August 15, 2005
The Dell is here!
My new Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW showed up today - I'm actually using it as I write this entry. I have to admit I'm quite impressed with it. Two minor complaints: it runs very hot, and it's not rotating to perfectly horizontal. Regarding the heat issue, it'll be fine in the fall and winter as the temperature drops, but right now it's just adding to an already high room temperature. As for the rotation, it's not that big a deal, maybe two or three millimetres lower on the bottom right than on the bottom left (of the plastic enclosure, not the LCD itself). The colour looks great - it's not too bright for me, and amazingly it appears that there are no dead pixels, which is quite a feat since there are well over two million pixels on this display. I wasn't thrilled with the time it took the monitor to show up, and it took until today for Dell to be able to give me a tracking number! So by the time I knew it was coming, it only took another hour or so for the doorbell to ring. I'll give this display seven thumbs up and recommend it to anyone who needs such a huge desktop area.
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.
