A 22in monitor is obviously a very large unit. The ColorPro 22D that came into PC Authority was also an engineering sample, which goes some way toward explaining the lack of embellishment.

They say that once you've used an LCD display on your desktop you dont ever want to go back to a CRT...

Flat CRT technology is all the buzz these days, and there are three main competing technologies. While LG, with its Flatron range, offers a completely flat screen, it has run into a couple of problems.

While the price of LCD screens drop to comparable pricing levels with CRTs and sales are on the rise, technologically they are held back because at the end of the day the picture delivered by an LCD limits its application compared to a CRT.

Almost all computer monitors and TVs use the same technology that first appeared in the 1940s: the CRT. How both consumers and manufacturers would love a viable flat panel display. LCDs dont make the grade: its too hard - and expensive - to produce LCDs larger than 20 inches diagonal.

Aztec’s PC is a very different take on our $4000 PC A-List challenge.

Businesses have come to rely on Acer workstations for their stability and usability without a huge price tag, and this system easily fulfills these requirements.

This time round Sony has rewritten that equation by offering the CPDG420 19in Flat-CRT

TFT screens are notoriously expensive to manufacture and even more expensive to purchase in comparison to their conventional CRT counterparts.

The only PC in our mini roundup this month to feature a rather boring beige case, it more than makes up for its looks with blistering performance at a very reasonable price. Inclusion of thumb screws will allow you to get at your hardware quickly and without the need for tools. Always handy for those of us that like to fiddle frequently.

Offering a 16ms rise- and fall-timed TFT, Mitsubishi has developed a real winner here. The low redraw rate allows for performance that almost mirrors that of CRT, while maintaining the weight and size advantages of TFT screens.

Mitsubishi monitors have always been a popular choice in the marketplace, and the Labs, and not without merit.

Absolutely blitzing the field, the Labs Winner this month wasn't a tough decision. Streaking ahead with its unbelievable feature set, the Civic 3200.dx went on to crush the other contenders with colossal performance scores.

Atec is a new face on the Australian LCD scene but a big name in Korea, and this is the first display weve looked at from this manufacturer.

Looking sleek and a little smaller than your average midi tower, the t134a sits on top of the Pavilion series. This machine is a powerful home/office PC – not rigged purely for gaming.

After January's shenanigans with this system, it's nice to have it back in the testing Labs. My initial impressions haven't changed: this is one mean system that will handle anything you throw at it, and the benchmarks back that claim.

Samsungs Graphix Pro Series hosts its 19in and 21in monitor range, including this months entry: the SyncMaster 955DF.

How many acronyms can a monitor have before it chokes on its own resolution? We have all come to expect CRTs, LCDs, TFTs and God knows what else but now Samsung has come up with a monitor with so many acronyms it will leave you gasping.

Workstation

While this system may not be the highest performer overall in the group, it still represents very good value for money, as demonstrated by its above average 112 Value score.