Edit: Got it in the mail! [was: recommend me a 17" LCD]

[K. Eng]

edit - Got it in the mail today (9/21)... the panel and adjustable hight stand are awesome, and not a dead or stuck pixel in sight (I checked , played DVDs, Doom 3 and WarCraft III, and it all checks out).

My 17" CRT monitor on my tower has been acting up and the warranty replacements haven't been so hot, so I was thinking about getting an LCD as a replacement.

I'm going to buy a Dell panel from Dell or another brand from Monitorsdirect, since both will allow returns without restocking fees if the unit has dead/stuck pixels, backlight leakage, or other annoyances.

So far I'm looking at:

Samsung 710N ($420)
Samsung 710T (same as 710N but has DVI) ($490)

Dell Ultrasharp 1703FP (has USB ports, swivel stand) ($499)

All of these have good response time, brightness, contrast, and viewing angle. The Samsung panels have 12ms repsonse time and 140 degree viewing angles, while the Dell has 25ms response and 170 degree viewing angle.

My plan is to eBay some of my extra equipment to raise funds and then wait for a sale Dell has 10% off sales now and then...[/b]

[Deb Suran]

I was helping a friend shop for a new desktop system a few months ago, the Dell 17" monitors had nothing but negative reviews. We ended up not buying anything (too expensive) so I can't tell you anything more than that. Check online reviews for any model you're thinking of.

[JHEM]

http://www.viewsonic.com/

Just got one of the 18" combo display/TV units for $500 and it's a delight!

Check prices here: http://www.pricewatch.com/

Regards,

James

[K. Eng]

I decided to try out the UltraSharp 1703FP since the price was pretty good ($419 shipped direct from Dell after 10% off coupon and stackable bonus coupon). I've also seen this monitor in person and I like the stand setup.

I'm pretty worried about dead/stuck pixels since I've had incredibly bad luck with them in the past. If this unit has any defects it's going straight back to Dell (courtesy of their 21-day return period). I can't justify paying $400+ for a defective product.

I was helping a friend shop for a new desktop system a few months ago, the Dell 17" monitors had nothing but negative reviews.