Big Picture, Little Box

NEC's flat-panel LCD300 monitor offers a crisp color display while saving you desk space.

By Susan Colwell

The proverb "one picture is worth more than ten thousand words" applies to NEC Technologies' LCD300 monitor . You have to see it to believe it, so we can barely do justice to it here.

The 13-inch active-matrix LCD supports a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels with a true-color depth of 24 bits (16.7 million colors). With this high resolution, a refresh rate up to 72 Hz, and a dot pitch of only 0.20 millimeters, the images are sharp and clear. Besides color clarity, you get the added bonus of a small footprint; the monitor weighs in at only 8.8 pounds and has a depth of 6.7 inches, leaving you room to spare on your desktop. The monitor's only hefty feature is its $5999 price tag.

Although the LCD300 costs half of what it used to, it's still well above the cost of a CRT monitor. In the past, the steep price was due to the complexity of the LCD technology and compatibility issues with graphics cards. Now the unit uses a standard analog signal, which means it can display unlimited colors simultaneously and works with any standard Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) graphics card.

Right from the start, we loved the LCD300's compactness. It's easy to handle and set up--you just have to connect its five color-coded BNC plugs. To test the monitor at its recommended 1280 by 1024 resolution, we used a 60-MHz Pentium Zeos Pantera running Windows 95 with an NEC-supplied Matrox MGA Millennium graphics card installed.

On start-up, we discovered that the LCD300 is not plug and play, which isn't a problem if you know the right video-mode settings for your graphics card. NEC's documentation wasn't up to date on the Mat rox settings, but the company assured us that this data will be available on its FastFacts line ((800) 366-0476) and Web page.

Once the monitor was running at 1280 by 1024, the clarity of its flat, flickerless screen was impressive. The text is sharp but small, and you have to sit fairly close to appreciate its clarity. With some applications, using larger fonts improves the readability.

To position and lock an on-screen image, you press the control buttons on the back of the monitor. We'd prefer to have them on the front. The mode settings are also on the back.

Overall, the LCD300 is ideal for those who work with complex graphics and high-color images. Its small size and sleek design give it a personal flair that commands your attention. The only drawback is its high price.

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Product Information

LCD300................................$5999

NEC Technologies, Inc.
Boxborough, MA
Phone:    (800) 632-4
636 or (508) 264-8000
Internet:  
http://www.nec.com

Circle 976 on Inquiry Card.

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LCD300

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NEC's 13-inch active-matrix LC D300 desktop monitor produces high-quality images at a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels.

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Susan Colwell is a BYTE technical editor. You can contact her by sending e-mail to scolwell@bix.com .