The only good monitor is a dead monitor. Clairvoyance is the design tool of the future.
How big a monitor are you looking for? I doubt you’ll find anything of quality larger than 17" for that price. I will typically stick with Sony or Hitachi monitors. Had less-than-desirable results with other brands like NEC, Viewsonic and Samsung.
You might be able to score a bargain at your local Best Buy or CompUSA. They frequently have open box or closeout monitors that you can buy for a decent discount.
I have had good luck with Dell Monitors. Like you, have had less than desirale results with Samsung and NEC also. My Samsung is a 19" which I liked up til last week. My old Dell Trinitron 17" was a nice one also. I’m looking at a 19".
The Iiyama trinitrons have always been very good value….
You’ll get a 17" Vision Master Pro 413 for less than your $300,and may get a 19" Vision Master Pro 452 within your budget
While mine is a shadow mask CRT, I’d back up Len’s comment in favor of Iiyama monitors. My Vision Master 450 was $700 when I bought it back in ’98, and it has been an excellent monitor over the years. Perhaps not quite a razor sharp as some monitors today, but a good value at the time. It has great geometry.
Daryl
I used NEC for years; none lasted three years. So far, I’ve gotten two and a half years out of a ViewSonic. The image size stays the same when the screen brightness changes (on NEC/Mitsubishi/Sony, the image size changes).
It takes the ViewSonic a half hour to warm up before the size and color are right, but it did cost less than $300.
Don’t laugh too hard with this one.
I found a very nice Sony monitor at Sam’s Club for $299 a couple of years ago. That was after 7% sales tax. Not too bad for a 19 inch GS400. It sure was a huge improvement over the fading 5 year old 15 inch it replaced.
So decide what brands and models will do what you need and keep your eyes open. You may luck out too.
Bill
