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Acer X193W+ 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor
Introduction
I tried to get behind 1920x1200 as my favorite resolution. At first, and so easily, you fall for the space. But finding hardware to game at settings that high isn't really possible. I found that switching from 1280x1024 to 1440x900 was equally natural, although I missed the inch or more of viewable space. And then there's the size of monitors that support 1920x1200--nobody makes small high-resolution monitors (Alienware, please hook up the desktop world with your amazing laptop displays), and a 24" monstrosity barely fits on my desk. I don't particularly want to look up to see the top of the monitor. So, though a part of me misses 1920x1200, I now preach 1680x1050. Games look great and there's plenty of space to photoshop the rawest of images. It really is an everyman resolution--which presents another issue entirely. Its popularity makes finding a quality display that much harder. Acer isn't Samsung, but its small, sub-$200 X193W+BD should get a serious once-over by the gaming portion of the market. The size difference means fast-switching .243mm pitch pixels (in this case, smaller is better) that betray the municipal looks of this panel. At 19", it's a versatile, high-resolution display that excels in value. First Impressions It's got a charcoal ABS plastic bezel. That's really all there is to the look of the monitor; it certainly wins no points for charisma. There's not a single glossy finish anywhere, and the panel itself has a satin finish. It's plain, not minimalistic; its rugged design has more office appeal than anything. The display angles on a V-shaped foot, but doesn't raise or lower or spin. It's base-heavy and stable, but overall light in weight and easy to move around or adjust.     Beneath the plastic is a steel frame with no give whatsoever. The base is also steel with three long, rubber, no-slip feet. The base snaps in tightly--it doesn't jiggle or wobble even if you're rough with it. There are three sockets. One's for power and two are video-in (VGA and DVI). The only "decoration" besides Vista and TCO stickers is branding: one small, silver Acer on the front in the middle, and an offset Acer on the back, cut into the plastic. There's also an opening for a lock in case you're worried about the X193W walking away.     The buttons are big and easy to press, and not obscured in any way. There is one nice touch with the power LED: while in suspend mode it lights up amber, unlike so many monitors that flash green. When the display is in use, the LED is a dark blue so not to distract from the action on-screen. Included with the monitor is a manual and warranty card, a utility and driver CD, and the cables for power, VGA, and DVI connections.
Related Reviews Add Comment
10 User Comments 1 - Posted by
eddie
on August 30, 2008 - 11:40 am The display is darker at the top, therefore the backlight is at the bottom? Tilt the screen forward slightly and the screen is the same all over. 2 - Posted by
aggrivated
on September 2, 2008 - 7:21 pm did the cd actually have the driver on it or did it only have user manual and quick start guide. i have been looking for a driver for the moniter because i cant get dvi to go higher then 1280 x 1024 but vga works fine and everything else has failed. let me know if there is actually a driver for it (for xp)
3 - Posted by
Max Slowik
on September 3, 2008 - 3:57 pm You should be able to run the display at whatever resolution your adapter is capable without any monitor drivers. Are you sure your video card drivers are installed correctly?
4 - Posted by
Kurtis
on September 4, 2008 - 12:47 am Yeah that sounds like video card drives to me. Perhaps drivers for your motherboard, if it's onboard video.
5 - Posted by
Hirakendu
on November 24, 2008 - 3:23 pm It actually supports 1920x1200. Can anyone else confirm it? Although it is not ultra sharp at this resolution. Aside, its a syzygy - sub 200 usd, small size of 19" and small footprint and light, high res of 1080p.
6 - Posted by
AdiL
on January 24, 2009 - 5:36 am hi i just bought this for a second monitor for my laptop. if im using a resolution of 1280x800 should that be the resolution for my new screen too? whats the best resolution for this monitor?
7 - Posted by
Max Slowik
on January 24, 2009 - 6:48 pm Not knowing what your platform is, I can't say for sure, but I have never seen a laptop that couldn't drive an external display at its native resolution, in this case, 1680x1050.
8 - Posted by
plauph
on April 19, 2009 - 3:26 pm What type of panel it it? bits-wise and LCD-type-wise
9 - Posted by
jake
on April 30, 2009 - 8:00 pm i have had this moniter as of 12/25 2008 it has had no issues at all
10 - Posted by
ken0sis
on February 4, 2010 - 10:29 pm thankyou for a helpful article! i have owned this screen for about a year, and i love it. i am commenting to point out that this article's link to Newegg leads to a different LCD monitor than the one you've written about. the native resolution (and the price) is different, and at the time of this comment, the X193W+ is actually out of stock at Newegg. =( 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. |
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