|
Dell Ultrasharp 1707FP 17" LCD
Taking a Closer Look
The bezel around the display is flat on all four sides. At the bottom and top there is a small silver strip, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the monitor casing. From an aesthetic point of view, I like the stand on the new model Dell monitors (xx07FP/WFP) more than I liked the stand from the last generation. However, the monitor does seem susceptible to bouncing around if the desk is shaken. I would notice this the most when my speakers were turned up loud or if I made a sudden movement with my force feedback joystick during a game. The vertical adjustment has a lot of range; the amount of travel is about 5" vertically. The monitor can swivel at the base of the display 45° away from center in each direction. Finally, the monitor can rotate into portrait mode. As someone who really likes portrait mode, it's something that can make or break my experience with a monitor, and the Dell Ultrasharp 1707FP delivers in that category. There is a little resistance as you first try to twist it 90° clockwise, and likewise there is resistance at the other end of the twist. This indicates to me that they want to make sure the monitor stays firmly in the position you want it. The monitor was nice and straight in both the landscape and portrait modes (no problems with one side of the monitor wanting to be lower than the other).         Setup As I mentioned earlier, there is a CD included with the monitor which contains documentation as well as drivers. On the freshly unpacked display you will see a plastic shield with a picture of the monitor and the native resolution, plus a picture of the CD (presumably, to indicate that you should put the CD in your computer and install the monitor profile). After the profile is installed, off you go! I started by hooking up the display up to my computer via the VGA input. After some grunting and gnashing of teeth, I was finally able to dial in the correct settings (correct to my eyes at least) for the display to match up with my reference monitor (a Dell 2005FPW). I had such a difficult time matching the color tones because I was comparing a 6-bit panel to an 8-bit one, but I eventually got it figured out. Once the colors, brightness and contrast were matched up, I was ready to go.   I tested all four USB ports to make sure they worked, and they did of course. Dell is nice enough to include not only the needed VGA and DVI cables; they also included the necessary USB cable to activate the four USB ports on the Dell 1707FP LCD Display. I like what Dell did to the buttons on the display in the current model LCD displays. Instead of a silver button with an imprint of what function the button is designed for, the buttons are the same color as the case, with a white label indicating the buttons functionality. The high contrast labeling on the buttons is much easier to read than the last generation of monitors. The OSD is very similar to last generation.
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks Page 3: Taking a Closer Look & Setup Page 4: Testing: Display & Features Page 5: Conclusion 
Related Reviews Add Comment
8 User Comments 1 - Posted by
jdtart
on June 15, 2006 - 12:41 pm Why would I buy a 17in at $200+ when I could get the 2007FPW 20.1 inch WIDE screen for ~$350??
2 - Posted by
Kurtis
on June 15, 2006 - 12:50 pm Because $350 is almost twice as much as $200 perhaps? we recommended it to people on a budget... as in people who don't have more than $200 to spend. :-P that said, i personally agree with you - i would buy the 20.1" over the 17" any day of the week (and I think Anthony would agree as well). but like i said, some people have a budget, and for them this is a great monitor. 3 - Posted by
PennyManDeux
on June 15, 2006 - 12:56 pm I don't know why you would buy it... it doesn't really matter. As for other consumers... Not everyone wants or needs a 20" monitor. 17" is plenty of space for the average Joe and $200 is a much better price for those who are on a budget. 4 - Posted by
Rich
on June 15, 2006 - 1:27 pm I have always been partial to the 1905 FP's myself.
5 - Posted by
Anthony
on June 16, 2006 - 12:10 pm Indeed. Its good for those who really cant or dont care to spend more than $200 on a monitor (my parents, for example). For myself, a power user, I'd definately stay with monitors 19"+. 6 - Posted by
Nick
on June 16, 2006 - 4:48 pm Also a good second monitor for dual monitor or another machine.
7 - Posted by
latitude
on July 6, 2006 - 11:39 pm can a latitude x1 with a VGA connection support the ultrasharp 2007 fpw 20.1 inch monitor? Please let me know.
8 - Posted by
CTM420
on July 7, 2006 - 11:57 pm You hit the nail on the head. :-)
Add Comment To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields. |
Recent Articles Editorials August 27, 2009
Editorials August 18, 2009
Editorials March 3, 2009
Editorials February 12, 2009
Recent News VICE Nov. 20, 2009 - 7:17 pm
Wired Nov. 20, 2009 - 7:07 pm
Engadget Nov. 20, 2009 - 6:58 pm
Telegraph.co.uk Nov. 20, 2009 - 6:48 pm
BBC Nov. 20, 2009 - 6:38 pm
Destructoid Nov. 18, 2009 - 11:55 pm
Wired Nov. 16, 2009 - 11:56 pm
Ultimate Typing Championship Nov. 16, 2009 - 11:42 pm
|
|||||||||||||||
