I currently use a 17 inch CRT LG Flatron 795FT. Will I be downgrading my picture for Microsoft Office type work if i buy a flatscreen moinitor?

I have been using Eizo S2231 for about 1.5 years and I have just installed Dell 2209 screen at my Mum’s and been looking at it. Both have cleartype turned off and on DVI. The text indeed looks different in E-IPS panel and I must admit I personally like the one from S-PVA much better. I guess I even like TN better (I use it at work).

I was surprised when I read your previous Eizo review. Dell’s text looks too “raw” and “thin” for my taste and with colors different than black on white background (for example menus – black text on gray background or any webpage where background is not white) it starts having some sort of white shadows when viewed from a distance. I am thinking of bringing back cleartype for Dell, so that it does not hurt my eyes.

So in summary
- for Eizo, cleartype off gives me ideal
- for Dell, can live with both cleartype on/off, but none of them is perfect

So it seems like it is a more subjective matter than I thought. I would recommend everyone go and check with your own eyes before buying.

Cheers.

Maybe it’s a case of my trying to do the impossible – replicate the display on my Vostro laptop on my desktop!

I believe you’re right about being bothered by the large dot pitch on the 1908FP, which would suggest that a 17″ screen with the same resolution might get a little bit closer to what I’m after. I can get hold of a 1708FP for little outlay, and that has the same native res. as the 1908FP. Or is that not going to be noticeable enough to make any difference?

But, hey, it’s all so subjective, isn’t it? I can’t abide jagged text so I just have to have Clear Type turned on.

One further small question: is there any difference in the way Vista and XP handle and display fonts? My laptop is Vista, while my desktop is XP. I only use Word 2007 on my desktop under XP, and someone told me that the new fonts in Word 2007 display better with Vista. Is this true?

I’m thinking maybe it’s the large dot pitch that’s bothering you. Personally, I don’t have a problem with slight pixellation, as long as I can clearly make out the boundaries between the pixels and the background. For me, blocky and sharp trumps smooth and fuzzy any day.

Some other ideas:
1. Make sure your monitor is plugged in with a DVI cable. You will never get 100% sharpness if you use an analog cable, no matter how high-end your display. (Sorry if I have just stated something that’s obvious to you.)
2. You might want to try the ClearType Tuner application, available from Microsoft. It allows you to tweak the ClearType settings.
3. You’re not working in portrait mode, are you? ClearType only works in landscape mode.

Like you, I am far more concerned wuth text quality on a monitor than anything else, as I write a fair bit and read even more. I have no use for watching movies or playing games on my PC, but I do work a little with Photoshop Elements.

Here’s my issue: I’ve been using a Dell 17″ Vostro 1710 laptop with so-called WUXGA display (1920 by 1200), Vista Business Service Pack 2, and the display is BRILLIANT for writing and reading. I believe that Vista has Clear Type turned on by default, so I was particularly interested in your comments on the Eizo’s poor text rendering. Why? Well, my desktop has a Dell Ultrasharp 1908FP monitor (1280 by 1024 native res.) which doesn’t render text particularly well under XP Service Pack 3 with, obviously, Clear Type turned on.

I had been recommended the new 22″ Eizo S2242W for improvement, as it has a native res. of 1920 by 1200, and I assumed that the smaller pixel pitch would make the letters clearer than my existing Dell 1908FP.

Now, what you seem to be saying is that this ain’t necessarily so because the Eizo S2242W has the same S-PVA technology as the S2231W that you returned as it was so poor with text. By the way, I use Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 far more than anything else, both with Vista and XP.

So, am I right in thinking that the raw size of pixels (ie smaller and more of them in native res.) is not as important as how the panel actually lights up those pixels, especially under Clear Type? Because if that is the case, it would appear that I’d be better off with the Dell 2209WA’s larger but better rendered pixels…and saving about 60% on the purchase price over the Eizo at the same time!

Thanks again for flagging. It’s great to read a monitor review that has something important to say about text for we writers – most barely even mention it.