It's so big, it's like having two displays on your desk.

 

With windows for instant messenger, email, Web browser, iTunes, and other apps filling your desktop - and that's not even considering the application you're actually working in - a standard 17- or 20-inch display can make you feel pretty penned in. And while a large screen such as the 24-inch MultiSync LCD2470WNX may seem pricey, it offers plenty of display space for all your stuff, and you'll save yourself the hassle of shuffling windows all the time. It doesn't hurt that the LCD2470WNX has gorgeous image quality too - but we do have to ask: Who names these things, anyway..?.

 

The LCD2470WNX has a native screen resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels. It's a widescreen display, and our widescreen DVD movies looked great, with rich, accurate colors. We didn't notice any of the smearing that's common when watching DVD movies on some LCD monitors. We also tested the display with Doom 3, and although we had to turn down the resolution to get better framerates (that's not the display's fault - blame it on the 128MB ATI Radeon 9600 XT video card in our Dual 2GHz Power Mac G5) the game looked great. We could see the screen at extreme angles, and with our naked eyes we couldn't detect any unevenness in brightness.

 

The display is not only tilt-and-swivel adjustable, but you can also adjust the height, which you can't do with many displays. It can also pivot 90 degrees. The intuitive onscreen controls are easy to use as well. A nice touch is the USB 2.0 hub (four down port, one up port) for connecting your digital camera, flash drive, or other peripherals.

 

If you're thinking of getting a 24-inch (or larger) display to replace your 15- or 17-inch display, keep in mind that it takes a while to get used to such a big screen. Looking for anything on a larger screen is more of a physical task - you actually need to move your head more, and you'll have to adjust your mouse tracking too. After a week or two, though, using the larger screen will become second nature.

 

The bottom line. The LCD2470WNX is a big, glorious screen. And where displays are concerned the bigger, the better.

 

COMPANY: NEC
CONTACT: www.necdisplay.com
PRICE: $819.99
REQUIREMENTS: DVI
Great image quality. Easy-to-use controls.
Big size takes some getting used to. No built-in speakers (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).