LCD Monitors Get Bigger and Cheaper

The future of LCD monitors&#150b;gger screens, better images, and lower prices–is fast becoming a reality. Among the newest models, the 18.1-inch DPP 800, from Princeton Graphic Systems (714/751-8405, http://www.prgr.com ), features an all-digital interface, while the 18.1-inch VG180, from ViewSonic (909/869-7976, http://www.viewsonic.com ), sports an under-$2,800 street price.

Princeton’s $3,499, 18.1-inch DPP 800, scheduled to ship in January, 1999, offers 1,280-by-1,024-pixel resolution and includes a USB hub. It joins two new 15-inch LCD monitors from Princeton, the $1,039 DPP 550 and the $1,099 DPP 560, which are scheduled to ship by the time you read this. Both 15-inch models offer 1,024-by-768-pixel resolution; the DPP 560 can pivot to portrait or landscape mode.

All three Princeton displays use Digital Flat Panel technology–which does not require the analog-to-digital converters found in other LCD monitors&#150f;r improved image clarity. The displays come with ATI’s Xclaim 3D Plus graphics cards (see “ATI Launches Next-Generation Graphics Chip,” elsewhere in this section). The monitors won’t work with your Mac’s built-in video.

The 18.1-inch VG180, from ViewSonic, lacks Princeton’s digital interface but sells for a street price of $2,795. The monitor offers a maximum resolution of 1,280 by 1,024 pixels. The price does not include a graphics card, but the display will work with your Mac’s built-in video.

ViewSonic product manager Mark Gersh says the VG180 is the first in a family of large-screen LCD monitors ViewSonic plans to offer.

February 1999 page: 28