Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 73

Mitsubishi is the gold standard in big-screen TVs, so it makes sense that

the company would work to expand its comparatively small presence in the

computer monitor market. At $292, the Diamond Plus 73 is the company's effort

to make the benefits of a flat-screen display available to customers on

a budget.

The Diamond Plus 73 is an excellent choice for users planning to run

their display at 1,024-by-768 resolution, but as is typical with lower-priced

monitors, the monitor doesn't support a sufficiently high refresh rate at

its 1,280-by-1,024 maximum resolution. At that level, the unit's refresh

rate is only 66 Hz, which is slow enough to cause headache- inducing screen

flicker.

The Diamond Plus 73's VGA input cable is permanently attached at the

rear, so it cannot get lost. This is the only input source available for

the monitor, but it can attach to Apple Computer Inc. Macintosh computers

with an optional adapter.

The Mitsubishi monitor is a little on the large side for a 17-inch display.

It is only very slightly larger than the Samsung also reviewed but is significantly

larger than compact short-neck tube monitors. The monitor is, however, lighter

than average, thanks to a unique glass-tempering technique that enables

Mitsubishi to make the CRT's glass thinner.

The on-screen display is controlled by only three buttons on the front,

but navigation is more intuitive than most monitors, including those with

more buttons. Mitsubishi provides control over all the expected functions,

including brightness and contrast, picture shape, color temperature and

menu language.

In the fast-paced world of information technology, longevity isn't much

of a consideration for many products. Nevertheless, Mitsubishi uses a layer

of tungsten in the electron gun of its CRT to prolong its life. This should

help slow the inevitable dimming of the picture over time, so the Diamond

Plus 73 should work fine when it is 6 or 7 years old.

—Carney is a freelance writer based in Herndon, Va.