LaCie is using Macworld Expo to premier its new flat-panel LCD monitor, the photon18blue, which features a bright 18-inch screen with a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 at 60Hz, .28 dot pitch, and a side-to-side viewing angle of 160 degrees.
Enclosed in a dark-blue casing, the screen can be pivoted between portrait and landscape viewing modes, and a display driver rotates the onscreen image. The base also offers screen height, tilt and swivel adjustments.
Beside brightness, contrast and image-position controls, the display allows individual red, green, blue, cyan, magenta and yellow colors to be adjusted. The monitor provides dual analog connections (15-pin VGA and DVI).
Aimed at content creators, the photon18blue is also the first LCD monitor to come equipped with a color-enhancing hood, which blocks light reflection and shadows. The hood can also be used in both landscape and portrait mode.
The demand for flat-panel LCD monitors is growing, said Guillaume Mazieres, LaCie’s vice president of marketing and Sales. “But we didn’t want to enter the market until we could provide a flat panel monitor that delivers true color representation and precise color control at a reasonable price,” he said.
The photon18blue is expected to start shipping at the end February. Pricing has not been set, but a LaCie product manager said the display should sell for around $2,600.