I am trying to choose between getting two of these or one of these. Both options are about the same price.

I am not going to be playing games on my PC mostly just browsing the internet, reading documents, viewing pictures, and viewing movies off the internet like game previews.

I used to have two with windows 98 and it was nice but windows 98 didn't support it too well. I have heard that XP supports multiple displays better but haven't tried it.

My setup at home is a Dell laptop that I use with it's built-in LCD and a Dell 18" LCD monitor that I have on a KVM switch between a secondary PC and a Linux box. I like having multiple displays because of the real estate. When you get to sit close to the LCD screen (not as bad on your eyes as a CRT) I find the need for a super-large display lessens. I'd buy the two just because you get more screen space for your buck, and also you may want to use one of the displays on another machine sometime in the future.

Also does anyone know of dual dvi cards that aren't really expensive. The cheapest I can find are the matrox parhelia for 400.00 USD.

I looked at the 191t on dvi and analog and the dvi is a huge improvment.

Dell sold a version of our RADEON 9700 with dual DVI. Great card if you can find one.

Bruno

Gainward also sells dual DVI cards. They're not cheap though and nVidia only.

I have a Radeon VE which has dual displays but one of them is RGB and the other is DVI.

I used the dual displays in XP and it is great. It allows you to basically have multiple desktops... I can have a word document open while browsing the web or have 2 web pages open for increased browsing power on the internet (especially the Empeg Forum!!).

I also use 2 monitors to do my web page editing so that I can view updates on one monitor while editing it on the second.

I have a similar card here, plus the extra cable for a *third* monitor connection (also RGB). Dunno if all three could be used at once for separate monitors, though -- I've only ever tried two at once (worked fine).

Cheers

I am not going to be playing games on my PC mostly just browsing the internet, reading documents, viewing pictures, and viewing movies off the internet like game previews.

Can you get DVI-enabled PCI video cards?

I'm just wondering is there might be a cheaper option than a $$$ dual DVI card, ie one AGP DVI card and a PCI DVI card.

I actually found several from asus that have dual dvi for about 200.00 USD. There were all based on various nvidia chipsets. I wish they were passively cooled though I just got my shuttle to be silent and I am guessing that the fans they use are loud.


Maybe I should just get two of the 213t's

I just noticed that www.newegg.com have a useful search/filter utility that allows you to specify multiple DVI outputs. There are a few around.

That's where I found the asus ones. I wish they were passively cooled though.

I'm also trying to find a 18 or 19 inch LCD. The Samsung looks like the "one to get" although the screen resolution isn't as high as I'd like. Not a lot of that size LCDs have > 1280 x 1024...

- Jon

I am concerned about that too that's why I am torn between the 213t and two 191t

I guess I only set my 19 inch crt to 1024X768 so I don't think it would be a problem for me.

Have you looked at the 191t ? Do you know if it really does rotate like the samsung website says it does ? I looked at the 213t and it rotates but when I looked at a 191t I don't see how it could. I called samsung and they told me there is a locking pin that was probably not removed so I am going to go look again tonight.

No, I haven't seen one live yet. Can't confirm that the 191T rotates... Where are you going to look at it? I wish there were a place in SF that showed these displays properly... (with DVI in a place that's not all flourescent)...

The 213T looks nice, and it's cheaper than 2 191Ts, but you end up with less real estate than 2 191Ts... Newegg has it for 1282 delivered...

- Jon

I saw them at compusa, circuit city, and bestbuy. I went to several of each store (yes I am crazy). All of the bestbuy stores but one had a 191t connected to an alienware demo system via the dvi. One of the had a 213t with dvi. One compusa had the same setup as bestbuy. At both places they try to keep to out of the system with some stupid demo running I was able to get out of it.

The other problem I had with the stores is that they either had the resoulution set wrong and or had a picture for the wallpaper that was too small and used stretch so it looked crappy.

