NEC FE1250+ 22" CRT Monitor

The NEC MultiSync FE1250 is a 22-inch monitor well suited to small and home office users working with graphics and reading lots of text onscreen. It is an excellent investment for power users of all stripes.

The FE1250 features NEC's totally flat aperture grille technology that delivers crisp, undistorted images that closely match the look of a printed page. This design prohibits distortion around the edges of the screen while maintaining superb brightness. Although the CRT size is 22 inches, there are 20 inches of viewable screen real estate--still plenty for working with 1,024 x 768 and even 1,280 x 1,024 resolutions. While the manufacturer recommends a 1,600 x 1,200 resolution, we found that a bit unusable except for working with large graphic images.

With dimensions of 19.7 by 19 by 18.6 inches, and weighing 70 pounds, this unit requires some space, but sports a streamlined front face. The buttons controlling the onscreen display are right out front, along with a lighted MultiSync logo that turns green when the monitor receives a signal. The configuration menus are quite comprehensive and provide five preset profiles and one custom RGB profile, image alignment (including rotate), and convergence settings.

The variable 0.25-to-0.27-millimeter grille pitch, coupled with high refresh rates at the common resolutions, produced a vivid and consistent image for us during our testing. We were able to run at 85 Hz in both 1,024 x 768 and 1,280 x 1,024 resolutions, though the latter mode was a bit too blurry to use comfortably. True to the company's claim, however, the corners of the display remained undistorted compared to the remainder of the screen.

The MultiSync FE1250 is a solid performer that sports just the right size screen for comfortable, productive work. It's a great choice for users who live in word processors or Web browsers. --Stephen W. Plain

Pros:

• Flat aperture grille means no distortion
• Easy-to-use onscreen display
• Strong refresh rate support

Cons:

• Text blurry at high resolutions

A high-end monitor with a number of easy-to-use features, the FE1250+ is designed with the professional user in mind. With an exceptionally large 22-inch display (20 inches viewable) and a maximum 1,920 x 1,440 resolution, the FE1250+ is more than capable of handling the most demanding graphic applications. A 0.24mm grille pitch, a 160 Hz maximum refresh rate, and a totally flat aperture grille all combine to ensure accurate, true-to-life images across the entire screen.

The FE1250+ has an OptiClear antistatic, antireflective screen coating to help cut back on annoying glare and the resulting eyestrain. A dual dynamic beam focus provides precise continuous focus adjustments to help guarantee the accuracy of the display image, while the AccuColor color control system allows users to choose from five color settings to suit their needs. The Global Sync feature allows users to reduce impurities in the corners of the screen, while the IPM (Intelligent Power Management) system reduces energy consumption.

Connected via a 15-pin mini D-sub interface, FE1250+ is a snap to set up and comes with onscreen controls for brightness, contrast, position, color control, moiré, corner correction, and more. Weighing around 66 pounds with a footprint of 19.5 by 18.6 inches, the FE 1250+ is on the larger side, but it's also remarkably sturdy. Backed with a three-year parts and labor warranty, you can rest easy that this monitor will last. Compatible with both Mac and PC systems, the FE 1250+ is also TCO '99 and Energy Star compliant. --Ariel Meadow Stallings