For six years, my Samsung PC 13.8 inch SyncMaster conventional monitor has served me well.Since the appearance of the flat screen LCD monitor, it has become obsolete. Perhaps, the flat screen's image of flat and thin is more pleasing than large and bulky. Because impulse buying controls the marketplace, for me it's a matter of a want verses a need. As an average consumer, I want the best value for my money as well as a comparable price within my budget.

For viewing purposes, my purchase of a seventeen-inch size LCD flat screen monitor is wise because the larger screen makes it easier to read the printed text and it cuts down on eyestrain. After carefully reading some product reviews on www.consumersdigest.com, it was easier to select a brand name and the brand type. Plus while there, I was also able to learn some technical information about it. Then, the decision had to be made whether to order the flat screen panel online plus pay the high shipping cost, or to visit a major electronics outlet,where a qualified salesman would advise me on what upgrades need to be made to my existing hardware.

For that reason, I choose the latter. Recent product studies have shown that the LCD flat panel is more energy efficient, emits less radation, takes up less space and survives a floor crash without fatally injuring someone who is standing nearby. However, if the LCD's screen is punctured. The repair bill will cost almost as much as the purchase price. The LCD's screen has less of a flicker. However without a video card, a game's graphics appear ugly and chunky.Other studies have suggested that the flat screen panel will eventually replace the existing conventional monitors. Hopefully by then, the price of it will become more affordable.

I am sure that when my new flat screen LCD monitor settles in and it gives me as much joy as my outdated one. Technology will once again rear its head and introduce a newer and a sleeker model into the marketplace.Then, the buying cycle will start all over again in the never-ending world of technological advances.

Employed in the energy industry,the author is constantly updating her personal PC while keeping abreast of the latest market trends.