Dell 2405FPW

[CAG]

Looks like Dell may soon be coming out with a bigger widescreen LCD. Scroll a little way down on THIS PAGE and you'll see that Dell has registered the name...they did the same thing with the 2001FP and 2005FPW just before they were launched. From the name, it looks like it'll be a 24".

Stay posted ,

CAG

[TheAngryIntern]

glad i held off on getting a 2005fpw

[firstadopter]

Oh baby, please price it under $1000.

[CAG]

My guess is that it'll have a 1900 x 1200 native res., a 12-16ms or less response time, and be priced in the $1300-1400 range. Should be a nice panel.

[NEODARK]

there has been a long ongoing discussion on this issue @ [H] since about 2 weeks ago, here: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=849786

[firstadopter]

The latest rumor seems to be a launch in February or March. $1000, $1000, Go Dell Go!

[Zetto]

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.ph...ic=273396&st=0

[firstadopter]

Ha the latest speculation is a Feb. 14th release date and the monitor will come with a builtin flash memory card reader, which I find kind of weird and strange. I have enough card readers.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Zetto

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.ph...ic=273396&st=0

I saw that pic in the thread @ hardforum...kinda looks like a "photoshop" to me. Anyway, but for the speculation, it doesn't appear that anyone else knows anymore than we do about this panel...looks like I'll have to put a call in to my good bud, Mickey Dell.

CAG

[bshort]

This is now a confirmed product, BTW.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...04&l=en&s=hied

[firstadopter]

Dell has launched the 24" Widescreen Ultrasharp 2405FPW LCD Monitor on their website today. Specs include:


-24 inches of widescreen goodness

-1920x1200 native resolution

-12 ms response time for movies and gamers

-Dual input support for DVI and analog connections

-Consumer electronic inputs such as S-video, composite

-Picture in picture capability for PC and TV viewing at same time

-4 port USB hub and 9 in 1 memory card reader built-in


Dell also notes some video cards will not support the 1920x1200 wide-screen resolution. Please check with your video card manufacturer before buying the monitor. This monitor sounds awesome for games, PVR use, and movie watching. Who is going to get the first one? It is slated to come out in March. Join us on the biggest Dell LCD monitor message boards on the internet. [Discussion] - thanks to bshort for the link

[CAG]

User's Guide with all the specs, etc., is HERE...1000:1 contrast ratio...this panel will blind you.

[CAG]

There's a review up @ ExtremeTech here . They really like it...thought it was almost too big for gaming. Price is $1,199...about the cost of two sale-priced 2001FP's or 2005FPW's. But with Dell's legendary %-off sales and coupons, it should come under a grand. These things are going to sell like crazy. I just hope the QC is better on this than on the 2005FPW.

Save your nickels, folks

CAG

[firstadopter]

Yeah too big for gaming. MUST NOT BUY IT... too big for gaming. Yeah yeah.. Must fight overwelming urge to buy latest and greatest toy. MUST FIGHT! wahhhhhhhh.

[plaincurious]

Let me introduce myself, as this my first post to this site, after lurking for a few months. I've been a computer programmer for 25 years, but amazingly enough I never owned my own home computer. My employer always had us take home our old computers and CRT monitors whenever we got new ones at work. Under that scenario, I was always a "last" adopter, rather than a first adopter. A few months ago, when my employer rescinded its policy about taking home our old computers, I decided to buy my own. I started reading firstadopter.com to help me decide what to get.

I decided on the Dell Dimension 8400 with the 2005FPW monitor. I dreamed of having the space for roomy side-by-side windows on the monitor at the same time. I was not especially interested in gaming or watching DVDs. I recently returned the 2005FPW and will be getting the 2001FP as a replacement any moment now. The reason I returned the 2005FPW could be relevant to potential 2405FPW purchasers who are non-gamer users like me, so that’s why I’m posting here and now. As the 2005FPW was my first LCD flat panel monitor, naivety could have played a major role in my displeasure. Apologies in advance if I am just stating the obvious to most of you.

