Best sub-$250 2nd monitor for my iMac

[steveroberts]

Friends,

I'm finally ready to pull the trigger on a 2nd monitor for my 20" Intel iMac.

There are lots of choices in the below $250 category and I'd appreciate your recommendations based on experience.

Thanks for your help.

SR

[DaviDC.]

You can't go wrong with a Dell. I have a 20" Dell (E207WFP) & have been very pleased with it. I've seen this same monitor on sale recently for less than $200.

[TheTominator]

I didn't know you could connect a 2nd monitor to an iMac. Is that a built-in feature or are you using a third-party adapter?

[mattkime]

i'd go with the 20 or 24" nicer dell monitors.

[estnyc]

I dunno if you can get a 24" Dell for <= 250, but if you can, jump on the deal.

Several months ago, I bought one of those el-cheapo Soyo 24" monitors that Office Depot (I think) was selling for $299. I've seen them on sale for much, much less recently.

The Soyo is very crisp and clear, although it's got an unfortunately thick bezel with "SOYO" in unfortunately large type in front (a few moments with steel wool or flat black paint would take care of that pretty nicely).

On the other hand, it doesn't look like it has the greatest color depth or fidelity. I wouldn't want to use it for more than the most casual Photoshop work, and certainly not for anything requiring color calibration and fidelity (that's what the built-in screen on the 17" iMac which drives the Soyo is for, or would be if I ever needed it).

Also, occasionally it suffers from green sparkly horizontal lines, or the occasional instance when a few pixels seem out of whack, but, honestly, these conditions are infrequent and quickly go away. I haven't bothered to check for dead pixels because if I find any my eyes will be drawn to them every time I look at the thing.

Anyway, my .02.

[kj4btkljv]

TheTominator wrote:
I didn't know you could connect a 2nd monitor to an iMac. Is that a built-in feature or are you using a third-party adapter?

All you need is the correct adapter. External monitors on iMacs have been around since the iMac DV series. I believe the mid-level blueberry (and other colors) and the high-end graphite had one of the first VGA plugs tucked in the back, under a cover.

Jeff

[jdc]

not anything outstanding in that price range -- this samsung is probably good as any

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...-ARTICLE-0&Item=N82E16824001268&nm_mc=AFC-DealNews&cm_mmc=AFC-DealNews-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA

20" 2.4 AL imac + 24" Dell 2405, runs great

[Black Landlord]

If you have an alu 20" then pretty much anything will do.
If you have a white 20" most everything is going to look noticeably crappy against the imac unless you can find the same panel. I've been trying unsuccessfully.
There are no lesss than two threads not too far down with links to S-IPS panel resources.
I'm using a run of the mill Acer 20" with my 20" white iMac, using the mini-DVI to DVI adapter that shipped with my Black Macbook. Still hoping to find a panel that matches the quality of the iMac without spending an arm and a leg.

[steveroberts]

I've got a white iMac, so the new monitor may suffer by comparison.

I'm pretty set on a matching resolution to my existing display. Any thoughts on 20 vs. 21 vs. 22 inch models with the same resolution?

SR

[mattkime]

go with the 24" dell mentioned a few threads up