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They say that bigger is better, and based on the Dell 2405FPW LCD monitor, you’d get no argument from me. The Dell is a 24in widescreen display that can only be described as awesome. As soon as it was placed on my desk it attracted attention from everyone who passed by.

That's not surprising really as everyone can appreciate the benefits that a large screen monitor can bring. It makes entertainment and creative work so much more enjoyable and the extra desktop real estate enables you to work much more efficiently in Windows, particularly in applications such as Excel.

For a long time the ultimate display was a large 4:3 monitor with a diagonal viewable area of around 21in, at an optimum resolution of 1,600 x 1,200. But this panel goes one better than that, offering a widescreen resolution of 1,920 x 1,200. This is high enough for playback of true 1080p HD footage – the current pinnacle of HD technology, and will give you plenty of space for multiple windows.

A criticism some people make of high resolution screens is that icons and text become too small to view comfortably. However, the sheer scale of this screen renders that argument redundant. At 24 inches it has got one extra on the two 23in screens Riyad reviewed here. It’s also better featured as it houses a two-port USB 2.0 hub and a memory card reader that accepts Compact Flash I and II, SD, MMC, Memory stick, and Smart Media. In terms of inputs it has connectivity for D-Sub and DVI, and also Composite, S-Video and Component – the latter which should be just right for next generation consoles. It also rotates so it can be placed vertically, has height adjustment, and can be angled up and down as well. The only connection not included is SCART. It’s been out in the States for a while but it only appeared on the UK site last Monday. There it states that there’s a lead time of 45 days, so if you’ve already got out your credit card don’t bank on any immediate gratification – at least from Dell.

What’s remarkable is that Dell has managed to bring the price down to a level that's actually almost sensible. While £860.10 is more than most people are willing to spend on a display it’s actually great value considering the ViewSonic 23in screen will set you back of £1,100 while Apple’s is £1,049.

When you first take the screen out of the box, you have to attach the stand to the display, which it does so easily without any screws – just hook the panel onto the hooks. You can then remove the panel with a quick press of a button and once you do so there are VESA screws for wall mounting.

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