ViewSonic G 810

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.0 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Galen Gruman
• Reviewed on: 02/09/2000

ViewSonic focuses on bringing its products in at the lowest price possible, and the G810 follows this strategy. Following another tradition, the low price also means lower quality, so professional graphics artists will be disappointed with the display. But the G810 is fine for those who just want the vast spaces afforded by a 21-inch monitor.ViewSonic focuses on bringing its products in at the lowest price possible, and the G810 follows this strategy. Following another tradition, the low price also means lower quality, so professional graphics artists will be disappointed with the display. But the G810 is fine for those who just want the vast spaces afforded by a 21-inch monitor.

Compromised Quality
Some aspects of the G810's quality looked below average, some a little above average, and some just plain average. What that means for a user is legible but uncrisp text (light text on a dark background is much harder to read than dark text on a light background), indistinct fine lines, minor ghosting, uneven thickness and geometry of shapes, irregular color saturation, and a slight swimming effect on part of the screen. If you can live with these imperfections, $800 is a good deal for this big monitor.

Peering at the screen closely reveals oblong pixels in the shadow mask, making the image look like a newspaper photo under a magnifying glass. You can mentally remove the pixels, but their coarseness is a reminder that this display uses components that are less than fine quality. You don't need to peer closely to see the bowing of the screen's corners. ViewSonic may call the G810 a "flat square screen," but it isn't. These flaws are particularly noticeable if you are working in graphics, desktop publishing, or large spreadsheet programs. But for more casual computing, these flaws can be forgiven.

Limited Controls
As is true with most monitors, the G810 has awkward controls. But the only problem is how they are labeled: You get a 1 button and a 2 button, which match the onscreen instructions of what to push to move among menus and select settings. Once you get the number assignments down, the actual manipulation of the controls via these two buttons and the arrow buttons is simple. Continue reading

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 22 reviews
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