To set this monitor up, you have to pull it out of the box, attach the swivel stand (optional), attach the permanent video cord to your computer, and plug it in. Then, turn on the monitor and computer, and you are ready to go. You will also probably want to set your resolution and number of colors to your liking, and use the on screen controls to adjust many other parameters (covered later).

I was quite surprised how sharp everything looked with this monitor. Granted, I was using a much older, refurbished monitor that was loosing the green RGB gun, but still. Not to mention the fact that the 16 inches of viewable area (about the most you will get out of a 17" CRT), added just enough room to make 1280 *1024 resolution look good.

But what is there to a monitor other than picture quality? Well, there are on screen controls, plug and play, specifications, extra features, and more. This monitor gives you a basic package, but makes it more economically feasable for many of us. Things like built in USB hubs, speakers, microphones, etc. are not really needed, and just add to the overall price. If you are looking for a bare bones monitor, this is it.

If you want a USB hub as part of your monitor, ViewSonic does sell a swivel base that has an integrated hub. This monitor's swivel base connection slots match that of the USB swivel base's, so you do have that option. But an integrated microphone and speakers are out of the question, unless you want to tape them to the monitor.

The on screen controls are adequate though. There are four buttons on the front (I prefer the buttons to the control wheels manufacturers are starting to use now). Using these buttons, you can configure the brightness/contrast, horizontal and vertical size/position, pincushion/pin balance, trapezoid/parallelagram, tilt, moire, color, and language. Also, you can manually degauss the monitor, view the frequency settings, and reset the monitor to the factory defaults.

Although not as many options as some monitors, these options are more than enough for the average user. My main uses for the controls are vertical and horizontal size/position, as is for most other people. Having all those extra options is nice, but not always needed. There is one setting I find kind of different. The moire will reduce interference that appears as ripples or waves, but when I increased the moire level, it seemed to increase the interference. Very odd indeed.

One thing that Californians should watch out for is power consumption. This monitor does not comply with the EneryStar requirements, but does not draw as much power as my old monitor which did. When asleep, this monitor consumes only 3 Watts (1/20th that of a 60 Watt light bulb). In fact, when you are using it, it will only use up to 95 Watts, which is very good for a CRT (and your electricity bill).

One last thing that should be known when checking out various monitors is the dimensions. This is not one of those new low-profile monitors, but is definitely takes up less space than I have seen on any 17" monitor before. 16.1" width, 16.8" height, and only 16.5" depth, this is one small box for a monitor of this size screen. Also, weighing in at 32.8 lbs means it can sit atop any desktop computer, without fear of crushing the computer underneath.

No problems were encountered while using this monitor.

This is a great monitor for the price. ViewSonic is known for making great monitors, and this is no exception. Everything is very bright, crisp, and clear. It may not be a budget monitor, but it does provide superior quality to many of the monitors at twice the price.

Pros	Cons
Crisp Text Clear Images New technology makes it 30% brighter than before Colors are vivid, and easy to distinguish Low desktop profile (for a CRT) High refresh rates eliminate flickering anti-static and anti-glare treatment	Video cord is permanent Control buttons are not always self explanatory No extra features Not energy saver compliant
8/10 stars