Has anybody else noticed this? I'm specing out some new machines for a lab and I was using Dell's configure-o-matic. They've got 20" flat panel displays (1600x1280 resolution) for $1300 over the "computer without display" option. I'm looking at lab machines built around the OptiPlex 260 with all the bells and whistles for a per-seat price of $2600.

$1300 is just amazing, particularly when you consider that CRTs go dim after a few years, while LCD flat panels (allegedly) don't. If you go look at the price of nice Sony Trinitron displays, you see that the flat panels are now in the middle. That is, the cheapest 20" Trinitron is cheaper than a flat panel, but the high-end professional 20" Trinitron still costs more.

Summary: unless you're terminally under-budget, now's a fine time to get rid of the old cathode ray tube.