WHAT'S HOT: The inexpensive ($329) MP503's funky look makes it stand out from competing products. Forgoing the long neck and square pedestal we typically see, the black-and-silver LCD MP503 resembles a picture frame. The panel and bezel sit on two stout front legs and have a back supporting stand that tilts back so you can adjust the vertical viewing angle. At just over 5 pounds, it's one of the lightest displays around. Our test unit excelled on graphics screens. With its analog video input, it beat out the color output of all but one model--the NEC-Mitsubishi LCD1560M--and was great for viewing images and Web pages, even though judges did spot a few places where colors appeared a bit too dark and overly saturated. Desktop icons appeared colorful and crisp, with sharp edges. Text quality was above average, too, with readily legible text on screens of a Web page, a newsletter, and a page showing various font sizes.

WHAT'S NOT: We didn't find much to complain about. Cornea's tech support hours aren't as extensive as some companies'--the 10.5 hours of tech support on weekdays might pose an inconvenience for some people. Plus, you don't get many extra features like a USB hub or height adjustment.

WHAT ELSE: The four control buttons spanning the front bezel are easy to use, though the clock and phase controls (which are used to sharpen image quality when analog signal "noise" causes fonts and icons to jitter or shimmer) are located in a submenu, where we don't usually find them. VGA and power connectors were securely built into the back of the panel--a handy extra that helps save time at set up time, but also prevents you from removing them.

UPSHOT: An affordable price and outstanding graphics quality make this a good choice for people seeking a basic LCD.

SUMMARY

Cornea LCD MP503 $