The Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP can be a good buy, but it requires a little adjustment to reach its potential. Tested at defaults, this 20-inch wide-screen monitor scored poorly for image quality; with the proper image modes selected, however, its image quality looked good. Well priced at $488 as of 5/18/06, the 2007WFP offers a number of useful work and entertainment features.
When I first looked at the 2007WFP in isolation, its screen quality seemed fine. Under the strict controls of the PC World Test Center's testing--and compared to other currently available 20-inch wide-screens--the 2007WFP fared less favorably. On our text tests, jurors found letters soft-edged. They also had trouble discerning the pale gray text in a black bar on our real-world Microsoft Word test screen. These problems with contrast in dark areas persisted on our graphics tests; we saw a loss in detail in the dark blueberries of our fruit tart photo. Our jury also noted unnatural, orangey skin tones in our group photo. Though no 20-inch wide-screen proved to be a complete washout with image quality, this Dell got outperformed even by less expensive units from Acer (AL2051W and Ferrari F-20), Philips, and ViewSonic
A poor choice of default settings may be the culprit here. When I conducted a subjective evaluation under the same lighting conditions, the 2007WFP showed some versatility. By tinkering with the five color modes and three image modes, I was able to obtain better contrast and colors on the same screen shots. The 2007WFP's transparent, easy-to-read menus show as a bar at the bottom of the screen, instead of the usual view-blocking rectangle in the middle of it; this makes tweaks easier than usual. Some
When it comes to features, the UltraSharp 2007WFP shines. It's one of the few 20-inch wide-screens we tested that provides a full range of physical adjustments: tilt, height, pivot, and swivel. It connects to DVD players and other entertainment devices with composite and S-Video inputs, as well as to computer externals with its four USB 2.0 ports. Add in a generous 24/7 support policy, and the 2007WFP becomes a monitor equally suited to both work and play.
The Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP can deliver good image quality with some tweaking, and it includes some multimedia functions and a good service plan.
Laura Blackwell
