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Apple Thunderbolt Display
by staceyspiers
The Apple thunderbolt display is a great monitor, but it has a few quirks that mean it's not perfect yet.
I got one for a 'too good to say no to' price so I didn't head my own advice, but my advice is to stay away from this for now, as a much improved version is just around the corner.
The thunderbolt display has ... always used the same panel as the 27" iMac, and now the 27" imac's have been slimmed down it's time for the chunky thunderbolt display to get the same treatment. As well as the size/weight saving of slimming down the screen the next major change will be bonding the glass directly to the screen- they did this on the new imac's and on the retina macbook pro's, and the result of this is that reflections are removed by 75% but still keeping the sharp, contrasty look that a glossy display gives you. This will be a killer improvement as the 27" thunderbold and the imac are horrible to use in the day time unless you close the blinds.
The next big annoyance with this screen is that it's usb ports are only usb 2, the next gen model will certainly bring usb 3 to the table and that makes it a purchase that will last you a good few years, buy the usb 2 version now and in a year you'll be too frustrated to use them as the world switches over to usb 3 sand leaves you in the dark.
It is still a great display, fantastic colour, great viewing angle, high resolution, great design- but just remember that something better is just around the corner, and for that reason alone I can't recommend you buy one brand new or you will have buyers remorse for sure!
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HP W1907v
by MoleyGoldpaws
My other half was upgrading her desktop PC and the old monitor was a little 15" display that was past its best so having sorted out the PC, I began looking for a suitable monitor.
Wanting something a bit bigger I began research and thought a 24" screen would be nice and there were some good deals but on reflection, ... I think it may have looked ridiculous as its sat near the 32" tv and would either make the tv look tiny or the tv would make the monitor look huge.
Given the dimensions for the HP w1907, I reckoned this was probably a sensible screen size. The appearance of the monitor and stand also looks good, nice and modern and a bit like the Apple desktops without the ridiculous price tag for a picture of a fruit.
When it arrived, it was packaged really well and upon assembly, the stand is very sturdy and shows no sign of being toppled - piece of mind when you have a curious cat. Cables can be neatly tucked around the back of the stand to keep them out of the way and there are some connections there to allow headphone input to.
The screen surround is a glossy black and on the top right edge is an on/off switch which is illuminated. The rest of the screen surround is a brushed silver colour like the base and looks nice and modern.
On first use I was impressed with the brightness and clarity and so glad I went for this screen size as I feel anything bigger would have felt like I was sat with my nose pressed to a tv!
The w1907 responds well and feels like a more expensive model so I feel I should mention value for money when praising it. On the screen are easy to use menu buttons to control things like brightness and volume - the speakers are built in - so it is very simple to use. The output of the speakers is sufficient but I imagine if you were intending to use this monitor specifically for movies or gaming, you would be using a separate speaker for that purpose. I'd say the speakers are the only thing that may disappoint users.
On the whole, a very nice monitor from HP. Their products are somehow viewed as budget items but I have an HP wireless printer and like this, feel that I should give credit where it's due. They are easy to set up and use and to date, have never had a problem with anything of theirs.
This model is now a few years old but it still looks the part and performs as good as anything else.
Thanks for reading!
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Viewsonic VA1948m-LED
by jacketpotato
This monitor was bought as a replacement for a non-widescreen monitor, which is used as an external monitor to a docked laptop.
The first thing to notice is the shiny black bezel in a somewhat angular style, incorporating what I would call a chin or goatee at the bottom. In a working environment this is at odds with the ... surrounding equipment and gives it a cheap looking non-durable style, however in a home setting, this settles in perfectly with a relaxed atmosphere and what was a cheap look becomes stylish and upmarket.
The monitor comes with a stand which is easy to adjust for tilt, but like the bezel, it too is made of shiny plastic and suits a home environment more than the workplace.
Setting up the monitor was extremely easy, the stand connects with a solid click and the ports are easy to access. The ports are aligned perpendicular to the back so connecting the cables was a cinch, but I prefer ports that are in line which would allow better cable management, as it is, the (thick) cables stick out a good two inches before they can be tucked away.
The screen is 19 inches wide with a HD resolution of 1440x900. This is more than enough for work, being able to have a full spread sheet open without having to scroll across the screen too often. The colours are consistent with a bright even backlight, LED no less, generating a clear image whether watching a film or typing up a document. I don't use this monitor for gaming, but I don't see how that would be a problem based on how well it handles fast paced scenes in videos.
Finally, the monitor features built in speakers. These are a useful feature to have for those on a budget, but they are poor quality. They lack any bass and have a tinny sound and have vibration and distortion at higher volumes. I much prefer using the laptops built in speakers for any task. But for the price, around £95 I paid, speakers were a bonus rather than essential.
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