I wrote this shortly after acquiring my new monitor in June of 2022 but seem to have forgotten to post it. Here we go...

A few months ago I wrote about how desperate I was to upgrade from my 17” Acer AL1706, as it simply wasn’t the kind of monitor I could see myself using into the foreseeable future. Sure, it was better than, say, a 2000s laptop screen, but calling a display better than one on a 2000s laptop is no different than saying your house is safer from flooding than a town in southern Manitoba.

I wrote about how I was looking for a Dell Ultrasharp 1907FP or 1908FP, knowing full damn well that these monitors are notorious for failing capacitors, failing power buttons, and failing USB ports. Still, at least it’s less likely to end up underwater than a town in southern Manitoba.

The e-recycler I was headed to was just as I remembered the last time I visited, although I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised since buildings don’t exactly get up and move to a different place, even if they’re as afraid of being in Winnipeg’s North End (motto: “GET DOWN!!”) as I am. For those of you unfamiliar with The North End, it’s the kind of place where most of the parked cars probably have used needles under the seats.

Yep, it’s that kind of neighbourhood. Not to exaggerate or anything, but I was putting my life on the line for this monitor, which was pretty much in pristine condition. Not only that – it still even had its soundbar attached to it! How could I resist ditching my clunky external speakers for this far more space-efficient design?

I couldn’t, and that’s why I was totally fine with paying $25 for a monitor that was nearly old enough to have a driver’s license. This monitor was absolutely worth it. Not only do the colours appear a lot better on it, but the additional features like the really fancy stand, integrated USB hub (which I use for my printer and webcam) and soundbar are indispensable to me now.

If you’re ever in the market for a monitor for non-gaming purposes, I have one thing to say:

Dude, you have to get a Dell