you might opt for a CRT. And a CRT still has some other advantages. Desktop computers and monitors are often sold as a package, with some manufacturers offering attractive discounts for monitors bundled with PCs sold online.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Apple, Dell, eMachines (which merged with Gateway in 2004), Gateway, Hewlett-Packard (which merged with Compaq in 2002), Lenovo, and Sony all market their own monitors for their computers. Other brands of monitors, such as Acer, Envision, KDS, LG, NEC, Samsung, and ViewSonic, are sold separately. Many brands are manufactured on an outsource basis.

Flat-panel LCD monitors. These have been outselling CRTs for years. Because the monitors have a liquid-crystal display rather than a TV-style picture tube, they take up much less desktop space than CRTs. They operate with analog or digital input, or both. Unlike a CRT, the nominal and the viewable-image size (VIS) of a flat-panel LCD are the same. Desktop models typically measure 17 or 19 inches diagonally and just a few inches deep, and they weigh around 15 pounds, compared with 30 to 50 pounds for a CRT. LCDs with a screen 20 inches or larger are available, but they are still somewhat pricey. Wide-screen LCDs with a 17-inch VIS, specially designed for watching wide-format videos, are also available. These screens have an aspect ratio of 16:9, like those found on most digital TVs, and they're also fairly expensive.

Flat-panel displays deliver a very clear image, but they have some inherent quirks. Their range of color is a bit narrower than a CRT's. And you have to view a flat-panel screen straight on; except for wide-screen models, the picture loses contrast as you move off-center, and fine lines might appear grainy. In analog mode you have to tweak the controls in order to get the best picture, but we have seen some improvements lately regarding the narrow angle. Price: $150 to $300 (15-inch); $175 to $500 (17-inch); $200 to $600 (19-inch); and $250 to $1,500 (20-inch).

CRT monitors. These typically range from 17 to 22 inches. To reduce glare, some CRTs have flattened, squared-off screens (not to be confused with flat-panel LCD screens). The nominal image size--the screen size touted in ads--is generally based on the diagonal measurement of the picture tube. The image you see, the viewable-image size, is usually an inch smaller. Thus a 17-inch CRT has a 16-inch VIS. As a result of a class-action lawsuit, ads must state a CRT's VIS as well as its nominal image, but you might have to squint at the fine print to find it.