MAKING SPACE ON YOUR DESK. (Fujitsu Siemens TFT Flatscreen 462E FA)

Name: thingywhatsit

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Product:	Fujitsu Siemens TFT Flatscreen 462E FA
Date:	15.10.06 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Takes less room than a standard monitor.

Disadvantages: Speakers are rubbish.

I have had a computer for about four years now, and its a standard computer with a standard Monitor and I often wondered what was the difference between the flat screens that I see everywhere and the monitor that I possessed. Sure, they are pretty cool looking, but really is this enough reason to shell out money ? Of course not, especially when my income is forever fluctuating, and I believe that my findings may help someone out there with the same situation as me, trying to decide whether to switch to a flat screen monitor or not.

I researched the market as I always do when I want to make a large purchase such as this. There were various Makers that had flatscreen monitors, and the specifications were very similar to this one.

SIZE

Does size matter ? It did to me because I was accustomed to using a 17" monitor and I did not want to go smaller. My eyesight is a problem and will undoubtedly get worse with time, and I thought that as opposed to the smaller screens, what this one offered me was an 18" screen which was actually an improvement on my existing 17".

QUALITY OF IMAGE

This is something we all have to decide upon when buying a flat screen. Does it really have better quality image or is this a myth that gives us an excuse to buy something cool ? Well, the answer to this is clear to me since my purchase. The image settings on this monitor are set at a resolution of 1280 x 1024. This probably doesn't mean a lot to most people. It didn't to me but what this actually means in the number of pixels per square inch, and the more you have the clearer the screen. The settings are easy to change and the menu easy to follow from buttons on the front of the screen which are self explanatory.

Another good thing from the image point of view is that this is a non reflective screen, which means that the eye is not diverted away from what you are reading by light reflections, and is therefore less tiring to the eyes.

LOOKS

Minimalistic is the word that I would use to describe this screen. It is grey and matches my other computer components. The stand is easy to keep clean and this is slimline at its best.

COLOUR

The depth of colour is 24 bit (16.7m colours) and I love the preset factory setting of the monitor and have had no reason to change it. For games, the outline of the vision is superbly sharp and there is absolutely no flicker to the image at all.

There are three adjustable knobs on the monitor for contrast, lightness etc., but the preset settings are the best so my theory about if its not broken, don't mend it comes in handy here. The colour as it is factory set is exactly how I would chose to see the colour.

EASE OF USE

Here, I would say that the Monitor has proved itself as being a benefit to me, both in that it takes up so little space on the desk and also is really much more eye friendly than the old Monitor. Since I installed the monitor which was just a question of cables and plugging it in, I have had NO difficulties whatsoever, and do not envisage any.

As for response time to images, well I could not be happier. This really does respond quickly and only recently have I experienced any flicker, two years down the line, although the image is extremely clear.

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

The instruction manual with this item is complete and gives you all that a user would need to know about installing, looking after and servicing your screen, with handy addresses of local dealers which is always helpful.

GUARANTEE

Two years guarantee, by which time TFT monitors will no doubt be superceded by something equally astounding.

MANUFACTURERS SUPPORT

I believe that the very name Fujitsu is sufficient for me to be confident that they will back up their products.

MEASUREMENTS/WEIGHT

Weight 7.2 Kilograms
height : 40.2 cm.
Width : 40.2 cm.
Depth : 18 cm.

NOW LET TALK ABOUT WHAT I THINK

This is about comparisons, about preferences, the why you bought it, and here I believe there were several things that swayed the balance. Fujitsu claim that the 18 inch offers value and for me, when I compared screens on a shelf in a computer shop, this one stood out because the smaller screens seemed like a step down from what I was looking for. The image was sharp, and the casing did not distract your eye away from what was on the screen.

I liked the simplicity of design. I liked the simplicity of setting up, and what I liked the most was the amount of space I freed up on my desk.

As for price, the cheapest one that I found in a shop was £670, but I looked further. We have this fabulous thing called the net and it would be foolish not to search and see what I came up with. On a site called www.2xmoinscher.com which is a french based company (the name meaning twice as cheap), I found the monitor for 519 Euros which was £346 which I thought reasonable for the quality of the product when placed side by side with others in the shop. These have come down considerably in price recently and it really is worth seeking out a bargain.

Yes, there are cheaper monitors, but take a look at the specs, take a look at what they guarantee, and also the image itself. Lined up side by side with other monitors in the shop, the image on this one was far superior and although I looked in detail at other flat monitors, the very colour and clearness of this screen kept drawing me back to it. Others veered towards blue, or green, and perhaps could have been regulated to make the colour truer, although this one already was, and this was extremely important to me.

One snag. My screen has built in speakers and to tell you the honest truth, these are crap, although that is a small price to pay for the quality of the monitor itself which is superb. I carry on using my standard speakers so this does not cause me a problem at all.

Now, when I go to use my computer, it is a real pleasure, and I feel pretty cool about my purchase. This is an Energy Star product which means that when you are on standby it uses a mere 2 watts as opposed to the 55 watts when being used.

Tilting the screen is simply done and it swivels as well.

Boy do I wish I bought this a earlier, and if I have helped anyone make a decision, then I am happy because my decision was difficult and researched and I believe I found what was the best product at the best price for me.

Summary: A very satisfying monitor in all respects.

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