Others say...

"Warranty Program is Flawed"
I initially liked this monitor very much. Easy set up and an exceptional value. The problem is that the monitor failed and to have it repaired under warranty you need to ship it back to them at your request. In my case, including packing meant those charges would be over $60. So what was a great bargain suddenly had 25% added to it sales price and was no longer such a bargain. Caveat Emptor

"Nice and Simple, Good Price"
Works just great! Price very reasonable. Great free shipping- three days earlier than estimate arrival. I now have two 22" monitors. The only negative about this beautiful product is lack of swiveling up and down.

"Wayne's Acer"
I experienced a very short delivery time after placing the order. Plugged the monitor in to the port on my Acer 2441 Laptop, set the resolution in Windows XP and was up and running. I found no dropped pixels or any other malfunctions. The colors are Great and response time excellent. Overall, I am very pleased with this new product from Acer.

"Excellent, but I chose its newer brother"
BACKGROUND

As the IT person for a small research network, I get to use several LCD monitors. On two of my work workstations I have two each Dell 24" widescreen LCDs. On the third work workstation, I have two Dell 20" LCDs On my home workstation, I have a Samsung 24" widescreen LCD and a Dell 20" widescreen LCD.

I was building a new workstation for a client and I wanted to offer the option of an upgraded LCD in the $250 price range. I found the Acer AL2216Wbd here on Amazon and decided to give it a try because of the overwhelming good reviews.

EXPECTATIONS

[1] Sharp colors
[2] Decent response time
[3] Relatively large screen area
[4] Limited functionality from the monitor stand
[5] Significant backlighting when the screen was black
[6] No dead pixels
[7] No usb ports or other "gadgets"

RESULTS

[1] I read the reviews concerning the colors and contrast, but I had no issue with either of these. I used one of the programmed settings and was quite pleased with it. During testing this monitor was adjacent to my Samsung 245BW. The 245BW is bright and I mean BRIGHT; I am continuously amazed by it. Side-by-side, the 2216 compared well; it was not as bright, but the picture looked great. I was using the DVI connection. You may have read or heard differently, but DVI cable quality does matter; I have seen it with my own eyes. I use the Belkin high performance DVI cable.

[2] I am not a gamer nor am I a photography expert. However, I do a lot of CFD meshing and 3D object manipulations. The 2216 did not display any unusual artifacts nor did it seem limited by its response time.

[3] I wrote above that I have access to several 24" LCDs. That being said, the 2216 screen space is HUGE. Again, side-by-side with my 245BW, the 2216 only seemed a little smaller. I was amazed. More on this in the afterthought section.

[4] I am going to cut to the chase, the OEM monitor stand lacks imagination and functionality. End of story. However, you have to take into consideration the price point for this monitor. In doing so, you can understand the substitution of the inferior monitor stand. For those of you who are living with the OEM stand, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to pay the $32 for the NeoFlex stand. You will gain a new appreciation for the monitor.

[5] Yes, when the screen goes black, you can really see the backlighting. My response? So what. This is not a problem when you are using the monitor. Again, consider the price-point. You cannot have a low price and expect all of the features of a more expensive monitor. Besides, if you are sitting there fretting over your monitor when it is in sleep mode, you have entirely too much time on your hands.

[6] Thankfully, there was not a single dead pixel.

[7] Two comments here. I am one of those computer users with the philosophy that you use specialized equipment for required functionality. I rather have a nice, full powered, separate usb hub, than use the usb ports on the side of a monitor. My Dell monitors have usb ports and I have never connected a usb cable from the computer to the monitor so that I can use the monitor's usb port. One last time, I refer to price point. For the price, the 2216 is an excellent monitor to do one task .. serve as a monitor.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Generally, I try to keep my reviews focused on the product. I find it to be a disservice when someone supposedly reviews a product, but gives it a poor rating based on their problems with the Seller, shipping, or personal technical shortcomings. However,I must add here that Amazon should receive kudos for their excellent shipping practises. Most places will save on shipping by sending you the item in its store packaging. I really dislike that practice. Amazon shipped the 2215 in a separate outer box and with packing material. Again, kudos to you, Amazon.

Back to the review. I read many user and website reviews of this monitor prior to ordering it. Once I received it, I was extremely happy with it. I was researching something else and I came across an article that suggested the 2216 was a slightly older model and was being replaced by the Acer X223Wbd. I did not want to buy a monitor and have it become last year's model so quickly so I returned the 2216 and purchased the X233. An important note is that the X233's specifications are nearly exactly the same as those of the 2216. However, the X233 screen does not appear as large to me. I was really impressed by the 2216's screen estate and I felt that it were huge. I was using the 2216 with it sitting right next to my 24" Samsung and I still felt that the 2216 screen size was large. The X233 is sitting in the exact same location and my 245BW looks a lot larger.


SUMMARY

This is an awesome monitor especially when you consider the price point. Yes, the stand needs to be replace in order to realize just how wonderful the monitor is. The colors are sharp and you get a lot of screen estate for your money. I bought the X233 because it is reportedly the 2216's newest brother, however, I would wholly recommend the 2216 to others.

"A Beautiful View"
I do a great deal of data-entry in teeny, tiny spreadsheets - this was just the right display at the perfect price. Pick one up and get your eyesight back