ViewSonic VX2245wm ViewDock
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"Poor value" on by ddancona
Pros: Sharp image, good response time
Cons: Pricey gimmicks, uneven backlighting, awkward controls
Summary: This same screen is available for $30-50 less without the marginally useful extras.
The speakers are downright lousy, and the addition of a puny 3-watt subwoofer to speakers of this quality is a bad joke. The volume control only affects the subwoofer; to change the volume on the speakers you must use the on-screen display, accessed via the monitor control buttons.
The vaunted iPod dock isn't, really: it doesn't work independent of your computer. You have to connect the monitor to the computer via USB, and then back again by sound cable.
If you do that, you'll be sharing the USB connection with the monitor's USB ports; they and it are the slower 1.1, not current 2.0.
The screen itself is okay. The image quality, sharpness and response time are good, but the backlighting is uneven--brighter in the middle than at the sides.
The controls are poor. There is no software adjustment, so you have to use the buttons on the monitor, which are small, flimsy and not very precise.
The monitor is finished in "piano black" (shiny black plastic) and "chrome" (duller grey plastic). The former shows every fingerprint and dust speck, the latter is a source of distracting reflections.
The pedestal is an inferior black plastic. It scratches easily, and that will happen quickly if you use all those ports. -
"Save your money and the headache" on by farseer911
Pros: Bright and big thats it
Cons: Warranty Bogus
Summary: While out of the Box the colors were acceptable for the average user, it does need color calibration. But beware. IF YOU USE A DEVICE THAT ATTACHES TO YOUR MONITOR SCREEN TO CALIBRATE, YOU VOID YOUR WARRANTY. I had a brand new one out of the box. color calibrated it. the coating started coming off with an "approved brand" cleaner. The brands website carried the approval of viewsonic and was non ammonia or alcohol based. I contacted viewsonic, they said that they only recommend cleaning their screens with approved cleaners, yet they do not endorse any products to clean their screens, and thus cleaning constitutes customer abuse. Also attaching color calibration devices also constitutes customer abuse and voids the warranty. Then they attach this information to the serial number and if you call again they hang up on you saying that this issue was gone over with you and is settled 'click'.
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"This monitor is 99% absolutely perfect for me!" on by PhragMunkee
Pros: iPod dock, USB panel, speakers, and wide
Cons: Not very adjustable
Summary: This monitor is absolutely perfect for what I wanted -- widescreen, an extra USB hub, built-in speakers (for on-the-go sound at LAN parties), and an iPod dock. The price at the time was very competitive with other monitors with fewer features. And it's ViewSonic, a brand I have always trusted in monitors.
The only thing I don't like about the monitor is its size. I know it has to be a little larger to accommodate speakers, but an adjustable-height stand would have been nice. It leans forward and back, but doesn't go up and down. -
"I love it!" on by estimator1
Pros: Beautiful display screen, bright, clear, no dead pixels! The iPod dock is great.
Cons: The speakers are just OK! Classical music sounds a little flat. You have to get used to the widescreen.
Summary: I recommend this monitor. It's a little expensive but it's worth it. I have several other Viewsonic monitors (my old 19" and the wife's 20" & for the kids) and they're all very good. My main gripe? The sound is only OK with the iPod. We have a Bose soundock which sounds incredible. Viewsonic and Bose should get together, I'd buy that system.
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"Terrific product - upgrade if your LCD is over a year old." on by markforsyth
Pros: Crisp and clear, convenient iPod docking, USB ports and card reader
Cons: No height, angle or swivel adjustments like some others have - no big deal.
Summary: I am really impressed with this upgrade from my 19" LCD. I use it for home office, internet and video editing. The older technology offered great pictures but text resolution, etc used in business apps left much to be desired, where CRTs offered better overall clarity at the time when I went LCD. This Viewsonic installed extremely easily - truly plug & play, and I really cannot tell the difference in business apps from my 20" CRT that I use at work.
The screen dimensions are perfect for my work station; I did not want the wide screen format because I do work on this PC and watch movies on my TVs. It is perfect for overall computer use typical in a home environment: business apps, e-mail and lots of internet browsing and video playing. It is wide enough, however; to watch 16x9 movies which I use a lot for editing my HD home video.
I rarely play graphics intensive games on this computer, so I cannot comment from a gamer’s perspective. I also have not tried the speakers – I doubt if those little guys can compete with the speaker system I already have, so did not plug then in. I appreciate the built-in microphone but have yet to try it.
The iPod doc, USB ports and card reader have eliminated some cables from my work area and I really like that. My computer is under the desk like I’m sure so many are, so the desktop access to these increasingly used interfaces is a convenience to me.
Lastly, the lack of swivel, tilt and height adjustments was virtually unnoticed by me until I sat down to do this review. The built-in height and straight forward configuration work just fine for me. I think the nice large screen size eliminates the need for height adjustment and who swivels or tilts their monitors anyway, once a comfortable position is achieved? In fairness to those who are not typically sized persons like me, I suppose some may want to adjust it.
