ASUS LS201 20" LCD Monitor
Design, Build Quality & Connectivity
For the most part, the ASUS LS201 appears to be a fairly standard, if not good looking, modern LCD monitor. The LS201 has a simple, sleek design with rounded corners and beveled edges. Except for a thin, silver accent strip that runs the width of the monitor, the front of the LS201 is entirely covered by a sheet of glass. Since the entire surface of the screen is flat, there are no lines or indents to distinguish the panel from its bezel. This gives the LS201 a rather unique appearance when turned off or while in standby mode.
The LS201's sleek design continues on the back of the unit. The left and right edge of the LS201 are rounded on the back and the center is dominated by a large, raised circle with an ASUS logo in the center. The back of the unit is made from glossy, black plastic that is relatively fingerprint resistant and the circular ASUS symbol consists of an inset metal foil covered by a permanent protective coating.
The screen sits on a good looking circular stand with a brushed-metal finish. The LS201's stand is attached by a hinge joint at the bottom of the unit. The stand only offers tilt adjustment and cannot turn or pivot. The screen can be tilted 20 degrees back or 5 degrees forward, from vertical. On each end of the hinge is a silver circular decoration. However, the one on the left side (when viewed from the rear) of the unit is actually a button. Pressing the button allows the stand to be tilted parallel with the screen, for wall mounting. Unfortunately the stand is not removable, but ASUS has provided VESA compatible mounts at the bottom of the stand, allowing the whole unit to be mounted into any VESA compatible mounting apparatus.
Though highly unusual, we liked the design of the stand. It means the LS201 comes with a good looking stand that can transform into an nice wall mount. The included VESA mounts also means the LS201 doesn't lose any mounting versatility and will easily fit on your VESA compatible monitor arm, although the stand may look a bit out of place in that scenario.
The LS201 has a special feature ASUS calls 'Light-in-Motion". The idea of Light-in-Motion is to use multi-colored LED's to create ambiance and also visually notify the user of the status of the monitor. The LEDs on the LS201 are located in the base of the circular stand. Around the entire circumference of the stand's circular base is a clear plastic insert.A group of LEDs are located within the insert, on the rear of the stand (near the ports). The light from these LEDs are transmitted by the clear plastic insert around the whole base, to create a gentle gradient of light. The lights are blue when the screen is turned on and actively receiving a signal, and orange when the unit is in standby mode.
The LS201 is a fairly heavy monitor, especially for its size. This is probably due to the thick protective glass that is generously lavished on the front of the unit. The weight of the screen makes the whole unit top-heavy and a bit tipsy. The stand seems to be well constructed and it does a fine job of supporting the weight of the extra heavy screen. However, there is significant flex in the base of the stand.
Accidentally bumping the screen will send the LS201 wobbling back and forth, causing the circular base of the stand to bend slightly, although not in an alarming way. This happens while the screen is on a desk or mounted on a wall. After some experimentation, we think the LS201's stand should be perfectly adequate for most usage scenarios but you might run into problems if you find yourself frequently bumping into your monitor.
Thanks to the non-removable design of the stand, ASUS was able to locate all of the monitor's connectors on the bottom of the stand. This is a superior location for the connections, compared to the back of the screen, when the monitor is placed on a desk. Since the cables will be at desk-level, there is no question about how the cables will be routed to the ports, making cable management on the back of the monitor a non-issue. This placement also makes the ports easy to see and connect cables to, compared to designs where the ports are mounted vertically within the monitor unit.
However, cable management becomes a big issue when trying to mount the LS201 on a wall. With the stand locked in its wall-mount position, the ports face upward. This makes for an awkward and potentially unsightly cable installation. Luckily, the screen itself should hide much of the mess of cables protruding from (what would be) the top of the stand.
;)
The LS201's sleek design continues on the back of the unit. The left and right edge of the LS201 are rounded on the back and the center is dominated by a large, raised circle with an ASUS logo in the center. The back of the unit is made from glossy, black plastic that is relatively fingerprint resistant and the circular ASUS symbol consists of an inset metal foil covered by a permanent protective coating.
The screen sits on a good looking circular stand with a brushed-metal finish. The LS201's stand is attached by a hinge joint at the bottom of the unit. The stand only offers tilt adjustment and cannot turn or pivot. The screen can be tilted 20 degrees back or 5 degrees forward, from vertical. On each end of the hinge is a silver circular decoration. However, the one on the left side (when viewed from the rear) of the unit is actually a button. Pressing the button allows the stand to be tilted parallel with the screen, for wall mounting. Unfortunately the stand is not removable, but ASUS has provided VESA compatible mounts at the bottom of the stand, allowing the whole unit to be mounted into any VESA compatible mounting apparatus.
;)
;)
Though highly unusual, we liked the design of the stand. It means the LS201 comes with a good looking stand that can transform into an nice wall mount. The included VESA mounts also means the LS201 doesn't lose any mounting versatility and will easily fit on your VESA compatible monitor arm, although the stand may look a bit out of place in that scenario.
The LS201 has a special feature ASUS calls 'Light-in-Motion". The idea of Light-in-Motion is to use multi-colored LED's to create ambiance and also visually notify the user of the status of the monitor. The LEDs on the LS201 are located in the base of the circular stand. Around the entire circumference of the stand's circular base is a clear plastic insert.
A group of LEDs are located within the insert, on the rear of the stand (near the ports). The light from these LEDs are transmitted by the clear plastic insert around the whole base, to create a gentle gradient of light. The lights are blue when the screen is turned on and actively receiving a signal, and orange when the unit is in standby mode.The LS201 is a fairly heavy monitor, especially for its size. This is probably due to the thick protective glass that is generously lavished on the front of the unit. The weight of the screen makes the whole unit top-heavy and a bit tipsy. The stand seems to be well constructed and it does a fine job of supporting the weight of the extra heavy screen. However, there is significant flex in the base of the stand.
Accidentally bumping the screen will send the LS201 wobbling back and forth, causing the circular base of the stand to bend slightly, although not in an alarming way. This happens while the screen is on a desk or mounted on a wall. After some experimentation, we think the LS201's stand should be perfectly adequate for most usage scenarios but you might run into problems if you find yourself frequently bumping into your monitor.
;)
Thanks to the non-removable design of the stand, ASUS was able to locate all of the monitor's connectors on the bottom of the stand. This is a superior location for the connections, compared to the back of the screen, when the monitor is placed on a desk. Since the cables will be at desk-level, there is no question about how the cables will be routed to the ports, making cable management on the back of the monitor a non-issue. This placement also makes the ports easy to see and connect cables to, compared to designs where the ports are mounted vertically within the monitor unit.
However, cable management becomes a big issue when trying to mount the LS201 on a wall. With the stand locked in its wall-mount position, the ports face upward. This makes for an awkward and potentially unsightly cable installation. Luckily, the screen itself should hide much of the mess of cables protruding from (what would be) the top of the stand.
