A monitor is one thing about a computer on which I won't compromise.
My logic:
it's what I spend hours and hours STARING AT! I don't stare at my processor, my RAM, or my hard drives....you get where I'm going (though I do have a good looking, glossy black case for all of it). Yes, crappy other components will mess with my enjoyment, but for me, it's mostly what I stare at. So the monitor needs to provide both quality (stuff must "sparkle") and quantity (it must be big so I don't have to "squint").
Some of the nicer flat panel LCD monitors are quite nice (I've seen some crappy ones). Last summer, I upgraded from a 17" CRT to a 19" LCD (though I wanted something larger). I've always been a fan of Viewsonic (having owned a couple CRTs from them in the past...but not my most recent), so I kept them in mind when shopping. Though I paid a fair amount more than you have listed (and about 25-50% more than I'd hoped to spend), I couldn't be happier with what I got. I purchased the
Viewsonic VX910. Yes, there are better out there, but I feel this one is certainly worth the extra money. I paid something over $425 (plus tax).
As I said, Viewsonic had always been a brand I've loved, but when I bought, I also wanted to make sure what I selected was actually something that performed well and others liked. I looked at a handful of models on some computer sites. Also, for the past couple years, I've researched almost all of my purchased on
Epinions.com. There, the monitor I had selected was well received by a
handful of people and the brand was also well rated overall. I'd recommend spending some time poking around their site.
Here's the place to start.
Other things on which I won't compromise: shoes (if my feet aren't happy, the rest of me isn't happy) and my eyes (I only have one pair, so I make sure they're working well and in perfect focus).
