Acer AL2021

The Acer AL2021 is something of a mixed bag; standing out in some areas and disappointing in others. Its overall design is inoffensive thanks to a contrasting silver and black colour scheme, but it does little to differentiate itself from other displays on the market.

The AL2021 is relatively user friendly. Its buttons are laid out in a straightforward manner beneath the lower bezel and the on-screen menu is simple to navigate. It has a number of useful features, including a digital input port, which provides good overall image quality. The AL2021 offered a great picture at its native resolution of 1,600 x 1,200, even when viewed from the most taxing of vertical and horizontal angles.

DVD movie playback was also of a good standard. The AL2021 coped well with fast-moving scenes and, despite having to adjust some settings, had good colour reproduction. Its screen is also very bright with a strong level of contrast. This led to some scenes being recreated with an unrealistically warm feel - although this can be rectified with some fine-tuning.

We were slightly disappointed with the base of the AL2021; although it is sturdy and matches the rest of the unit, it only allows the monitor a very limited range of movement. The screen can be tilted back and forth but there is no provision for movement along the horizontal axis, meaning the entire unit has to be lifted.

The AL2021's 2w integrated speakers are a good inclusion, but audio enthusiasts may not be impressed. Unfortunately, there is no headphone socket and no USB port. On a positive note, the AL2021 does come equipped with both DVI and VGA cables.

Contact: Acer 020 7365 2486
www.acer.co.uk

Specifications:

• 20in display
• 1,600 x 1,200 max resolution
• 600:1 contrast ratio
• 25ms response time
• 81KHz horizontal refresh
• 75MHz vertical refresh
• 170 degree viewing angle
• Analogue and digital inputs
• 449 x 439 x 197mm (w x h x d)
• 7kg