August 11, 2005
Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW: Status Report
Lately I've been having problems with my Sony GDM-F520 CRT monitor arcing – crackling and popping with the picture shrinking for a second and then growing back to normal. I know from past experience that this means the picture tube is going. I'm on my third 21" Sony, having received a replacement for the GDM-F500 I purchased originally, and a subsequent replacement for that replacement. I've been following a discussion thread on a writer's email list I belong to, and people seem to be quite impressed with Dell’s UltraSharp 2405FPW 24" LCD display. After reading some reviews and checking the UltraSharp's specs on Friday, I noticed that it was on sale and I decided to bite the bullet and order one. The price on Dell's US site was better than that on the Canadian site, so I asked for and received a better price. So far, so good. Now I'm biding my time, anxious for it to arrive. I honestly thought it would be here by now, but unfortunately that's not the case. Dell likes to ship things ground, and use my least favourite courier – Purolator – to send their shipments. The problem is that I can't get a tracking number for my order, and their estimated arrival date is sometime next week! So I've decided to post my experiences here, and to let people know how things turn out – good or bad. After reading the glowing review on Creative Mac, I'm hopeful that the display will show up in perfect condition with no dead or stuck pixels, and I'll report on that as well. If it does have problems, I'm concerned that it'll be another two weeks before I have a replacement – assuming Dell is willing to give me one. Stay tuned.
Posted by Bryan at August 11, 2005 01:15 PM