A bunch of space-saving, ultra-thin LED monitors has just been announced by Acer. The trio of stylish LED displays benefit from a huge contrast range, brisk response times and a movie-friendly aspect ratio. The S1 series also has the green check-box covered with low power credentials and a manufacturing process which the company says does not use harmful substances.
It's hard to believe that only a few short years ago, the vast majority of computer monitors were huge, hulking, beige-encased CRT monsters that took up most of the desk space in front of you. In fact, I still have one – although the 19-inch beast has been consigned to the garden shed for some time now. Monitors have slimmed down a lot since then and most of us have managed to reclaim quite a lot of our workspace or have managed to squeeze our computerized entertainment systems into areas otherwise forbidden to such things.
Now Acer has announced a threesome of stylish, ultra-thin LED monitors which boast impressive 5ms response times, 250 cd/m2 brightness and over 16 million colors. The 20, 21.5 and 23-inch S1 series of displays range from just 0.51 to 0.59 inches thick and also benefit from a 12,000,000:1 contrast ratio thanks to Acer's Adaptive Contrast Management technology which allows precise frame by frame adjustment, should it be needed.
Only the 20-inch model doesn't support full 1080p high definition screen resolution but all come in movie-friendly 16:9 aspect and sport both VGA and DVI connectivity, with the 23-inch model adding an HDMI interface.
The S1 displays are also claimed to be kinder to our environment. The range's white LED backlighting is said to help towards 68 per cent power savings for the end user and RoHS and ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliance is assured thanks to the lack of hazardous substances such as mercury or halogen gases. Even the packaging materials are made from highly recyclable packaging materials. The company's Irene Chan explaining that a "key consideration was designing a monitor that delivers low energy consumption and environmental impact."
The S1 line of ultra-thin monitors will be available shortly for a recommended retail of US$169.99 for the 20 inch model, US$219.99 for the 21.5 inch or US$269.99 for the 23 inch.
