Acer AL2416W

The Acer AL2416W is the best monitor I ever had. I almost had a seizure when I saw how HUGE it was. Tip: Find a friend with a 20" LCD first if you're starting with a 17" CRT. Had I known that, changing to a 24" wouldn't be nearly as near-heart-attack inducing.

It cost me $620, but still it was more expensive than my computer. I actually was compelled to buy a new one, partially for the monitor, and partially because the one I'm using now is choking.

This is an LCD, so it's very thin. It came out of the box with 0 pixels. The menu was the best I've ever seen, hands down. On all the other LCD's I tested, the menu buttons were close to the screen and distracting, or off to the side and impossible to reach. Acer found the middle-ground. I'm so glad they didn't include speakers, as that's wasted space, and the speakers are always terrible anyway.

I was lucky enough to score a $55 Monster Cable (Oh yes, an M500), normally about $300+, and hooked to this baby it looked absolutely delicious.

Buy this monitor if you have the money, as it's an expense that will last.