LG Electronics Flatron L1950B

The modest-looking LG Electronics Flatron L1950B handles common text chores neatly. All type sizes looked clear and legible on our Microsoft Word and Excel test screens. More than that, the L1950B excelled at the challenging task of making gray reverse text stand out against black--an undertaking that trips up many monitors. For someone who works mostly in e-mail or word processing, the L1950B is a good deal at $369.

Graphics were less impressive in our tests, however. In particular, our screens of photographs and a Web page looked overexposed in the normal mode (the default f-Engine screen mode); graphics seemed more accurately rendered in the movie mode. You can tweak the screen by selecting the user mode, of course, and you can guess what the text mode is best for.

The L1950B looks unassuming, but it works well. The thin black bezel won't distract from the images on the screen. Cable clips keep cords out of the way, and a smooth height adjustment makes it simple to set the screen at a comfortable elevation. Concentric circles add a dash of visual interest to the round stand, which sits atop a lazy-Susan swivel mechanism.

Low price, crisp text, and an easy-to-work height adjustment make the LG Electronics Flatron L1950B a solid choice for general use.

Laura Blackwell