Dell UltraSharp 1707FP LCD monitor

The Dell 1707FP Flat Panel LCD monitor is an inexpensive, 17-inch display with a nice price and many thoughtful features.

My favorite feature is the monitor’s impressive range of motion. It pivots, tilts, swivels, and is height adjustable. I’m pretty tall, and I hate having to stack risers, books, or boxes on my desk to get the display to a comfortable height.

Set up was literally a snap. Although the screen is not connected to the base when you open the box, it popped right into place without a problem (the included instructions were easy to follow). You can connect the display to your Mac either digitally with a DVI cable, or with an analog cable—both are included. You can also connect a USB device cable from the display to your Mac to take advantage of the built-in USB 2.0 hub that offers four downstream ports, two of them conveniently placed on the side of the unit.

Once you have the display set up, you’ll find that it performs well, too. Text was clean and legible, even at small point sizes, and colors were fairly accurate and required little calibration.

It does have a relatively narrow viewing angle, so you don’t have to move too far off center to notice color shifts and loss of contrast. The viewing angle is about average—no worse than other 17-inch displays I’ve seen—but not as good as the best. Even so, unless you regularly work with others looking over your shoulder or seated next to you, its limited viewing angle should not be a bother.

Macworld’s buying advice

Budget-conscious display shoppers won’t be disappointed with this highly flexible 17-inch monitor. With its built-in USB hub, and very good text and color performance, you’ll be staying too close to the screen to notice the limited viewing angle.

[ James Galbraith is Macworld ’s lab director. ]