If you look at the specs for the 2405FPW (and for the 2005FPW) you will see a list of Preset Display Modes. None of these modes has the same aspect ratio as the max 1920 x 1200. Most of the aspect ratios are either 4:3 or 5:4, none are 16:10. I don’t know whether this situation is true for wide aspect monitors made by other manufacturers. Using the maximum resolution on the 2005FPW, I sometimes found text to be too small for comfortable reading (as when reading email from work via Citrix). The text was very clear, but just too small. So I would try selecting a different preset resolution. The first thing that happened was that the desktop would get smaller (black bands all the way around the desktop), but the text would be no bigger. I could then choose to increase the size of the desktop using the OSD buttons on the front of the monitor. There were two choices, quoting from the Dell user guide:

Fill: Image size up-scaled to fill the entire screen, image maybe distorted or elongated due to non-proportional scaling of height and width.

Aspect: Increases Vertical image size to fit screen and adjusts Horizontal size to maintain proportional image.

While these choices did increase the size of the text, I found both options unacceptable and a nuisance. The “fill” option stretched the text horizontally. The “aspect” option still left me with black bands on the sides of the desktop, not very inviting for side by side windows.

When using the maximum resolution, FireFox was a great improvement over Internet Explorer for the ability to increase the size of the text in some web pages that have small text. You can see this yourself on the Morningstar.com web site. Go to View, text size, and you will see that where Internet Explorer does not increase the text size, FireFox will do so. But even FireFox could not increase the text size of my email being displayed by Citrix. And since I would be looking at that email everyday, I decided that I would be better off with a standard aspect ratio for the time being.

Please let me know if I missed something in this analysis. There's still time to cancel my 2001FP!

Thanks.

[CAG]

Welcome top the forum, plaincurious

I don't own the 2005FPW and really can't opine on its display but I have the 2001FP and, on such a big screen and at a resolution of 1600 x 1200, text size tends to be small. But, it is also very clear, crisp, and (for me at least) very readable. It took me a little while to get used to so much content being displayed at one time on a monitor (which I think may increase the perception that the text is small) but I got used to it quickly and now I'm annoyed when viewing small screens (like the 15" LCD at my office) because I can't see as much content. Also, the perception of small text size may very well be less on a 4:3 aspect screen than it is on a 16:10 aspect screen. What I suggest is that you get the 2001FP and judge for yourself...you can always return it. If its at all a help, I've had my panel for ~11 months and everytime I turn it own, I'm still amazed at how good it looks.

CAG

[firstadopter]

I can see what you are saying. The more I think about it, I'm not sure a 24 inch monitor is for me. For DVDs, I'm sure it would be fantastic, but I don't really use my PC for movie watching.

For games, I think it would be too much. I already find the 1600x1200 and 20 inches more than enough for my peripheral vision. I actually rationalize sometimes that I'm at a disadvantage to a 17 inch monitor playing at a lower resolution when I play online games like Counterstrike Source. They probably can see the enemy quicker and react faster.

In terms of productivity, you really don't need widescreen. The 2001FP has more pixels than the 2005FPW. And the 2405FPW is probably overkill.

For productivity, 2 2001FP's side by side is probably the best of both worlds. Just my opinion.

[plaincurious]

Thanks, CAG and RENDITION for your thoughtful replies. I considered them last night as I tested out my brand new 2001FP that arrived yesterday. I understand now that as a "last" adapter person and as an older (aargh) person, I was merely taken by surprise at the small text displayed at maximum resolution. If, as CAG has done, I could get used to small text, then I would probably go back to coveting a wide screen, where I do think I could see a small gain in productivity.

So my plan of action is to keep the 2001FP, and give myself plenty of time to determine whether I can get used to small text. If I can, then in a year or so I might go for the 2405FPW, or for a second 2001FP as RENDITION has suggested. If I can't get used to small text, then this 2001FP gives me the opportunity to change resolutions seamlessly -- no button pressing on the monitor is needed.

I also plan to read firstadopter.com regularly. I'm very impressed with the quality of the discussions. I would never have imagined that I would consider getting a second 2001FP if I hadn't read it here!

Thanks all!

