~~~DELL E173FP 17-INCH LCD MONITOR~~~FLAT (PANEL) IS GOOD, BULKY IS BAD!
Written: Aug 24 '05 (Updated Aug 24 '05)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Pros: Flat panel allows for crisp, clear viewing with little glare; takes up less desk space!
Cons: I only wish we could have afforded a larger size!
The Bottom Line: While there are bigger and better models to choose from, I'm very happy with my Dell E173FP 17in FlatPlanel LCD Monitor as it's affordable and easy on the eyes!
melissasrn's Full Review: Dell E173FP (Black) 17 inch LCD Monitor
We purchased our latest Dell computer desktop system (a Dimension 2400 series) during the Christmas 2003 season as our previous Compaq model was slowly becoming outdated. So the kids got the old computer and the new Dell was all mine!! But a year later, the old monitor died on the kids' computer and they were suddenly using mine all the time again. Of course this would not do at all, so as a special Christmas gift to myself in December of 2004, we purchased this cool Dell E173FP 17" LCD Monitor online from dell.com just as we had our newest computer the year before. So now the kids had my old Dell monitor (good riddance to that huge, bulky thing!) and I was now the proud owner of my very first flat panel screen. I really wanted a larger model but we just couldn't afford a 19" at the time, so we compromised and are now quite pleased with this standard sized version. Read on to find out more about this no-frills monitor that is not only affordable for average home use and is very easy on the eyes at the same time.
~~~The Flat Panel Monitor~~~
Just like most other Dell products, the Dell E173FP 17 inch LCD Monitor is black in color so that it matches any of the Dell towers it may happen to rest beside on your desktop. Since I am far from being a technical person when it comes to computer hardware related topics, here's some product advertising I found online regarding this specific monitor for those interested in the nitty gritty details: The Dell™ E173FP 17'' Flat Panel LCD Color Monitor is designed for a wide variety of users ranging from the home to corporate or financial trading environments. It utilizes a 17'' Active Matrix TFT LCD that displays brilliant text and graphics with a maximum resolution up to 1280x1024 pixels. This monitor has wide viewing angles, which allow you to view the screen from various positions without compromising image quality. With a contrast ratio of 450:1, it generates clear, sharp, crisp lines and images, while its fast response time provides superior clarity for moving images. Those who require exceptional quality and reliability will appreciate the value that Dell™ E173FP provides. Wide viewing angle of 120° vertical and 140° horizontal. High contrast ratio of 450:1 and up to 250 cd/m˛ brightness for high-quality pictures. Thin-bezel design well-suited for environments where space is at a premium. Compatible with most other Dell systems. What I truly like the most about my new flat panel monitor is how much smaller in overall size it is than the bulky old one that came with my Dimension 2400 series system just the year before. It's still heavy (around 12 pounds) but nothing like a standard monitor yet I now have so much more desk space left over than I did previously. And since I can easily spend hours in front of my computer reading, writing, and rating Epinions reviews among other things, I rarely have to worry about eye strain or headaches from overuse with my Dell E173FP 17 Inch LCD Monitor turned on.
