For general-business PC and Mac applications that don't require the highest resolutions or largest display areas, 15-inch monitors offer a good balance of size and price. On average, 15-inch monitors sell for half the cost of 17-inch monitors and offer approximately 92 square inches of viewing area--about 38 square inches less than a 17-inch display. However, if a 15-inch monitor and a 17-inch monitor operate at the same resolution, you won't see any net difference in "image real estate." That's because larger screens produce larger images, not more image space. So, for example, the two monitors will display the same number of rows and columns in a spreadsheet, but the spreadsheet cells on the 17-inch monitor will be bigger.
Running a monitor at high resolutions inc
reases space for displaying large spreadsheets and other documents (see "Is Bigger Better?" on page 216). However, there are trade-offs. Using a 15-inch monitor at 1024- by 768-pixel resolution results in substantially smaller characters than using the same monitor at 800 by 600 pixels. Unless the monitor is exceptionally sharp, we don't recommend 15-inch monitors for resolutions exceeding 800 by 600 pixels. (Nevertheless, in making our Best Overall, High Quality, and Low Cost selections, we conducted our image quality and sharpness tests in the 1024- by 768-pixel resolution to provide the toughest tests of these monitors' display capabilities.)
The Sceptre CC-615GL stood out as the winner in the Best Overall and High Quality categories. It scored above average on all but one of the quality tests, the contrast ratio test.
The Sceptre CC-615GL offers a straightforward combination of digital and analog controls. Individual push buttons for vertical and horizontal size and position control the plac
ement of the image. Pressing any three of these buttons simultaneously enables pincushion adjustments.
Zenith Data Systems' ZCM-1540-UT finished as a runner-up to the Sceptre in both the Best Overall and High Quality scorings. It boasted the third-lowest power consumption in its category at just 66 W (the average was 81 W). On both the screen contrast ratio and misconvergence tests, however, this monitor scored in the lower half of all 15-inch monitors. Contrast ratio is useful in determining which monitors can work well in high ambient-light environments. The misconvergence test may indicate a problem in correctly aligning the electron beams. High levels of misconvergence may result in discolored characters or lines.
Mitsubishi's Diamond Scan 15FS also rates runner-up status for both Best Overall and High Quality. This monitor uses multiple-function digital controls. You select a function using a pair of up/down push buttons; an LED indicates the function selected.
Controls for vertical
and horizontal size and position also serve as pincushion adjustment controls. Separate sets of up/down push buttons set brightness and contrast. A status indicator lights when limits on these controls are reached.
Other products deserving attention come from KFC and CTX. The KFC CA1507 offers controls that let you adjust image size and position, correct image tilt and pincushioning, recall factory mode settings, and set the power-down delay interval.
However, the KFC CA1507 suffers from noticeable moirŽ patterns when displaying full-color screens. It also shows local regulation effects--a shifting of the border outward when displaying bright blocks of graphics, like the status lines under Windows. On the other hand, its image-quality score was well above average.
We rated the CTX 1560LR excellent in image quality and scored it well above average in virtually all the quality tests. However, its high power consumption, tested at 96 W, lowers its overall score. Compare its rating to the Sce
ptre CC-615GL's 63.6 W.
For the best balance of quality and features...
BEST OVERALL
Sceptre CC-615GL
The CC-615GL combines excellent quality with a broad range of features and a good ease-of-use score to win the Best Overall title. Our legibility test using Word for Windows showed that the 15-inch CC-615GL matched all the 17-inch and half of the 21-inch monitors in this quality test. The CC-615GL is also a power miser: It uses only 63.6 W to display a full screen under Windows. The average for this category was 81 W. A power management system to reduce power during CPU idle time is standard. The monitor is MPR II compliant and offers simple-to-use screen controls.
PRICE OVERALL QUALITY EASE OF
SCORE INDEX* USE
BEST Sceptre CC-615GL $555 8.39 9.36 ****
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT $599 8.26 8.90 ****
R
UNNER-UP KFC CA1507 $495 8.05 8.33 ****
RUNNER-UP ADI Micro Scan 4GP $539 8.02 8.71 ****
RUNNER-UP Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 15FS $645 7.87 8.79 *****
DOT/ MAX.
