
Thin, Great Resolution
and Nice Price, Envisions EN-7100e, May 21,2002
When
LCDs first made their splash a few years ago, analysts predicted wide
adoption after prices edged near those of CRTs. Back then, prices for
LCDs were triple or quadruple those for CRTs with comparable screen
real estate. This past year, LCD prices have dropped dramatically, making
them more affordable. Now, Envision ups the price ante with a solid
17-inch LCD that sells for $549. This price matches that of a 19-inch
CRT (a 19-inch CRT has screen real estate similar to that of a 17-inch
LCD) about a year ago. It's also one of the lowest prices we've seen
for an LCD of this screen size.
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Envision is known for
its rock-bottom LCD pricing. The company manufactures its own panels,
thereby eliminating some of the middleman costs. But keep in mind that
while the EN-7100e won't empty your wallet, it also won't offer such features
as USB ports, built-in speakers (which typically are not very good anyway),
a pivot feature, or an interface that can accept "pure" digital signals
from your video card. Still, if price is a top priority and all you need
is a basic LCD with better-than-average image quality, the EN-7100e fits
the bill. In terms of price and features, there aren't many competitors
at this price point, though other LCDs -- such as the Philips 107B, which
for $799 features DVI-I compatibility and delivers crisper images -- offer
more. Samsung also sells a relatively inexpensive LCD that delivers good
image quality.
Design-wise, the EN-7100e's panel is housed in a metallic gray bezel,
and weighs a little over 12 pounds; it's easy to pick up and move around
on your desktop. The controls won't win any contests for usability: They're
mounted on the panel's top right side, making them both hard to see and
access for fine-tuning individual adjustments. You're not likely to use
them often, though, as an auto-correct control will do away with the need
to make many manual adjustments. When we purposely distorted the image,
the EN-7100e automatically restored our whacked-out image to its bright
previous state. Still, it would have been better to mount the power button
on the panel's front bezel.
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