Dell E198FP 19 inch LCD Monitor Review

Although I already had access to a widescreen Dell LCD monitor at my work, I grabbed another LCD monitor when a co-worker started working from home. I wanted to see how the monitor my co-worker abandoned in his corporate cubicle compared to the one I already had. This new monitor is a Dell E198FP, and it sells for about $300 new.

What it is

The Dell E198FP is a 19-inch LCD monitor with the old-fashioned 4:3 aspect ratio. This means it is not a widescreen monitor. The E198FP measures a true 19 inches from corner to corner, and it comes with a simple stand that lets you tilt the monitor up and down. It weighs about 8.5 pounds without the stand, making it light enough to easily work with many desk and wall mounts.

Otherwise, the Dell E198FP is pretty basic -- a standard no-frills LCD monitor that you often see in a corporate setting. In addition to an on/off switch on the front bezel, there are three pushbuttons used to navigate the monitor's on-screen menus.

The E198FP has only a single VGA input and does not have a DVI input that better monitors have. It also does not have any provision for audio. The monitor draws only 32 Watts when operating, about one-third of what a similarly sized CRT monitor draws. The Dell E198FP's native resolution is 1280 x 1024 pixels.

Using it

The Dell E198FP is dead simple to use. I have it turned on all the time, since it goes to sleep when my computer is turned off. As soon as I turn on my computer, the Dell E198FP comes to life and immediately shows the correct resolution and aspect ratio. As I sit here typing in my corporate cubicle, the E198FP is bright and clear, with white whites and black blacks. This excellent contrast ratio makes the E198FP comfortable to use.

The Dell E198FP is also good for displaying colors in photographs. It lists its refresh speed as 5 milliseconds, which makes the monitor good for video playbacks. I've tested this with dozens of YouTube videos and can confirm that the E198FP plays video well.

On the downside, the Dell E198FP seems to be slightly brighter on the left than it is on the right. It also has a fairly narrow "sweet spot" moving horizontally, so it's a little tricky to tilt the monitor to get the best brightness. These are not big drawbacks, though... just something I notice from my years working as a television engineer.

Summary

The Dell E198FP is a good 19-inch LCD monitor. It has a bright, clear image with both still images and video, and it's perfectly easy to use in a brightly lit fluorescent corporate cubicle ghetto. The E198FP is basic though, a little too basic for the price.

I would personally prefer a widescreen monitor to the E198FP now old-fashioned 4:3 aspect ratio, and there's a lot of competition out there for 19-inch widescreen monitors. I could get something perfectly acceptable for $220, a considerable savings from the Dell E198FP's $300 price tag.

I recommend the Dell E198FP but it is probably not the best value.