I've been using the HP 2207 Flat Panel Monitor for a few months now and overall I'm quite pleased. I've been spoiled at work for quite a while with a large 23" monitor for CAD work, so it's been nice to have something similar at home. I won't bother with listing the full technical specs here. If you want to see the specs, they are available at hp.com and cnet.com.Here are the things I like about this monitor.
Pros
- 1680 x 1050 native resolution. The high resolution of this monitor creates crisp images that rival any other monitor I have used. Like other LCD monitors, it looks best when your graphics card is set to display at the monitor's native resolution.
- 5 millisecond response time. The fast response time of this monitor means there no artifacts or ghosting when displaying fast motion video. I'm not a serious gamer, but I can tell you that this monitor doesn't miss a beat when playing EA Sports hockey.
- 90 degree screen rotation. This monitor has a pivot on the back that allows you to rotate the screen into a portrait configuration. This is great if you work on a lot of large documents and like to work at a high zoom level without sacrificing the viewable area. Another cool use for the portrait mode is playing old arcade games with xMAME. Centipede and Ms Pacman kick butt on this thing.
- Wide viewing angle. The 160 degree wide horizontal viewing angle means that multiple people can gather around this monitor and have a good viewing experience.
- Dual inputs. This monitor has both DVI-D and VGA inputs. This means you don't need a new computer to use this monitor. Go ahead and get the big screen now if your older computer only has a VGA video output. I've only used the VGA input a few times, but I didn't notice any degradation in image quality when I did.
- Large vertical and tilt adjustment. You need to make sure you can have your ideal ergonomic setup, so wide ranges of adjustment are a necessity.
- Low power requirements. The HP w2207 uses a maximum on 65 watts when in use and uses a measly 2 watts in standby mode making this monitor EnergyStar compliant.
OK, so I've raved about all the great things this monitor has to offer, by I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a few things that peeve me on this thing.
Cons
- Monitor depth. One of the reasons so many people love the flat panel monitors is that they free up a lot of desk space. The swing-arm hinge that acts as the vertical adjustment gives the HP w2207 more depth than it needs to have. It would be nice if I could push it a bit further back against the wall.
- Vertical viewing angle. Although the specs boast a 160 degree vertical viewing angle, there is a slight change in brightness and contrast as your viewing angle changes. This shouldn't be a big deal for most users, but if you're a professional photographer or a serious amateur, then this monitor is probably not for you.
- Thin sounding speakers. Don't ask me why so many companies decide to add speakers to their monitors. I've never heard anyone say that the speakers in their monitor sounded good. The HP w2207 is no exception. These speakers will do in a pinch, but if you want to listen to some music or be immersed in your gaming experience, then you will want to invest in better speakers. Overall, who cares. You don't buy a nice big monitor for the speakers. HP could have saved themselves a few bucks and no one would have noticed.
In summary, this is a great monitor that I would recommend to anyone other than photo and video pros.
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When I turn it to get the verticle view, it will not work. I'm not sure why. I have it connected to a Sony Vaio laptop I recently purchased.