Just before we get to that, there is one more thing that you can do with this flat screen display that the CRT cannot compete with. Side to side adjustments are accomplished by rotating the entire display. Up and down adjustments are accomplished by means of a hinged. The display panel can rotate forward 5 degrees, or backwards 45 degrees. The high level of backwards rotation makes this monitor ideal for situations where you would be standing up and looking down towards the display.

Conclusions on the LM-500

There are a lot of reasons to move from the world of a Cathode Ray- based monitor into the world of the LCD flatscreen. The flatscreen is smaller, more portable, and can fit in places that no CRT would be able to. They tend to generate less heat, and consume less energy - less than 5W in standby mode - about 37W when on.

The 15.1" colour TFT screen is clear, and displays characters beautifully at a resolution of 1024x768, and although the range of colours is limited to about 250,000 shades, provides good clarity and depth. Users who have never worked on a LCD screen may find it a bit odd at first, especially if moving between CRT and TFT, but the differences soon disappear. The pixel pitch is 0.3mm (vertical and horizontal), which is slightly more visible than a comparable quality CRT, but not offensive in the least.

As far as the manufacturer is concerned, EPI (www.epius.com ) have targeted the low cost sector of the flatscreen market and managed to offer a very capable product for a very competitive price. At around $800, you will be hard pressed to find a 15" TFT display for less. Due to the costs of manufacturing the LCD, flat panels have until now, been in the range of the high-end buyer. Flat panels are by no means at the ready to take on the CRT, but as price points continue to drop, more and more of them will make it onto peoples desks.

We really like this display and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking or a good 15" flatscreen display. The quality is there and looking at the competition, the price is hard to argue with. In fact, we're so pleased with the LM-500 we've awarded it the PCstats.com Editor's Choice Award for its' excellent value, and great picture quality.