~~~Price & Availability~~~
While I've heard and read many horror stories when purchasing computers online at dell.com, we personally had no trouble whatsoever buying first our Dimension 2400 series system in late 2003 and then this Dell E173FP 17" LCD Monitor a year later. Our budget really couldn't afford us spending more than $300 on a new monitor, so we quickly noticed the larger 19" models were way out of our price range. So we settled for this one instead for the price was $269 plus tax at the time. The retail price was $299, although now it's currently marked down to $254.15 (analog only) at the dell.com website. Since we purchased our new flat panel monitor during the holiday buying season, we received "free shipping" on our order and it took less than a week to arrive. My husband then installed it with little difficulty and it felt like I was the owner of a whole new computer all over again! I immediately noticed how crisp and clear the screen was and there was no annoying glare to deal with. The colors on the screen were so bright and vibrant, which makes viewing my family photos online that much more enjoyable. It took awhile to get used to the obvious brightness, however, but other than that I couldn't be happier with my sleek looking flat panel monitor. Look for this Dell E173FP 17" LCD Monitor or others very similar in price and features by copying and pasting the following URL into your computer's web browser:
Using this Dell E173FP 17" LCD Monitor couldn't be more simple. Once installed, just press the power button located in the lower right hand corner of the screen on and then choose the level of brightness and contrast you personally prefer. All it takes is a press of another button to auto adjust the screen every now and then to keep everything fresh and crisp. Another button allows the user to set the brightness and contrast, but once it's set we rarely have to mess with the settings. There's also a final button that takes you to the main menu, where things like positioning, image settings, color settings, OSD settings, language, and factory reset features can be accessed. The monitor itself overall is very attractive in appearance because of its sleek and stream lined design. In the middle front lower section is the round silver Dell logo which compliments the black colored flat panel nicely. The 17 inch viewing screen rests upon two "arms" that attach it to the base for support. I find that cleaning this monitor with a dusting cloth only is a breeze when compared to the bulkier models I've had in the past. My 13 year old son plays online computer games all the time, and this monitor always displays the graphics clearly. I do alot of shopping online, so the brightness and clarity of the pages I browse seem to jump right out to me off the screen. And then there's the viewing of my photos that I download frequently from my digital camera, which are crisp, clear, and full of vibrant colors. The only con I can think of so far is that there are no internal speakers that come with this monitor, but that wasn't a problem since we already owned some external ones that came with our Dimension 2400 Series computer. So overall, for the price, we are highly pleased with the performance, durability, and reliability this Dell E173FP 17" LCD Monitor has offered us over the past 8 months of almost daily use now.
~~~More Detailed Tech Specs~~~
The following information about my Dell E173FP 17 Inch LCD Monitor was taken from the dell.com website:
Diagonal Size: 17"
Display Type: Flat Panel Display/TFT Active Matrix
Features: Anti-glare with hard-coating 3H, Thin bezel design, Small footprint, Lightweight
Image Max H-View Angle: 140° (typical)
Image Max V-View Angle: 120° (typical)
Compliant Standards: VESAŽ
Connectivity Technology: Cable
Device Type: LCD Monitor
Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 14.9" x 5.5" x 15.9" / 11.74 lbs
Dot Pitch: 0.264 mm Pixel Pitch
Image Brightness: 250 cd/m2 (typical)
Image Contrast Ratio: 450:1
Max Operating Temperature: 95° F
Max Resolution: 1280x1024 Pixels
Max Sync Rate (V x H): 75 Hz x 80 kHz
Min Operating Temperature: 41° F
Port(s) Total ( Free ) / Connector Type: 1 x 15-Pin D-Sub
Power: 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
While I'm sure there are no doubt bigger and better models out there to choose from now, this Dell E173FP 17 Inch LCD Monitor fits my family's desktop computer needs nicely. We usually keep it turned on 24 hours a day but a screen saver is not needed since the power saver on our computer fades the screen to black after several minutes of non use. The viewing area is plenty big enough for us and my computer work station looks much more neat and attractive now that the old bulky monitor has been banished to another area of the house. It's easily more practical verses fancy, but I have no complaints so far. Using this flat panel monitor is very enjoyable as eye strain or headaches are rarely an issue anymore. I can read my email or shop online with ease. Colors are bright and vibrant so browsing the internet has never produced images so clear or crisp as this monitor does now. In conclusion, I highly recommend this Dell E173FP 17 Inch LCD Monitor as we've had zero problems so far and do not foresee any well into the future because of it's high quality design. Good luck and go get a Dell!
http://www.dell.com/
Customer service issues, call:
1-800-WWW-DELL
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 269 tax Operating System: Windows
The Dell E173FP was designed to accommodate a wide variety of users ranging from home and small offices to large corporate environments.More at TigerDirect.com
The Dell E173FP was designed to accommodate a wide variety of users ranging from home and small offices to large corporate environments.More at CompUSA.com
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