POWER- GRILL HORIZONTAL
DRAW PITCH RESOLUTION MAC
INDEX* (MM) (PIXELS) SUPPORT?
BEST Sceptre CC-615GL 10.00 0.28 1024
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT 9.64 0.28 1024
RUNNER-UP KFC CA1507 9.30 0.28 1280
RUNNER-UP ADI Micro Scan 4GP 7.16 0.28 1280
RUNNER-UP Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 15FS 8.98 0.28 1024 Yes
* Higher numbers are better; 10.0 = best score.
KEY
Ease of Use:
Poor **
Fair ***
Good ****
Excellent *****
Need the clearest display?
HIGH QUALITY
Sceptre CC-615GL
The flat screen on this 15-inch monitor garnered consistently high scores in our image-quality tests. The CC-615GL had the best score in its class in the legibility test. It exhibited an extremely low amount of misconvergence: 0.054 mm versus the class average of 0.107 mm. This contributed to its excellent results in the sharpness tests. Only its contrast ratio score of 5.4 was below the class average (5.7). The lackluster performance in the contrast ratio test may concern those working where there is a high level of ambient light.
PRICE OVERALL QUALITY EASE OF
SCORE INDEX* USE
BEST Sceptre CC-615GL $555 8.39 9.36 ****
RUNNER-UP CTX 1560LR $639 7.54 8.94 ****
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT $599 8.26 8.90 ****
RUNNER-UP Mi
tsubishi Diamond Scan 15FS $645 7.87 8.79 *****
RUNNER-UP NEC 4FGe $755 7.16 8.73 **
DOT/ MAX.
POWER- GRILL HORIZONTAL
DRAW PITCH RESOLUTION MAC
INDEX* (MM) (PIXELS) SUPPORT?
BEST Sceptre CC-615GL 10.00 0.28 1024
RUNNER-UP CTX 1560LR 6.63 0.28 1024 Yes
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT 9.64 0.28 1024
RUNNER-UP Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 15FS 8.98 0.28 1024 Yes
RUNNER-UP NEC 4FGe 7.91 0.28 1024 Yes
* Higher numbers are better; 10.0 = best score.
KEY
Ease of Use:
Poor **
Fair ***
Good ****
Excellent *****
Low Cost
KFC CA1507
KFC packs quite a lot into this
$495 product. The 15-inch CA1507 offers resolutions as high as 1280 by 1024 pixels at 60 Hz noninterlaced. The trade-off for low cost is only average quality scores. The monitor provides a full set of image-adjustment controls, including pincushion, image rotation, and power management. It uses the VESA DPMS power management control signals to meet Energy Star requirements.
PRICE OVERALL QUALITY EASE OF
SCORE INDEX* USE
BEST KFC CA1507 $495 8.05 8.33 ****
RUNNER-UP Compac Mitac M1564PD $459 7.36 8.45 ***
RUNNER-UP Fora Addonics C152LR $479 6.98 8.47 **
RUNNER-UP MGC 1506D $499 7.46 8.19 ***
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT $599 8.26 8.90 ****
DOT/ MAX.
POWER- GRILL HORIZONTAL
DRAW PITCH RESOLUTION MAC
INDEX* (MM) (PIXELS) SUPPORT?
BEST KFC CA1507 9.30 0.28 1280
RUNNER-UP Compac Mitac M1564PD 8.55 0.28 1280
RUNNER-UP Fora Addonics C152LR 7.16 0.28 1024 Yes
RUNNER-UP MGC 1506D 7.79 0.28 1280 Option
RUNNER-UP Zenith Data Systems ZCM-1540-UT 9.64 0.28 1024
* Higher numbers are better; 10.0 = best score.
KEY
Ease of Use:
Poor **
Fair ***
Good ****
Excellent *****
The Best Monitors For General Business
