What a difference a year makes-especially in a market that acts like a roller coaster! Last year, 15-inch flat panels cost about $1,000; this year they're half that. Price fluctuations like these can be a buyer's best friend, if the timing is right.

Elegant-looking 18-inch LCD pivots and adjusts for height, but comes at a premium price.

The NEC MultiSync LCD1850X is one of the first thin-bezel monitors to come to market. By packaging the LCD-panel support electronics differently, the designers have made the case one-half to one-third the size of other monitors.

As the officially employed “Computer Specialist” in our office, I am charged with the duty of choosing hardware for staff. As a result, I do at times get granted the opportunity to buy really cool and really expensive top end components.