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Two Budget 21-Inch Monitors

Though 21-inch monitors offer a greater viewable area and support for higher resolutions than their 19-inch cousins, their average price hovers near $1150. A few 21-inch displays, however, cost less than some of the 19-inch monitors we reviewed. To see if cheaper means inferior quality, we tested Dell's $899 M1110 and Princeton's $849 EO2010. They sell for $250 to $300 less than the average 21-inch model, and even cost less than the high-end 19-inchers we tested.

A fast refresh rate at a high resolution can make a 21-inch display tempting, but that attraction proved illusory on the 21-inchers we examined. Neither monitor displayed clear and flicker-free text above resolutions of 1280 by 1024. Of the two, the Dell produced sharper images and is the better choice if you run mostly text-based apps.

The Dell M1110 yielded bright, realistic colors. Although the results aren't on a par with those produced by the best 19-inch displays, the M1110 does a creditable job, suitable for office graphics such as spreadsheet charts. The Princeton unit fared worse. Our sample Web page appeared fuzzy in places, with uneven focus across the screen. And colors on a photo of summer fruit looked artificial.

Neither model offers exact tuning controls--just ones for basic contrast and geometric functions. And neither display comes with advanced features like BNC connectors (for video-out capabilities) or USB ports.

But size is the biggest drawback of these monitors. Each model is nearly 30 percent larger than the average 19-inch display. Dell fits the M1110 into a cabinet 18 inches deep (average by 19-inch display standards), but the plastic housing surrounding the face is huge. The Princeton unit is even bigger.

If you need precision focus for computer-aided design or graphic design, we recommend you stick with the best of the 19-inch crowd, or go for broke with a high-end 21-inch display.