HP LP2275w

When it comes to readable documents and vivid images, the HP LP2275w offers a solid, no-frills display that would make a good choice for users seeking a widescreen monitor that delivers the best of both worlds. At $350, it is priced slightly higher than other 22-inch displays, but its image quality would be worth the cost.

During subjective evaluations at the PC World Test Center, the LP2275w showed sharp, easy-to-read text on our test screen of different-sized fonts. It also performed well in our color tests: When showing a photo of fruit, the monitor displayed bright, realistic colors.

Some screens in our tests showed a rather high contrast, however. HP states that the display has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, but the contrast we saw seemed a bit extreme. In a few screens, the overblown contrast between the white background and objects in a portrait looked downright unrealistic. It almost looked as if the figures in the picture had been pasted in with Photoshop.

That hiccup aside, the LP2275w is a nice display with a clean design. It offers smooth tilt and swivel adjustments, and can pivot as well. It omits an HDMI port, but does include VGA and DVI ports, as well as a DisplayPort. One upstream and four downstream USB ports are situated at the rear of the display.

For undemanding users seeking a monitor on which to get basic tasks done, this 22-inch widescreen certainly should fit the bill.

--Kalpana Ettenson