FE950+ wins at price/performance

After going to about a half dozen stores to evaluate ViewSonic, Samsung, Sony, and KDS monitors priced between $300.00-$400.00, it was apparent that sharpness of the overall image, text clarity, the depth of the color and even the usefulness of some of the screen controls were problematic elements and even unsatisfactory in some cases.

I looked at these four brands initially because all of them were running rebates at the time, local stores had them on display and many of the Internet reviews were positive. I was looking only at the so-called flat-screen monitors. I didn't bother looking at any monitors with convex screens.

Once you realize that within a given price range almost all vendors seem to advertise similar dot pitches, maximum resolutions and refresh rate ranges, it becomes clear that your preference for a particular monitor is going to depend on what you actually see on the screen, and that it will be based on your own subjective judgment.

The hard part is finding store displays that enable you to change the screen resolutions and play around with the screen settings and then determine how well the monitor performs using standard applications rather than being limited to passively observing a series of pre-programmed images as they numbly pass over the screen(s).

I found that simply watching images flow over the screens of a couple dozen monitors stuffed into a store rack was virtually useless as a method for evaluating any monitor. Insist on hands on use or go to another store where such interaction is available. You must be able to kick the tires, as it were.

Although the sharpness of the NEC FE950+ was readily apparent in the Windows desktop itself, it proved itself in a word processing document. In terms of a crisp font, none of the other monitors I was able to evaluate measured up to it and that is one of the features I was most concerned with inasmuch as I use computers mostly for programming and database application development.

It has a sharp, crisp display with good color and the capability to produce a very high level of brightness. You could light a room with this monitor. It doesn't come with any software, although the NEC-Mitsubishi website (http://www.necmitsubishi.com) offers downloadable drivers if you need them. In my case, Win98 recognized the monitor without a problem and installed the correct driver.

Other reviews mention the parallel aperture-grill lines at the top and bottom quadrants of the screen. They're visible, but I never notice them unless I consciously look for them. They don't bother me at all.

In terms of size, the monitor seems compact in comparison with other 19" monitors I've looked at. It's not particularly heavy and doesn't radiate massive amounts of heat. I like the screen controls: they're logical and conveniently placed.

The warranty is for three years. I run the monitor at 1152 x 864 and use Colorific to set the color calibration. The computer is currently using a 3D Prophet II MX video card.

My price was $370.00.

I've owned one other NEC, a 14" MultiSync that I bought in the early nineties. That cost $600.00. I have nothing but good things to say about its performance. It died after seven years of continuous use and abuse.
If this new monitor lasts four years, I'll be very pleased.

Still, I've had the monitor for only a week, but in terms of price/performance I am very satisfied with it and highly recommend the FE950+.


Cons: Slight ghosting near the vertical edges of bright, white objects, such as word-processing documents.