Top 10 monitors

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(IDG) -- Of the six new 17-inch monitors tested this month, two made the cut: ViewSonic's G75f--a new Best Buy--and NEC's MultiSync FE750+. Finishing out of the running were ADI's G700 MicroScan; Compaq's P710, which can be tracked as an asset via desktop management software but costs almost $400; IBM's P76, offering luminous graphics but a high price; and Philips's 107B20. Next month we compare 15-inch LCD monitors.

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ViewSonic G75f

WHAT'S HOT: The G75f excels with text documents, retaining sharpness at multiple sizes and in all areas of the screen. It also showed crisp text without sacrificing detail or color saturation of images on Web pages. It earned a score of Very Good for graphics, performing well with both intense colors and subtle shading differences. ViewSonic provides copious documentation, including a five-step setup guide that prominently shows support phone numbers.

WHAT'S NOT: ViewSonic's on-screen controls, which require you to press buttons labeled 1 and 2 to navigate through menus and choose options, could be more usable.

WHAT ELSE: A USB hub can be added to the G75f's base. The monitor supports resolutions up to 1600 by 1200 pixels at a refresh rate of 68 Hz. You can set red, green, and blue color values individually, and you can customize and save eight color settings. The installation and documentation CD-ROM includes Acrobat reader, as well as color-matching software for Web sites and peripherals.

BEST USE: Users who need legible text, lifelike graphics, and a low price will be pleased with the balance that the G75f achieves.

NEC MultiSync FE750+

WHAT'S HOT: Text retained sharp focus at small and large sizes, and across the width of the screen. On-screen controls are intuitive to use and include refinements such as corner correction and edge lock. The documentation for the FE750+ is well organized and easy to understand. It's capable of resolutions as high as 1600 by 1200 pixels at 73 Hz.

WHAT'S NOT: While this model doesn't include multimedia extras such as speakers or a microphone, it lacks any significant shortcomings.

WHAT ELSE: The FE750+ offers ten factory color settings and allows users to customize and save ten additional configurations. Red, green, and blue color values can be individually adjusted. Buttons on the front of the beige case, including the power button, are flush with the bezel; you're unlikely to press one accidentally. This model didn't portray flesh tones very well and didn't render depth of field in photos as clearly as some other monitors, although it would be fine for most office work. It earned a good score for graphics.

BEST USE: Anyone who needs an all-purpose monitor will appreciate the versatility of the MultiSync FE750+.

ADI G700 MicroScan

WHAT'S HOT: This basic beige monitor sports a built-in microphone at the top of the bezel and has ports for a USB hub and speakers. Its controls, which use arrow buttons and a thumbwheel set into the bottom of the bezel, are especially intuitive to use. Advanced controls include horizontal and vertical linearity, top and bottom corner adjustment, and moire minimizing.

WHAT'S NOT: ADI offers somewhat skimpy support hours, and the G700's documentation comes on CD-ROM only, which could be a problem if you don't already have a PC and monitor set up on which to view it.

WHAT ELSE: The G700 displays text in word processing and spreadsheet documents with reasonable clarity. Some testers observed shadowing near spreadsheet cells, as well as some cell curvature. In addition, warm colors such as skin tones didn't look natural, and Web pages lacked sharpness and detail. It displays 1600 by 1200 pixels at 65 Hz, which is not a high enough refresh rate to prevent flickering. Red, green, and blue color values are individually adjustable, and users can save eight color settings. The CD-ROM also includes color-adjusting software.

BEST USE: The G700's $267 price is attractive, but for only a few dollars more you can have a monitor with better image quality.

Compaq P710

WHAT'S HOT: This corporate monitor can be tracked as inventory when paired with a Compaq PC with Intelligent Manageability software. It displayed pleasing text in word-processing and spreadsheet documents, and rendered photographs in vivid, saturated colors. You can set it to a resolution as high as 1600 by 1200 pixels, at a refresh rate of 76 Hz.

WHAT'S NOT: Although the P710 offers plenty of controls (including moire cancellation), as well as a three-year warranty and 24-hour daily phone support, at $399 it is outclassed in features and graphics quality by other monitors priced the same or much lower.

WHAT ELSE: The P710 provides five factory color settings and allows the user to customize six preset modes, although red, green, and blue color values aren't individually customizable. The monitor comes with E-Color color-matching software. Although the manual for the P710 also covers two other Compaq monitors, it is well written and detailed, with a quick-start chart and lots of diagrams. The P710 lacks extras such as USB ports, speakers, and a built-in microphone.

BEST USE: Corporate IS departments that have standardized on Compaq desktops will like the AssetControl feature and the round-the-clock support.

IBM P76

WHAT'S HOT: If judged on graphics quality alone, the P76 would have placed high on our Top 10 chart: It rendered images with appealing color saturation and brightness. It also displayed text that's a pleasure to look at, mainly due to the whiteness of the screen. You can return to factory settings just by pushing one little yellow button on the bezel; brightness and contrast adjustments are also available with one button press.

WHAT'S NOT: The black control buttons blend into the charcoal-black case, making them a little hard to distinguish, and at $399 this is one of the most expensive monitors we've tested.

WHAT ELSE: The P76 displays resolutions as high as 1600 by 1200 pixels at a 75-Hz refresh rate. A Help option in the on-screen controls provides canned troubleshooting advice for common problems.

BEST USE: Graphic artists with cash to spare would appreciate the P76's vivid images.

Philips 107B20

WHAT'S HOT: Philips has put thought into the design of this monitor, enclosing it in a gracefully curvy compact case with teardrop-shaped controls on the bezel. Its on-screen controls have more text explanations than most, so you always know why you're pressing those buttons. And the large on-screen display makes reading comfortable. The 107B20 includes controls such as zoom and moire canceling--unusual for a $250 monitor.

WHAT'S NOT: Image quality kept the 107B20 off our Top 10 chart; it earned a relatively low graphics score of Satisfactory. Our test photos lacked detail, and flesh tones looked dull.

WHAT ELSE: You can add a USB hub to the base of this monitor, or swap in a multimedia base that contains speakers, a headphone jack, and a microphone connector.

BEST USE: Those with tight budgets and small workspaces might give this model a look, but only if graphics does not constitute a significant portion of their work.