The Ultimate Flat-Panel LCD Buyer’s Guide.....

This two-part article'll tell you everything you need to know about purchaseing a flat-panel LCD (liquid-crystal display), including several essential things sellers do not want you to know. You will learn why an LCD's the most uncommon technology purchase you will ever make. You will also learn how to evaluate LCDs, what to consider when deciding where to make your purchase, how to stay away buying unnecessary extras, and how to test your early purchase for defects.

If you don't already own one, chances are a flat panel LCD monitor is high on your wish list. These bright beauties, once the exclusive domain of notebooks, are rapidly taking over the desktop. LCDs have the following advantages over conventional CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors: They require less space, are much lighter (a 20-inch CRT [19-inch viewable area] weighs in at a hernia-inducing 50 pounds, whereas a 19-inch LCD monitor weighs a svelte 13 pounds), consume about 70% less energy and throw off less heat than CRTs, and produce an undistorted, bright flat display.

Until recently, LCDs were much more expensive than CRTs, making it difficult to cost-justify replacing a CRT with the same size LCD. However, improvements in the LCD manufacturing process have resulted in higher yields, which has narrowed the price difference between these two technologies. This is particularly true for the smaller 15- and 17-inch LCD panels.