This isn’t exactly ultraportable (or even a laptop) but it is somewhat of a space saver because it does double-duty, and it’s incredibly cheap (at least in my book). As such, I’ve put together a small gallery of around a dozen photos.
A member of my household had need of a display that could replace a 20″ Samsung display, and that could also function as a TV, and that was a decent price. Low and behold, Dell just announced a new display, the 24″ S2409W, a few weeks ago, at a very low price ($379.99 right now).
Low price and yet it offers a 16:9 ratio with a 1920×1080 resolution. Yes, you read that right – 1920×1080. It’s also got a VGA input, DVI input, and an HDMI input. Would have been nice to have a USB hub, but that’s reserved for the more expensive models. The HDMI input handles HDCP content, and you can plug in a Playstation 3 or XBox 360 or a Blu-Ray or DVD player, so that’s how it’s serving double-duty – both as a large computer monitor (for multiple computers), and as a TV device in a den (even if it doesn’t have a TV tuner).
Specifications:
* Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution (1080p)
* 16:9 dynamic aspect ratio
* HDMI connection that supports HDCP
* VGA and DVI inputs, Audio input/output
* Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
* Brightness: 300 cd/m2
* Response: 5ms
* Viewing Angle: 160 degree / 170 degree
Gallery: Dell S2409W 24-inch LCD Photo Gallery and Unboxing
My impressions: It’s very light – feels lighter than the 20″ display it’s replacing, and yet it’s incredibly sturdy – the base and mount are solid – you’re not worried about those breaking. It looks very nice, as far as the display itself (the frame, controls, etc.). The picture is very crisp, very bright and sharp – we did not color calibrate it yet, but out of the box it looked pretty good. Worked equally well with a Mac and a Windows Vista computer.
You can purchase it at the Dell Home and Home Office page for the Dell S2409W – $379.99 plus shipping/tax
This seems like a great display. The one thing I am curious about was whether the base allowed the monitor to tilt much. My friend has a nice Dell display and although the base is sturdy it does not tilt hardly at all. Also, were you able to notice any ghosting if watching a movie or playing a game or something like that? I know it has a 5ms gtg response time, but sometimes that can be deceiving to how the monitor actually responds and it’s kind of hard to go see it for myself.
Does this LCD have the same smudy/shadowy text issue like Dell’s other current LCD monitors? Would you say that for the low price it was well worth it? Have you tried watching any blue ray movies?