Sony 19" Display

[timwhit]

I decided to check out some new monitors because my 17" Sony (220GS) monitor has a nice scratch right in the middle, it gets annoying after awhile.

I can across this while I checked out the Sony site. The same monitor is over $400 on pricewatch. Is this monitor any good? Is it a good deal or have I just not looked at monitors in a long time?

I doubt I will ever look at anything that doesn't use a Trinitron tube. I really don't like the Diamondtron tubes as much as the Trinitron tubes.

 

[CougTek]

Well, it's written "superb image quality" so how can you go wrong? ;-)

I own a G400 and I'm a bit disapointed by the brightness variance accross the screen. That's a problem with most Trinitron screens that Diamondtron don't have as much.

Besides, the A series of Sony monitors is Sony's entry level displays. Much like the E or A series from Viewsonic. If you spend a lot of time in front of your monitor, I suggest you to look elsewhere. NEC FE991SB is a great bargain these days.

 

[Pradeep]

A series is bargain crap from Sony. Crappier than the E-series which I unfortunately own. Cheaply made in Mexico, to a price. Avoid. If you want a Sony, try the Dell Peripherals site when they have 20% off, I believe they have a rebadged G520 for around $500-$600, they call it the P1130 or something like that.

 

[Mercutio]

The honest-to-goodness best buy in monitors is any source for Dell lease-returned displays. Ebay will work in a pinch for those, but better yet is to find a warehousing company (like Comdisco up here in Illinois) that has them. Little computer stores often have 'em, too, albeit not always at bargain prices.

 

[timwhit]

Comdisco already ripped me off once on a Radeon 7000. But, let me know if you see a good deal on their price sheet some time.

I really don't even have money for a monitor right now, I was just interested. The exhaust manifold on my stupid Wrangler just broke which will cost about $600 to fix. I have the worst luck with cars.

 

[Mercutio]

Comdisco? Or Comcapital? Comdisco is all the way over in Schaumberg.

Don't feel bad about the car thing. My car is making a noise that I don't want to deal with, either. Right now I'm pretending I don't hear it (it makes a clatter sound at idle, if anyone knows what that is) but evenutally I'll probably have to cough up a bunch of money to fix that, too.

... and there's nothing wrong with a Radeon 7000. Honest.

 

[timwhit]

Ya, I meant Comcapital. My car is undriveable though, which means I should get it fixed pretty soon in case I actually need to go somewhere.

 

[time]

Right now I'm pretending I don't hear it (it makes a clatter sound at idle, if anyone knows what that is) but evenutally I'll probably have to cough up a bunch of money to fix that, too.

Add some oil?

 

[Handruin]

You may be in luck, Dell is offering their special on monitors again, check out bensbargains.net

Right now Dell Home has 10% off everything in their Accessory Store. Use code A9FC39A7B976 for an additional $25 off $250 [Exp 9/16]! Free shipping on $25, no tax for most.


Flat Panel LCD Displays

Dell 2000FP 20" 1600x1200 DVI/Analog/S-Video LCD = $1324 (320-4105)

Dell UltraSharp 1900FP 19" Digital LCD = $1054 (320-0249)

Dell UltraSharp 1800FP, 18" Flat Panel LCD Monitor = $807 (320-0469)
Dell UltraSharp 1702FP 17" Digital 1280x1024 LCD = $829 (320-4106)

Standard CRT Monitors

Dell P1130 21" Trinitron Monitor 1600x1200 = $582

Dell P992 19" Trinitron Monitor 1600x1200 = $316

Dell P793 17" CRT FD Trinitron 1600x1200 = $208

 

[Mercutio]

Add some oil?

Er, that would be different. My car has never burned oil before and I've 700 miles before I even hit the conservative "3000 mile mark" that oil change places seem to push.

But then, $30 is an awfully cheap fix.

Can you tell I know nothing about cars?

 

[Pradeep]

$30 for an oil change? I hope that includes a filter.

 

[Mercutio]

I buy that high-mileage oil formulation.
Which, if it makes my car sound like a dying giraffe after I've driven 2300 miles, might not be a good idea.

 

[Cliptin]

I buy that high-mileage oil formulation.
Which, if it makes my car sound like a dying giraffe after I've driven 2300 miles, might not be a good idea.

Loss of power or just a noise? What is the age of the vehicle?

 

[Mercutio]

Just a noise. Clatter clatter clatter, and only when I'm basically idling. When I get up over 10mph, it goes away.

I'd say it sounds like something metal vibrating against something else metal, but an inspection of the undercarriage doesn't show anything like that (muffler firmly in place).

No leaking fluids. No funny smells. No odd smoke.

My car is a '97 Crown Vic. It has 101,000 miles on it now.

 

[Tea]

I don't know American cars, but it sounds a little like tappets to me. If it's a pushrod engine, they often develop play in the tappets as they age.

 

[Buck]

This would be a 4.6 liter SOHC engine.

 

[Mercutio]

Does that mean something??
Got an oil change this morning. The grease monkeys didn't know what the noise was, either.

 

[Fushigi]

The car prob could also be a rattling heat shield (had one on a Sentra) that just needs to be bent out of the way. Heat shields are below the engine bay.

Pradeep, yes, a US$30 oil change typically includes the filter and the replacement oil drain plug gasket.

Properly maintained, a Crown Vic should be good for 200K miles on the powertrain; somewhat less on the body / interior. Be sure to do the scheduled maintenance on the trans as well as the engine.

I don't think there's any real benefit to the high mileage oil. I don't see what it would offer that regular 10W30 or 10W40 wouldn't have as long as it's changed every 3K miles. I've also yet to hear of any manufacturers endorsing high mileage oils. It's sort of the same with synthetics; only a very few cars have manufacturer recommendations to use synthetic oil.

I do like K&N air filters, though. A little expensive to buy, it lasts the life of a vehicle (rated for 1M miles) and is thus cheaper in the long term. Just clean it annually. As to their claims of higher mileage / power; if it's there it's not really noticeable.

- Fushigi