I am looking to purchase my first LCD monitor, and would appreciate advice. I will be using it for surfing the net, word processing, and viewing digital pictures. I think that 19 inch would work well for me.
Now the questions
Would it be better for me to buy a monitor with a digital input?
What about dead pixels? Would it be better to pay more, and purchase a ;monitor in a local store, so to be able to return it.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Digital connection should provide a better quality (depends on the eye though, some people can tell the difference, some can't). But if you have a choice, why not go with the better option anyway? Also if you can inspect your screen before you buy it the better. They all come with some warranty, but why going into the fuss of returning and RMAing if you can inspect it on the spot and get it. Mind you, that doesn't mean that dead pixels will not appear in the near future. I had cases where they bought perfectly working screens only to be greeted with one or two dead pixels after 4 days! Fortunately they all went away with the "massage" method. So no big deal.

Forgot to mention that it would be better if you opted for a higher colour gamout monitor, one with the cold cathode display that displays up to 92% of the NTSC colour range. It will probably have a higher response rate, but it will not matter at all since you will not be gaming.

Make sure u use a dvi connection when using LCD monitors. It looks superb

Thanks for the replies
What does "massage" method mean?

Poking the dead pixel. Just take a cloth or something so you don't get finger prints on the screen or scratch it, and apply a little pressure to the dead pixel by rubbing it with your finger. It doesnt work all the time, but it's worth a try before returning the monitor.

I think that's more detail than the average buyer needs. The typical LCD monitor has around 72% gamut (off the top of my head). 92% gamut is great for an LCD, but those are really high end models.

I was worried about dead pixels too.

Thats why I went in to a Frys store and bought my LCD. That way I could just return it in case of any problems, and not be stuck with each vendors policy, which varies from 3 to God knows how many must be stuck to return the monitor.

I bought a 22" Viewsonic and love it!!

It was an upgrade from a 17" LCD and the difference is dramatic!

My local Staples sells their own brand monitor.
It is 19 inch and has both digital and analog inputs.
Anyone have any experience with this brand?

What's the brandname?

We have similar interests. I went with the Samsung 204B (two actually). It is a 20.5" 1600X1200 res. LCD. All of the other specs are above par, but it's killerist feature is the ability to rotate to vertical. Indispensable for web pages, text articles, Word, and vertical pics.

I got mine at BB. One had a dead pixel. There is no way I would return a monitor because it has one, or even several dead pixels. They are smaller than dust. Unless the screen is completely white I would never notice it.

I forgot about this. What do you guys think about wide screen compared to normal?

Thanks