Dell 1901FP

CNET editors' review

Dell's 1901FP, a sleek, 19-inch LCD with a full range of adjustability and connectivity options, is a good deal at around $700. Users on a tighter budget should check out the 1901FP's 17-inch sibling, the 1703FP, which offers a similar set of features for about $200 less.

The 1901FP's physical design is good overall. Its range of movement is somewhat limited--it swivels smoothly 45 degrees to each side, and it tilts a mere 20 degrees backward and 5 degrees forward--but the panel's 170-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles make it viewable from almost any position. Hit the release button at the bottom of the neck, and the telescoping neck will add 5.1 inches of height to the display. A similar button on the back of the panel detaches the display from the neck so that you can connect the 1901FP to a VESA wall- or arm-mount (hardware not included). The panel pivots from Landscape to Portrait mode, making legal-size documents and Web pages easier to view. You can download pivot software from Dell's Web site (registration required), but we wish it came bundled with the display.

Compatible with PCs and Macs, the 1901FP also accepts both analog and digital video signals. The display has a whopping five USB 2.0 ports (one upstream, four downstream)--two on one side of the panel, three in back. A pliable silver loop on the back of the neck corrals the cables. Three small, silver, clearly labeled buttons on the bezel let you adjust the 1901FP's image settings via easy-to-navigate onscreen menus.

The 1901FP's image quality was generally acceptable in CNET's tests. It displayed vibrant, evenly saturated colors, which is good for viewing image-heavy Web sites, although we saw some hints of green in the whites and blacks of our grayscale tests. There were also issues with text, which suffered from pixel fusion (letters running together) with fonts at 7.5 point and below. These imperfections are forgivable given the display's price, but graphics pros and spreadsheet fiends may want to shell out for a more-expensive LCD with better image quality, such as HP's L1925 or Princeton's SENergy 981.

Dell backs the 1901FP with a three-year warranty on parts, backlight, and labor. The company offers 24/7, toll-free tech support. A well-illustrated manual, complete with troubleshooting tips, comes on CD.

Brightness in nits  (Longer bars indicate better performance) Measured with the Sencore CP500

ViewSonic VP191b 261  Saumsung SyncMaster 192T 254  HP L1925 236  Planar PX191 233  Dell 1901FP 212