SGI / Silicon Graphics Silicon Graphics 1600SW + ProFormance 3 17 inch LCD Monitor

Pros: functionality, design, ergonomics
Cons: too expensive for the occasional use at home

"No more maximized windows" - that was my first thought when I saw this monitor a few months ago. Now I've worked with it for a while and here is my epinion on it.


The good:

* Perfectly flat.
It's like a...

Pros: Huge display
Cons: None

My first impression of the SGI 1600SW was at a trade show a few years ago and I was very impressed with it! That enticingly large screen and the fact that it was the most responsive flat panel display on the market made this display one to lust after....

Pros: eyes-friendly, superb image quality, elegant and robust design
Cons: high price, up to 5 defective pixels

It took me a while to decide to spend $1700 on a monitor. I bought it and I'm happy with that.

First of all: the 1600SW is eyes-friendly. The reading effort is about the same as reading a book. Say goodbye to CRT flickering that can be...

Pros: It's beautiful, crisp and clear ...
Cons: ... but configuration under Linux can be a nightmare.

Information on my Macintosh experience is at the end.

A treat (sort of) goes wrong

We all want the occasional treat at our jobs, right? The odd can of free soda, the office with a door that closes and a window, the simple...

Pros: sharp picture, large, WIDESCREEN, bright, no ghosting, versatile, makes people jealous
Cons: expensive, slight weight distribution problem, warm-up time, power connectors, makes people TOO jealous

I am a professional graphics and web developer so I am very picky about my computer displays. I have used more than ten CRTs and LCDs extensively and also tested out probably a hundred other ones. I can't control what they give me at work, but at home, I...

Pros: Gorgeous picture & design, small footprint, very cool
Cons: Too pricey to have one for each of my computers

I caved in and bought the SGI flat panel when I found it at a "limited time" half-price (roughly $1500 in the beginning of 2001). We'll see whether it's actually a limited-time offer or whether that's just the precursor to the price dropping...

Pros: Astounding clarity and brightness, _and_ Linux support.
Cons: You'll never be able to look at a CRT again.

Update: XFree86 4.0.2, released on 12/19/00, comes with drivers for the Number Nine again, and the monitor is a dream display under Linux now.

Prior to obtaining the SGI 1600SW, I used a Viewsonic 21" P817, which is by most accounts a top of...

Pros: Size, color, pixel response, aspect ratio, MultiLink adapter
Cons: Image burn-in!

Received my 1600sw just over a week ago. Must say that I have been impressed with it so far.

Having searched for a top-of-the-line display, I went through several Sony CPD-G400's (19'' CRT) and a couple of Mitsubishi DiamondPro 2040u's (22''...

Pros: Big viewing area; clean and steady image; bright colors
Cons: Expensive; requires special graphics card so can't easily be moved to other computer

Silicon Graphics' 1600SW is a very high quality flat panel display in terms of brightness and image quality. The image is very crisp, the colors are clean, and the viewing angle is more than adequate to have other people look at the screen with you.
...

Pros: A true geeks dream come true
Cons: Pricey, Dead Pixels slightly annoying

If you're like me, a computer geek with too much money who doesn't mind spending ridiculous amounts of money on cool sh*t, this is a great monitor. If price is an object at all, don't get it. Simple as that.

There are some downsides to this...

Pros: Vibrant output, long cable length, compatibility, etc. etc. An excellent deal at $1000.
Cons: None

I’ll start off by saying that the SGI 1600SW is the sharpest, brightest, most beautiful display I’ve ever seen. Now, on to the review.

The SGI 1600SW has been on the market for several years now, and the price has been dropping steadily....

Pros: Wide screen (16:9 aspect ratio)
Cons: Very expensive.

The Number Nine DFP (Digital Solution Pak; also sold as the 1600SW from Silicon Graphics) has a wide 16:9 aspect ratio, native 1,600-by-1,024 resolution, and an LVDS digital interface unlike any other monitor in the group. Its wide-format screen makes it...

Pros: sharp, bright, high contrast display
Cons: video card problems, older LCD technology: uneven/mottled colors/brightness, very limited viewing angle

I ordered SGI's 1600SW ($1472) and was fairly impressed, except that some incompatibility or defect in the 3Dlabs display card kept causing my computer to crash every 5-15 minutes (my computer is NEW and worked fine prior to installing the card, and I’m...

Pros: Wide format, elegant design, sharp colors
Cons: Price, proprietary connectors

My experience with the SGI 1600SW has been very favorable. The viewable area on this wide format screen is crisp and gives me extra desktop space. It produces 1600 x 1200 resolution on many video cards with modified drivers. Because the monitor uses an...

Pros: extremely crisp, great size
Cons: Mac-compatible card has huge problems

I want to rate it a 5, and highly recommend it, but I can't do that.

I have had the SGI 1600SW attached to a Macintosh for more than 2 months, and I still do not have a working video card.

The Number Nine card that comes bundles...