Which monitor?

[Gil]

I am in need of opinions!

I'm setting up a Performa system for use at my grandmother's house. It will be used mainly for Microsoft Word, and Quicken, however it will also have a modem for some internet access, possibly email. The only part I can't decide on, is which monitor to pair with the machine. There are two options: an Apple Color Plus 14" display, or an Apple Multiple Scan 15" display. Here are the pro's and con's that I've come up with.

Color Plus 14":

Pro's - Takes up less space, 640x480 is fine, more reliable than MS 15".

Con's - Smaller screen, no built-in speakers.

M.S. 15":

Pro's - Bigger screen, more resolutions, built-in speakers

Con's - Takes up more space, known to have product defects (therefore less reliable than the Color Plus).

Both are in good working condition. While the Multiple Scan 15" display is fine now, I worry that it may develop problems later. Does anyone have any advice as to which monitor I should pair up with the Performa? I'm torn between the two!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Strimkind]

Go for the 15". The larger size at 640x480 resolution will make the letters bigger at the same resolution therefore easier to read. In addition there are the speakers built in so that takes up less space than the 14" would with an additional pair of speakers.

If it does die replacement monitors are easy to come by and you have the 14" for backup.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Go for the 15" . . . . . . If it does die replacement monitors are easy to come by and you have the 14" for backup.

Ditto, for all the same reasons, especially if it's a TV-Tuner capable rig, the larger screen size and speakers will be put to good use!

BTW: which performa? :?:

 

[Gil]

Go for the 15" . . . . . . If it does die replacement monitors are easy to come by and you have the 14" for backup.

Ditto, for all the same reasons, especially if it's a TV-Tuner capable rig, the larger screen size and speakers will be put to good use!

BTW: which performa? :?:

It's a 6200. I may put a 6300 board in there, though. It won't be used for TV probably. Considering that the computer won't get a lot of use, the chances of the 15" monitor dying are probably slim.

 

[tmtomh]

I agree with the others - go for the multiscan one. 640x480 gets tired real fast, and in my experience the Color Plus 14" is just not a very good monitor. IIRC the MS15 is a Trinitron while the ColorPlus 14 is a shadow mask.

 

[Gil]

I agree with the others - go for the multiscan one. 640x480 gets tired real fast, and in my experience the Color Plus 14" is just not a very good monitor. IIRC the MS15 is a Trinitron while the ColorPlus 14 is a shadow mask.

Actually, both the M.S.15 and Color Plus 14 used Shadow Mask displays. However, I will be going with the M.S. 15.

 

[LCGuy]

Personally, as someone who has owned both, I'd go with neither - they're both crappy monitors really. Try and find a 17" VGA CRT from a PC, and a VGA adaptor...you should be able to find a newish one pretty cheaply, and it'll probably be a lot better than either the ColourPlus or the MS15".

Another option, if you're happy being stuck at 640x480 is the Macintosh Colour Display. Its a small 14" Trinitron that was often bundled with LCs...should be fairly easy to find, and despite being fixed at 680x480, they're a very nice little monitor. The Macintosh 16" Colour Display is good too, but takes up a bit more space than the 14" MCD.

 

[Gil]

Personally, as someone who has owned both, I'd go with neither - they're both crappy monitors really. Try and find a 17" VGA CRT from a PC, and a VGA adaptor...you should be able to find a newish one pretty cheaply, and it'll probably be a lot better than either the ColourPlus or the MS15".
Another option, if you're happy being stuck at 640x480 is the Macintosh Colour Display. Its a small 14" Trinitron that was often bundled with LCs...should be fairly easy to find, and despite being fixed at 680x480, they're a very nice little monitor. The Macintosh 16" Colour Display is good too, but takes up a bit more space than the 14" MCD.

Yes, they're not the greatest, but for this application, it doesn't need a great monitor. Just word processing and mild internet, mostly. I don't have a spare VGA monitor, and I don't want to go down the list of manufacturers and model #'s to find which ones are good, reliable, etc.. I did consider the Macintosh Color Display, but I haven't been able to find any for sale.

So I'm going with the Multiple Scan 15.

 

[thinkdifferent]

I am in need of opinions!
I'm setting up a Performa system for use at my grandmother's house. It will be used mainly for Microsoft Word, and Quicken, however it will also have a modem for some internet access, possibly email. The only part I can't decide on, is which monitor to pair with the machine. There are two options: an Apple Color Plus 14" display, or an Apple Multiple Scan 15" display. Here are the pro's and con's that I've come up with.

Color Plus 14":

Pro's - Takes up less space, 640x480 is fine, more reliable than MS 15".

Con's - Smaller screen, no built-in speakers.

M.S. 15":

Pro's - Bigger screen, more resolutions, built-in speakers

Con's - Takes up more space, known to have product defects (therefore less reliable than the Color Plus).

Both are in good working condition. While the Multiple Scan 15" display is fine now, I worry that it may develop problems later. Does anyone have any advice as to which monitor I should pair up with the Performa? I'm torn between the two!

Thanks in advance!

VGA resolution may have been adequate 15 years ago, but modern websites and applications require at least 800 by 600 resolution to display well on your screen. Either way, I'd go for the 15". Built in speakers are always nice, and it won't take up too much more space.

 

[Gil]

It's done.