As I have said in a few reviews now at work we have in excess of 20 computers working. Yet again that of course means we also have in excess of 20 monitors (in fact more monitors than computers as some are dedicated to other tasks). I am also in quite a privileged position in that I get the opportunity to operate/use quite a varied selection of equipment.
They all work 24hrs a day 7 days a week and are used continuously. So with that in mind it is a good test of how robust the equipment we use is. When you consider that most of the ones we are using have been in situation since 2000 then they really do have a good life span. I would hazard a guess and say that because of how long they have been in use, they have probably had the equivalent of 15 years of use that they
might expect in an average Monday to Friday office.
We have a varied selection of monitors and but have only 3 of the Compaq V70 model. This is almost identical to the V75, just a little bit smaller. OK when you look at the thin LCD type monitors that are becoming more and more common, you might ask why are we still using these, and why will we probably continue to use these for a long time to come. Although my employers have probably not given this consideration in a previous review it was pointed out to me that Its interesting to note that in fact the majority of CRT's actually have better picture quality then LCD's.
We use them with a variety of programs, some of which are used solely by our company. These can be on for hours at a time and they may have the same image on the screen yet there is not a hint of anything being burnt onto the screen (in fact none of the monitors we are using at present have suffered this). So the result is we have always enjoyed a crisp and clear display. The colour output of this monitor is great, it really does not matter whether it is word processing, email, internet, presentation packages, moving or still images, the end result is always the same; a well focused and balanced display.
Those of you thinking of all nice modern thin, light monitors. This monitor although small when compared to the Compaq P1210 it is still a fairly sizeable monitor. Yes it has it does have a flat square display. It is nearly as deep as it is wide. Although I am not one to give you a review stuffed full of technical bits, to get a better idea of the actual size I have included the following the following, the screen is 16 (corner to corner). The dimensions are approx 16 1/2 wide, 17 1/2 high and 17 1/2 deep. The weight comes in at an impressive 44lbs.
The monitor sits on a sturdy foot, this allows the monitor to be tilted and swivelled to the desired position with little effort. In some ways the fact that it sits on a sturdy foot coupled with its weight makes it stay at the exact position that you require.
When you look at this monitor you see it is the usual buff/creamy colour of most computers, although it is called white, this I assume is because compaq also have the same model available in black.
As with the V75 this model has the same layout, looking from the front just below the screen are 4 buttons the furthest to the right is a long thin one, this is the only one with a little green led is the power on/off button (yes it does go on stand by when the pc is switched off). One on the left of centre is the menu on and off button, the two to the right of centre are the plus and minus menu navigation buttons of these are used to change the settings when working through the menu. Contrast, brightness, colour, degauss etc. I have to say they are very simple to operate, the navigation system is picked up in minutes.
At the back of the monitor is the usual power socket, along with one socket to connect it to the PC.
Overall although old and heavy, it is reliable. Now these can be picked up second hand at a very cheap price, so for the office working on a budget these might just be a good solution. I really do think that monitors of the CRT type do seem to have a long life.
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