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| Hitachi's 18-inch CML181SXW |
Pulling it out of the box, I noticed it was slightly lighter than the Viewsonic, a bit smaller, and more solid feeling. The base was smaller, the screen was thinner and the casing around the screen was not as wide. Sitting it next to my 19-inch CRT, the screen sizes matched up as the VG181, but I saw a whole lot more desk around the Hitachi than the Viewsonic. I thought perhaps it would not be as stable as the VG181, but I was wrong, the base held the unit very securely, even with me punching and kicking it, throwing chairs at it. I had a black bear try to maul it by hanging a fish off the front, but it didn’t fall over easily. Now to get the smell of fish out of it…
So, I figured I would start by manhandling this unit myself, as I had with the VG181. Well, it’s not as flexible as the Viewsonic, but it certainly does tilt and turn easily, and its screen was very sharp at extreme angles. It has both analog and digital inputs; with all the cables you’ll need included. I used the DVI connector, and put it on my system as the secondary display. I didn’t bother with the built-in speakers it has. They would be fine for a front office I guess, but I prefer my obnoxiously loud Altec Lansing system myself (especially during a rousing game of "Starcraft"), although my fiancée would have a differing opinion entirely ("Turn it down before I kill you!").
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After using the Hitachi for a few weeks, I fell in love with its display. Something about it made the screen easier to look at, more comfortable than the Viewsonic. Its colors seemed more vibrant out of the box (I didn’t fiddle with any settings on either the Hitachi or Viewsonic). As a matter of fact, I didn’t notice any banding at all in my color benchmarks, and its text was bright and crisp; indeed, all the images had a very nice contrast to them. I began to think the Viewsonic’s contrast and crispness were a bit too much, in hindsight.
The ghosting on the Hitachi was only slightly better than the VG181, but was still too much to use as a primary work display for most things 3D. I ended up using the Hitachi as I had the Viewsonic; for reading, writing, and for my palette windows, leaving the 3D work on the main CRT. This is not to say you can’t use an LCD for 3D work, I just find the CRTs fare better. But basically, I did find this one to be my favorite, hands down.
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| Envision's 17-inch EN7100e |
It took me a while, but I noticed that the buttons for the EN7100e were all located at the top right hand corner of the unit, on top of the case, as opposed to being on the front panel like the two LCDs before now. That is partly why I liked the Envision’s looks--no clutter. Though I did find it a bit annoying to have to stand up to see what button was what when I went to reach for them. Within a few days, it wasn’t an issue; I figured it out easily enough, and just remembered which was which by touch.
Now keep in mind that the Envision, a bargain at around $500, keeps its cost down by keeping frills to a minimum. For example, it only has a tilt up and down mobility, so you have to turn the whole thing, base and all, to get side-to-side angles. The screen’s visibility was OK at extreme angles, but clearly not as good as the Hitachi or Viewsonic.
The unit also only has an analog connection, so its display was not as sharp as the DVI connections on the other two LCDs. I still found it very usable, however, and enjoyed using it as a secondary display. I tended to still use the LCD for most of my reading and writing apps. The contrast and brightness was good, the refresh rate comfortable, but I admit I did miss having the Hitachi hooked up. Seeing as how the Envision is half the price though, I don’t think I would miss the Hitachi all that much if I had to shell out the $925 for it.
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