Last month I hired a new paralegal, and the first thing I needed to
do was upgrade our extra computer from a 15" XGA (1024 x 768) to a 19"
SXGA (1280 x 1024) monitor.
We have a pair of excellent Samsung 19" LCD monitors in the office
already (the midlevel DVI/analog models), and my initial plan was to
just order another Samsung. Then I checked my email.
A local computer store was having a sale on laptops and LCD
monitors, and the email listed a 19" dual input (DVI and analog) LCD
for an unbelievable US$200, which is cheaper than even the analog-only
Samsung. I went to the store after work and was impressed by the
display model, which was indistinguishable in image quality from the
Samsung right next to it, so I bought it on the spot.
Strike 1
The monitor was a ViewSonic, a brand I'd known for years and had no
reason not to trust, yet when I hooked the monitor up to the Compaq PC
that our paralegal was to use, I was shocked at the horribly distorted
image and moving, wavelike lines all over the monitor.
My first thought was that Windows didn't correctly recognize the
monitor, so I downloaded a newer driver, but it made no difference
whatsoever.
I moved the monitor over to the Mac in my associate's office and
connected it using the cable already attached to the Mac's Samsung
monitor. The image was perfect.
Moving back to the PC, I tried using the VGA cable that usually
connects the Samsung LCD on my desk to my laptop, and, sure enough, the
problem was the cable that came in the box with the ViewSonic
display.
For giggles, I tried the ViewSonic cable with my laptop and the
Samsung monitor - and had the exact same distortion and image
problems.
Fortunately, my associate's Mac is running on DVI, so I dug up the
box from her monitor and found an unused Samsung VGA cable to fill in
the gap. All was well.
Strike 2
The same weekend I was swapping out the 19" Samsung from my home
computer for a 19" widescreen monitor for my daughter to use, and in
that same trip to the computer store I had purchased a 19" ViewSonic
widescreen with built-in speakers.
Since that monitor was to be connected by VGA, I was worried that
I'd run into the same problem, and sure enough, the second ViewSonic
monitor came with a VGA cable so bad as to make it unusable. To make
matters worse, I had used my extra VGA cable at the office, so the only
choice was buy a different cable or exchange the monitor.
Not sure which would be the more economical option, I packed the
monitor back up and went back to the store. A high-end VGA cable rated
for a 19" monitor cost $50, while there was a 19" Samsung widescreen on
sale for $250, which was only $30 more than I'd paid for the widescreen
ViewSonic.
You're Out
It took a bit of arguing and a demonstration of both ViewSonic VGA
cables to convince the store to take the monitor back and not charge a
restocking fee, but I prevailed and brought home the Samsung 19"
widescreen LCD. As always, Samsung's video cable was more than up to
the task, and a crisp and beautiful image was the first thing I saw
when I turned it on.
...it really doesn't matter how good an item is
if corners are cut that take away from its usefulness.
The lesson here is that it really doesn't matter how good an item is
if corners are cut that take away from its usefulness. The ViewSonic
monitors are truly excellent monitors, and had I been using them with
DVI or had an existing high-quality VGA cable, I'd have no complaints.
The normal aspect-ration ViewSonic is doing a great job on my
paralegal's PC and is a pleasure to work with, but it and the
widescreen version I have at home are completely unusable with the
included VGA cable.
Why bother including a cable if the quality is so poor as to render
the monitor unusable? This is worse than not including it at all, as it
may make a buyer think it's a defective monitor.
Even though the monitor itself is of excellent quality, the hassle
of figuring out the problem and having to add the cost of an
after-market cable tipped the value equation to favor a more expensive
Samsung monitor that came with an adequate cable.
Quality Matters
It doesn't matter what the product is; there must be a certain
standard of quality for all of its components.
It reminds me of a classmate from law school who bought a Dell
laptop. The laptop was small and light, but the display latch was so
flimsy that it broke after barely a week of gentle use. He returned the
computer and bought a different brand.
It doesn't matter how good the rest of the design might have been or
what cool and powerful features were packed into that small and light
case. All that mattered is that the latch was too delicate.
Companies need to wake up and realize that while cutting costs is an
important part of doing business today, they can't be too aggressive in
shaving pennies. I'm sure ViewSonic's bean-counters are very pleased at
the low-cost VGA cables that are going into ViewSonic monitor boxes,
but in the long run I think that decision will end up costing far more
than it saves. 
Andrew J Fishkin, Esq, is a laptop using attorney in Los Angeles, CA.
