From...

September 7, 1999
Web posted at: 11:47 p.m. EDT (1547 GMT)

by Steve Bass

(IDG) -- "It's a behemoth," my wife said. "No, honey, it's a Mitsubishi," I said. Yeah, well, it was enormous -- a monster 22-inch monitor -- and it was sitting in the middle of my desk.

Like most incurable dweebs, I've always wanted to try a big monitor. Like huge. And I finally had a good excuse. My three-year-old Sony 17se monitor was on its last legs. The picture was fuzzy and the color was fading. And it's not as though I wasn't warned. My last Sony, a 14-incher, turned tail with a loud whine back in 1994. So my future one and only won't be a Sony.

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But am I really ready for the big time? After two weeks with this beast sitting on my desk, I'm not so sure.

Catch 22 (inches)

First, let me say that the Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2020u is terrific. Images are razor-sharp, with rich, deep, vivid colors. The screen's flat, with practically no distortion. Everything -- from Web pages and games to newsletters in my publishing program -- looks spectacular.

Even better: The monitor comes with a built-in, self-powered Universal Serial Bus hub. And if you read last July's column (see "USB is fast and easy," link below), you know how crazy I am about USB.

You may find this hard to believe, but even for a computer dweeb like me, a 22-inch monitor is just too big (and at $1200, too darn pricey). With the monitor's 19-inch depth, plus another 4 inches or so for the cables and power cord, the Mitsubishi got way too close to my nose (although I was starting to get a nice golden tan).

Just as bad, the Mitsubishi weighs 75 pounds. (It's the only time I've seen the FedEx guy furrow his brow.) The thing nearly crushed my monitor stand, so it ended up swallowing my desk. A better choice? Mitsubishi's 19-inch 900u. It has the same USB ports and flat screen as the 22-inch model, but it's not as wide, tall, or deep. It's also $500 cheaper and won't give me or the FedEx guy a hernia.

Focus pocus

Maybe you're not ready to drop $700 on a new monitor. No sweat. I have a few tips to bring your display back into focus.

First, get a copy of DisplayMate, a vital utility for adjusting monitors. I've been using it since 1994, and I've seen an improvement on every display I've used it on (except, darn it, the 17-inch Sony). Most monitor settings tend to drift over a period of days, not unlike my attention when my editor calls. DisplayMate provides the tools -- and the expert on-screen help -- to correct and then fine-tune those settings.

At $79, DisplayMate is a little pricey, but even if you grab just a copy of the free 200KB demo version (available on DisplayMate's Web site, link below), you'll be ahead of the game. In minutes, you'll be able to improve sharpness, adjust contrast and brightness, perfectly center your image, and reduce geometric distortion.

There are two other things you can do right away to prolong your monitor's life and get better performance out of it. You probably know you should increase your monitor's refresh rate to avoid annoying screen flicker, right? Well, make sure you don't exceed 75 Hz. High refresh rates can stress the monitor's components, use more electricity, and degrade the picture.

Next, don't exceed the monitor's maximum addressable resolution. Best setting is 800 by 600 for a 15-inch monitor, 1024 by 768 for a 17-incher, and 1280 by 1084 for a 19-inch model. Exceed these resolutions, and your screen will redraw slower.

I'm thrilled to have my desk back and to be getting a new Mitsubishi. Now the only thing that needs adjusting is my back.

Editor Steve Bass is a licensed marriage and family therapist and president of the Pasadena IBM Users Group.