Budget Options

Monitor Budget Options :

It's a good time to buy a new monitor. Fierce competition and production advances have driven prices steadily downward over the past dozen years. LCDs remain more expensive than CRTs with a similar display size, but even those prices have dropped dramatically in recent years. The LCD industry has been struggling with a feast-or-famine cycle of oversupply, followed by shortages that drive prices down and then up again. Worldwide LCD production capacity has grown in the past few years, which helps minimize these price swings, but the countervailing forces of increased demand as well as increased competition still leave the market subject to up-and-down price changes. The absolute dollar difference between LCDs and CRTs is getting smaller, however, which is helping increase the interest in LCDs as a viable desktop alternative. Recognizing that prices can change quickly in these markets, here's what your dollars will buy you in the following ranges:

	$0. Nothing is really free, but you can expect to get a 15-inch CRT bundled with many new computers-even the $799-budget configurations. Look for a display in this range if you need to keep your system purchase price to a minimum.
	$150 to $200. Most 15-inch CRTs fall in this range, and you can find a few of the budget-priced 17-inch CRTs. Look for a display in this range if your needs are modest and your budget is, too.
	$200 to $400. You'll find top brand 17-inch and bargain 19-inch CRTs in this range. Look for a display in this range if you need a large CRT display that's suitable for most applications. At this price, you'll find some very good choices.
	$400 to $600. At this price, 15-inch LCDs start to appear, along with brand name 19-inch CRTs. Look for a display in this range if you want an entry-level LCD or need a top-quality, large CRT.
	$600 to $1,000. Some 17-inch LCDs are now available in this range, along with most 20- and 21-inch CRTs. Look for a display in this range if you're willing to spend more on your display than you spend on your computer.
	$1,000 to $2,000. Most 17-inch LCDs are at the low end of this range, with 18-inch and larger LCDs filling out the rest. Some high-performance 21-inch CRTs are also in this range, as well as a few larger CRTs, such as 24-inch models. Look for a display in this range if you need a large LCD or very large CRT for professional-applications, dual-page desktop publishing.