Wal-Mart is going to add a "build-it-yourself" computer counter to its stores in the near future. They already sell pre-packaged PCs, but now consumers will apparently have more choices.

Think Alienware, and especially its new daddy, Dell is gettin' a mite nervous? I'm sort of kidding about boxes with Alienware-assembled guts being affected much, but its parent company makes their cashola on less performance heavy systems...

According to the article (linked in the first line above), Dell makes most of its money selling computers to businesses rather than individuals, but you can't tell me that Wal-Mart's price-cutting practices aren't making a company like Dell take a few glances over its collective shoulder. Dell has a reputation for relatively low prices on made-to-order bundles, Wal-Mart has a reputation for creating mass bankruptcies in entire business sectors. Like the article says, Wal-Mart sold laptops for $398 USD last year, and most general computer users WILL buy solely on price.

What does any of this have to do with high-def displays? Well, Wal-Mart also sells a certain mid-to-lower end selection of HDTV sets.

I don't recall ever being in a Wal-Mart, but if they start upgrading their line of HDTV gear, and proceed to do the Wal-Mart hack'n'slash with the ol' pricetags, there may be some deals to be had. I'll look into it and keep everyone posted...

Why must the middle child ever be the problematic one? They feel the focus is on the trailblazing older child, or the precocious youngster whom Mommy and Daddy, after finally achieving “experienced parent” status, actually ENJOY raising. The middle one, seeking an identity, often lost in the cracks…

Well, 24’’ LCDs, the (slowly) emerging “middle children” between the monstrous 30’’ and 19-20’’ PC monitors, are proving to be as difficult as middle child syndrome at its worst. Serious identity issues? They’re giving consumers currently in the market for such a panel fits! Maybe they SHOULD fall through the cracks, get their act together, and “emerge” when SOMEONE gets it right.


Now, regarding the Dell 2407 (which has pretty much been the raison d’être around here), the hopes were that it would hit the sweet spot between size (24’’), price (it IS a Dell), and performance (the preceding 2405, while not perfect by any means, was used by many gamers). Sure, graphics professionals who require extreme levels of color control and reproduction would scoff at Dell in general, instead preferring high-end brands such as Eizo, LaCie, and NEC. Hey, I’d LOVE a brand-new Eizo or an NEC, but on average, they’ll cost you three times as much as a Dell or a Viewsonic (check out their pro-line too) of comparable size.

Furthermore, the Eizo S2410W, a monitor calibrated for true 10-bit performance, is using the same Samsung panel as the Dell 2407, but with different electronics and philosophies behind its design. The 2407 was going to be a way to get a more general use/gaming monitor that used essentially good parts (without the reported input lag of the Samsung 244t). Hardware enthusiasts who are the early adapters to larger LCD sizes would also appreciate the fact that HDCP support was present, making the mind-bogglingly slow response of the PC monitor industry to Windows Vista less painful.

Why am I speaking in past tenses, you ask? The Dell 2407 isn’t even released in the States yet, right? Why am I sounding like Dell somehow dropped the ball and royally screwed up the 2407? How can that be? It’s not like it was RUSHED to sale? Surely they saw the potential for the 24’’ LCD monitor market to explode if pricing was reasonable…

I’m not exactly sounding a death knell here, but after waiting for sooooooo long, it appears there MAY be some potentially troubling issues with the 2407, which users in Japan are now posting early reviews of.

[H]ard|Forum thread

WS Gaming Forum thread

Keep in mind, these are individual reviews, but reports of text display problems, color banding on gradients (where distinct “bands” appear between changes in color spectrum representations, when transitions should appear “smooth”- colors should blend into related hues rather than there being a distinct “band” between them) and inferior image quality (when compared to the 2405) are appearing. Also, as far as HD video and game display goes, the 2407 CANNOT support 1080i or, of course, 1080p, but 720p (not a disaster in my mind though). Anyway, read the FULL threads I’ve mentioned and see for yourself. You’ll also find pictures supporting the various claims...

Now, I know the 2405 went through 5 or 6 revisions over its lifetime, so early problems, if they in fact exist, may be corrected, but with the market for HDCP (it just complicates everything!) 23 and 24’’ monitors holding few choices, it’s frustrating that a product like this will require more waiting before possible purchase.