ASUS LS201 20" LCD Monitor

The ASUS LS201 is certainly a peculiar product. It uses a standard aspect ratio, which is a rarity these days. It features a neat, if not odd, non-detachable stand with built-in LED ambient lighting that can be wall and VESA mounted. The screen is built like a tank and the LS201 is at least two times heavier than a 20" monitor has any right to be. Lastly, the LS201 is fronted by a large, thick sheet of crystal-sapphire which gives it its slick appearance and protects the screen from scratches and damage. All of these features are quite unique and any one of them would set the LS201 apart from the rest of the mob of 20" monitors currently available. Do all of these funky features come together to make an interesting and unique product? We think so.

But make no mistake, the ASUS LS201 isn't a fantastic monitor. The standard aspect ratio is poorly suited for widescreen content, it uses mediocre TN panel technology, it's top heavy and wobbly on its stand and suffers from reflection problems. However, these issues don't make the LS201 an especially poor monitor either. Overall, we think the image quality of the LS201 is merely average and nothing to write home about. Unless you are attracted by the other features of the LS201, image quality alone isn't enough to justify the $300 price tag.

If you just want a simple monitor for watching movies, playing games and office work, the LS201 probably isn't for you. The run-of-the-mill image quality coupled with the high price tag make the it less than appealing to most consumers. But if you like the unique and somewhat extravagant features the LS201 has to offer, there is only one choice. If you need an LCD for use in an industrial environment where a standard screen could easily be damaged, the LS201 should work out nicely. And lets not forget those marauding LCD destroyers known as kids and pets. If you've ever lost an LCD to an overly rambunctious child or sharp-clawed kitty, the LS201's protective glass will probably pay for itself at some point.