Written: 06/29/2000
Written by: Mudzy
Appox: Cost: $ 209 US
MFG Website: ViewSonic

With all the hype of Moto's 21" Sony Monitor a while back finally having died down, we’re taking a look at a more practical and affordable monitor from ViewSonic. While many Graphic artists and alike have a need for the more expensive 19"-21" and over monitors, the majority of the general public still uses a 14" and 15" monitor at home. When a cheap upgrade option comes available these smaller monitors are finally upgraded.

Which brings me to the ViewSonic E771. A 17" (16.0" viewable) it has a 0.24mm horizontal dot pitch (0.27mm diagonal), images quality is great for the everyday user and hardcore gamers too. My game is Quake 3 Arena and the game looked great on this monitor. Colors were very crisp and lively, this monitor is ideal for a wide range of applications from word processing, spreadsheets and light graphics to surfing the Internet. It offers On View controls, which allow the user to make screen adjustments with the on screen menu. 

I rather liked the look of this monitor. I have seen some newer monitors with this ugly round button/wheel to do all the screen adjustments, as far as looks go they just don't cut it. The menu buttons on the E771 are sleek and very easy to use. I also like the round base, the square ones seem to be a little awkward at times. The base also had some rubber feet that really stuck well on my desk.

With many monitors to choose from these days picking the right one for your everyday needs can become a task in itself. The ViewSonic E771 is a great buy. You really do get a great monitor for the price you spend. This is one product the old cliché “You get what you pay for” doesn’t hold true.

There are some very sleek looking monitors out these days, The E771 unfortunately is not one of them. Some are designed with a slender form-fitting look on the back. Which simply means the outer shell follows the contours of the CRT, this makes for easier placement on the more crowded desktops. This monitor while not very form-fitting, does take up less room than most. The front is a simple yet pleasing layout of menu buttons and general look of the monitor. Flat screens are big these days but then up goes the price of your monitor too. The E771 is a conventional tube but that does not take away from the crispness or brilliance of color you experience.