This story appears in the
July 2000 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Along with shrinking desktop PCs comes the downsizing of
computer monitors. Sleek desktop systems incorporating LCD displays
(like the Gateway Profile 2, $1,699 street) are a clear sign that
flat panels are more than just executive toys. In fact, these
systems now target the midlevel market, where desk space is at a
premium.
When it comes to viewing area, though, bigger is always better.
Although 14-inch active-matrix LCDs are replacing 12.1-inch
displays in laptops, 15 inches is the absolute minimum you'll
want on your desktop-the viewing equivalent of a 17-inch CRT. Who
wouldn't prefer an LCD's small footprint, flat screen and
flicker-free viewing?
But can you pay the freight? A 15-inch LCD starts at about
$800-way down from a couple years ago-but more desirable 18- and
20-inch flat-panel displays still cost $2,000 and up. Way up. So
although prices for LCDs have fallen, they're still quite a bit
higher than the sub-$300 price tag for a decent 17-inch CRT
monitor.
Will the future see flat panels on small-business desks
everywhere? According to research firm Display-Search (www.displaysearch.com), small
businesses accounted for 16 percent of the flat-panel market in the
fourth quarter of 1999. Whether your business will join that 16
percent depends on your equipment budget.
Manufacturing shortages or surpluses will push LCD prices up or
down from time to time, but the long-term slide in desktop
flat-panel prices is inevitable. In the meantime, small LCDs will
continue to proliferate in handhelds, digital picture frames and
the new crop of information appliances-and that will only help to
drive costs down.