Wow! I just got my "Grade A" monitor today and boy was it a treat. I have to say that the peanuts I had with my packaging were pretty annoying, and I was pretty surprised how this monitor arrived untouched (seeing that the only protection was a layer of peanuts and an outer layer of some roughly broken up pieces of styrofoam).
At the first site of the large box I thought the size was just to give the monitor a lot of headroom for more shock protection (it was a bit larger than my 19" tv box), but when I opened the box I was shocked to see this behemoth lying there almost as large as the box itself (maybe an inch from touching the box). Back when I read the review here about this monitor being huge, I had no idea it was going to be this huge. If you've ever seen those old black and green monitors that are really bulky in the back, then you know what I'm talking about. Its not just that either, the screen itself is quite large (20" viewable). Add the screen size and the bulkiness of the back and you have a rather large block of weight in your hands.
After careful removal from the package, I examined this monster from front to back, and I'm glad to inform you guys that mine could have passed for new. There were some slight stains on the screen (which I first thought were scratches) and two pen marks by the model name to the lower left corner of the monitor, but these were easily removed with household cleaners. Besides these slight marks, this monitor looked and smelled new (I think someone sprayed deoderizer on it). As for the style, if you view it from the side it may look like some antique monitor that is too out-of-date to put on your desk, but looking at it from the front (which is what I care about), it is almost as good as a flat CRT (the curvature of this screen is very small).
Setup? It was basically plug and play! No problem.
First booted up to windows and found the default frequency @ 60hz, but boosted up to 85hz @ any resolution no problem, and it saves this setting. (100hz maximum).
Immediately after I've setup the monitor I was in for a test drive to see how everything looked. In rough comparison to my friend's dell 15" LCD and another's 19" Sony flat screen CRT (forgot the model, but my friend usually buys high-end hardware), I'd say this monitor gives good competition. The text is clear, and the colors are sharp (dot-pitch is around .21mm I think), though this experience may vary from person to person. I didn't do a side-by-side comparison so I can't say anything more, but that I am very satisfied with this monitor. Other minor settings such as the contrast and brightness were very high in the 90s scale just like others who are using this, and despite some who may think this is not bright enough, it is bright enough for me.
My overall impression of this deal:
HUGE monitor, huge screen with good quality at an unbeatable price.
Heck, if I had another $200 to spare, I'd probably get another one. For those of you who are still leaning forward staring at that small 15"-17" monitor, I'd recommend that you take a chance and get in on this deal. I'm glad I did!
Thanks Homer and AllThingsTech!
Edit: Wow I sound like an infomercial. :disgust:
Edit2: Forgot to mention that, though this is a good deal, there are risks involved (refurb). I don't want to sound too one-sided