[arogan]

A couple of things I'm not sure you considered:
- I always suggest running native resolutions when working with text. Any other resolution the monitor and/or your video driver will have to scale and text tends to look a bit fuzzy.
- use DVI if at all possible. You can pick up ati radeon 7500 with dvi for around $30 (like at newegg.com) if you don't have a card that supports dvi. It's worth it.
- if you decide not to run at naitive pick a resolution that maintains the same aspect ratio as the naitive resolution of the lcd monitor. This way your monitor can scale up to use the entire screen and nothing will look stretched out of porportion. windows sometimes hides some of the resolutions that you card can obtain. You might try powerstrip: http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm
or even their freeware util multires: http://www.entechtaiwan.net/util/multires.shtm
- enlarge the default font size in windows at least in XP I think it's properties of your desktop, apperance, then pick large fonts. This will help with many apps and file explorer.

[CAG]

plaincurious,

arogan's points are right on the mark. Congrats on your new panel...post back and let us know your thoughts after you've had a chance to play with it for a while.

CAG

[Kaxr]

One of the advantages of the larger displays is that at their native resolution, text and such is larger.

I have an HP Pavillion zd7000 laptop with the 17" widescreen LCD. The native resolution for the display is the same as that of my 2005FPW - 1680x1050.

The extra screen real estate of the Dell display does make text larger and easier to read, and having the same native resolution as my HP display, means I don't need to worry about constantly changing the resolution as when I had it plugged into my Sony 20" CRT at 1600x1200.

I will get the 2405FPW (I had planned to buy the HP 23" until I heared about the Dell 2005FPW), but I will wait until I get a new desktop with a top-end video card. While not a gamer, I want to be sure that whatever I get will be able to drive the 2405FPW at her native resolution via DVI (I currently have to use analog from my HP). Chances are my next desktop will be a Dell, anyway, so I'll keep an eye out for the "packaged deal special".

[Mkaltea]

Take a look at Dell:s support pages: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/monitors/2405fpw/

Seems nice. Specs are not bad and a built in card reader!

[firstadopter]

That's a great link. Here's another one:

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m#Front%20View

All the specs you ever wanted to know of for the 2405FPW.

[Zetto]

Originally Posted by Rendition

...
For productivity, 2 2001FP's side by side is probably the best of both worlds. Just my opinion.

U know what's better than 2x2001fps? 2x2405fpws of course!

[firstadopter]

I wonder if any graphics card could handle 2 2405FPW? Hmmm.

[Kaxr]

There are some dual-DVI cards that should be able to drive them.

[Zetto]

U dont *need* DVI, D-SUB should work, although it does degrade signal quality somewhat... I have dual-DVI videocard though... and spare $2500 .... nah, j/k

[vorpel]

Originally Posted by Rendition

For productivity, 2 2001FP's side by side is probably the best of both worlds. Just my opinion.

Hi all! I can speak to having 2 2001FP's side by side - it is really nice! Basically I use the 2001FP on the left for video content, and find that I use it full screen for s-video about half the time, and the other half I watch video in the picture-in-picture (PIP) window.

My wife just got a 2001FP this week, and just for the fun of it, I put it up on my desk between my 2 existing 2001FP's. WOW! Three displays sure looks nice! That being said, I don't have the faintest clue how I would use the monitors efficiently. I do have 7 computers that I use via an 8-port KVM.

I saw the info for the 2405FPW this morning, and now I'm trying to figure out if I can justify to myself a 2405FPW in the center, with a 2001FP on either side. I think it will take Visio in order to figure out how this might work.

There is something to be said for just sticking with the 2 2001FPs.

If I can figure out how to post a picture here, I'll post one of the 3 2001FPs in a row.

Good luck!

-DC

[::: Dark Psi ::]

Hello everyone, I am new to the forums, well actually I have simply come here before as a guest but now I am registered. Anyway, I just bought a 2005FPW and the monitor is absolutely spectacular. It has lived up to all the hype and delivered one hell of a package for the price. However, I had one issue: it just wasn't big enough. Coming from a 21" CRT it was a change. But now with the 2405 FPW coming out, I am more than excited to return the 2005 and upgrade it. Luckily I just received the 2005FPW a week ago.

Either way, if anyone is looking for a great widescreen monitor and if the 2405 is anything like the 2005, this should be an absolute dream flat panel to own. I AM ANXIOUSLY AWAITING MARCH 1st! (Unless anyone has heard we can order them now. )

Dark Psi

[firstadopter]

It is launched and for sale today. For $1079.10 on Dell Home with 1-2 week wait.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/P...ctlisting.aspx