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Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"A Home-Run Office Display; Great Text!"
Pros: Super-sharp text, slim design, 4 separate DVI/A cables incld.
Cons: Hidden plastic tabs make chord management hard to use.
Summary: Would you buy a Lexus and then complain that it doesn't have an adequate bed for carrying yard debris? Of course you wouldn't. It's a Lexus, not a dump truck. That said, you need to understand why (I think) HP came out with this particular, standard 4:3 monitor.
Pay attention, all you future reviewers: This monitor is not a widescreen home theater wannabe for a good reason. It is meant to be an office monitor (whether for home office or work), and it fulfills that role better than any TFT monitor I have ever seen.
The text is so, so clean. Whether tiny, thin courier or bloated arial in zoom mode, the edges of the text are amazingly sharp, at least much sharper than any other monitor I've ever seen (notice the dot pitch at .255). Also, the bold blacks on my monitor are almost the color of an off-set print black. That's amazing for a TFT monitor! Also, unlike my Dell 2405, the brightness on this monitor can be adjusted remarkably well to a paper-colored white that is easier on the eyes, yet still clear and easy to read. Because it's 4:3, it has much more height for reading full pages than a 20-inch widescreen would have, and unlike my enormous Dell 2405, it is not so huge that it consumes my entire desk. I am still able to place my paper tray at a good reading height beside my monitor. Perfect.
I don't work for HP, but I'm quite certain when I say that HP knew what they were doing when they put together these specs. Finally someone came out with a monitor that, instead of chasing after the DVD/Doom crowd, is meant to please the many thousands of office workers, writers, editors, and anyone else who has to stare at thousands of tiny black letters all day long. I love my Dell 2405 for watching DVDs and playing games, and I love my new HP LP2605 for doing what the Dell doesn't do: Text!
And then...HP throws in four -- that's right, four! -- DVI chords. Two are standard DVI-DVI and two are DVI-Analog. The only minor quibble I have is that there are two small plastic tabs buried inside the chord management system, and they make it all but impossible to get the big power and DVI chords into the slot. But it can be done, and at least they did provide a chord management system. Lastly, I'll end by saying that this monitor is not just good at text; the colors are bright and seem true, and web videos and movie clips play very well. I love it!
- 2 replies to this review
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I was so excited about your review and took the big leap of faith to purchase the monitor without being able to actually view it myself (it's not sold in any physical stores near me). I just received the monitor from UPS and have hooked it up and.....drumroll.... the text is so disappointing.
I researched monitors for months before buying this. I saw so many monitors that left me blinking and squinting as I tried to make fuzzy text look sharp. I was so sure that this monitor would be different, but in fact its worse then others I tested. I can't help but believe that I am doing something wrong. How can your review sing such praises about clean clear text, yet I see fuzzy edges no matter how big or small the font? I went through the display settings, making all the adjustments I can possibly think of, and the font still stays fuzzy. HELP?! I don't think I'm able to return the monitor, otherwise I would. Maybe there is some setting that I'm overlooking. Or could this all be the difference between DVI or VGA? I only have a VGA input into my computer. Is this as good as the VGA can look and the glowing reveiw you did was using the DVI? Is it possible that the DVI input is crystal clear perfection and the VGA totally stinks? I knew there would likely be a slight difference, but I never imagined it could be this severe. Other then the DVI connection (which I can't really change unless I buy a new computer), is there something else I can do? Please help. -
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. I have been searching for a widescreen monitor for months, scouring the internet for reviews, and yours is the very first that I have found that addresses the one thing i care about: TEXT! It is amazing to me how overlooked that feature is in people's assessments of monitors. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Many monitors get a great review then I go look at them and to my dismay I see fuzzy text that leaves me squinting and blinking in attempts to clear the edges. Your review gives me hope that an affordable monitor that provides clear sharp text actually does exist. Quick question - were you able to check out the monitor before purchasing it in an actual store and where did you buy it? As far as I can tell, it's only for sale online. I would feel much better about buying it from a store, especially in case of dead pixels...any ideas? Also, did you by chance compare this monitor to the gateway fdp 2185W? From what I've read, it also provides sharp text. But I haven't read a review that sings the text praise quite as emphatically as you have for the HP LP2065. If I'm going to buy the HP blindly online, it would be nice to know a text comparison with the gateway. Thanks again for your great review!
Where to buy
HP LP2065:
$449.00 - $473.25
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$473.25 | Yes |
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California Computer Center
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$449.00 | Yes |
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$449.54 | Yes |
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