It's fascinating how the Apple's distinctive glossy white finish has now become the ultimate in stylish chic, with not only iPods but almost every kind of computer peripheral including that finish and tone somewhere in the range. It rears its elegant head again here in ViewSonic's latest VX series, where you can own a VX2255 in either piano-key black (code wmb) or white (code wmh).

This 22-inch, widescreen, HD LCD monitor keeps the focus firmly on maximizing screen usage, so the main control buttons are the same white shade, discreetly placed on the bottom right-hand side and virtually invisible. There's a central on/off button and pinhole microphone at bottom centre of the bezel and a discreet, integrated, 1.3-megapixel Web-cam top centre.

Round the back you'll find connectors for analogue VGA, digital DVI-D and audio, plus a headphone jack just below the OSD controls. The stereo speakers have been positioned underneath the bottom edge which allows the monitor to maintain a cool, slimline image. Audio quality is no more than you'd expect from 2 x 2W speakers, so if you want the full-on tour de force that most gamers do, you'll need an additional system.

The native resolution is 1,680 x 1,050 with a typical contrast ration of 700:1, 5ms response time (off-on-off) and 280cd/m brightness. The viewing angles are 170 degrees vertical and the same horizontal and it's unlikely that you're going to want to view anything much more acute than that. The clarity at the maximum resolution is of a reasonably high quality, although during gameplay of Half-Life 2 there was some noticeable fading at the edges of the frame.

On the other hand you do have 8cm height adjustment and a full 360 degrees swivel and tilt - some of the smoothest swivel we've come across, too. The in-built Web-cam is obviously a keen selling point but it would have perhaps been better to opt for the 'roll-bar' style of camera that's easy to adjust to the user's height, than a fixed lens that requires you to swivel the entire monitor to line it up properly. The microphone quality is not going to win any radio awards, either, but as long as you use it for friendly chatting online you should be OK; otherwise a headset is vital.

A final note for Windows Vista users: you'll find that when you install the driver software you need effectively to install it twice, ticking the 'Run as administrator' option, or nothing will function.

Verdict
A slim, cool addition to the 22-inch LCD monitor scene with good enough display quality but a far from exceptional Web-cam and audio setup.

Company: ViewSonic

Contact: 01293 643900

Tags: viewsonic windows vista digital visual interface ipod video graphics array apple inc. tft lcd user account control