I'm glad I know how to change all this stuff so I can actually demo the monitor. I don't know how they expect to sell these things when they are set up wrong and look like crap.


edit:
I guess they all have flourescent lighting but I have compact flourescent bulbs in my lights too.

Oh yeah best buy has the 213t for 1300.00 USD. Many online stores have it listed but out of stock (like newegg)

I am tempted to just go for the two 213t's. Gotta measure the desk first. I would be cool to have two of those and just leave them rotated. I was originally planning on getting a 240t for about the same price.

I'm glad I know how to change all this stuff so I can actually demo the monitor. I don't know how they expect to sell these things when they are set up wrong and look like crap.

Hehe, I know what you mean. I haven't found a store yet with them on DVI. Trying to buy an inkjet printer leads to the same frustration - half of them are out of ink, and the others have clogged nozzles. And they never have the good paper. Why do they bother?

Ok the 191t does rotate I just wasn't pushing hard enough. It takes alot more force to turn than the 213t.

So what are your thoughts now? Is the 191t the "one to get"?

- Jon

I think the 191t is the sweet spot right now as far as best value but I like the 213t better.

I decided to go for broke and just get two 213t's. I figured if I got the 191t I would always regret it. The problem now is no one online has them until next week. (except for the places charging way too much)

So where did you order the 213ts from? I'm nervous about ordering it on line as they have these policies that are restrictive about returning them. For instance, newegg says that you have to have at least 8 bad pixels to return a monitor. Screw that, if I had 1 I'd want to return it...!

- Jon

You see this?

http://marketingsamsung.com/epp/

Check out the prices on both the 191t and the 213t...

Anyone work for a company that can get these prices?

Wonder if I just order it from this site...

- Jon

I didn't order yet because I can't find a store that has them in stock. I was planning on getting it from newegg but I'll see when they get them in stock.

I was worried about the bad pixel thing I had never had a lcd before but I just got a Sony U101 it has one bad pixel and the only way I noticed it is from searching for it. Eight would probably stand out though.

I don't have much choice because the only store that sells them here is bestbuy and I really don't want to buy anything from them. Plus they don't have a dual dvi card anyway.

I don't play pc games so most of the stuff I am doing has a white background so bad pixels (white ones at least) don't stand out as much for me.

I didn't see that too bad I don't work at compusa part time anymore.

"ATI Powered" cards are available from PowerColor, Hercules and Sapphire with DVI-I and VGA in a PCI configuration. Current models are likely RADEON 9000 based with the probability of RADEON 9200 coming out being very good (might already be available as I haven't been checking AIB offerings recently).

Our FireGL Z1 is also available as Dual-DVI-I (2x digital, 2x analog or 1x digital + 1x analog).

Bruno

18" screens use a 1280x1024 (5:4) LCD on average. So do nearly all 19" models. That's what would hold me back from Samsung's 191. The dot pitch would be larger than their 18" model. Once you've used a 20" at 1600x1200 you won't want to go back. About the only thing possibly sweeter is a 16:10 version of a similar display. Apple's 23" Cinema HD at 1920x1200. Great price too. Just a shame about the none-too-fast pixel response time and the attrocious enclosures.

Samsung, Eizo and LG have the best bezels right now.

Bruno

You mean I'm not the only one that thinks the cinema displays are awful looking.

Yeah, I'm still drooling over the Samsung 24" 1920xwhatever LCD..

For now, though, the BenQ 20" 1600x1200 is more than good enough.

Cheers

I'm not fond of them either. The 'crystal' surround looks great from a distance, but just looks like cheap plastic close up.

I went for 2x Sony SDM-X72 17" diaplays, which I'm very pleased with.

I wanted to get one of those they have two models the 240t and the 241mp. The 240t has dvi but according to the manual you can only get the 1920X1200 with the analog there are conflicting reports on the internet about it having been updated to do 1920X1200 via dvi but I don't want to chance if for 2500 USD. The 241mp has NO DVI.