Samsung

Samsung didn't have a bevy of new monitors to show us, but there were some interesting features amongst the three models we took a look at. First up was the company's SyncMaster 220TN monitor: for all intents, it's a thin monitor with a build-in camera and microphone. The 22-inch display is currently available at retailers, should you have an overwhelming need to buy one for all of your friends and voice-chat the night away. Or something.

I really liked what Samsung did with its SyncMaster 2263DX monitor. While the monitor itself connects via USB -- likely making it unusable as a gaming monitor of any sort -- said display comes with a smaller, attachable 7" screen. Samsung's betting that many people who hit up dual-monitor environments don't actually make use of the entire second monitor's visible space. In short, you slap your IM client on it and call it a day.

Well, you can now throw up your RSS feeds, Google Finance page, or instant messages on this supplementary display, then spin the whole lot to any side of the 2263DX. Multitaskers, rejoice.

Look! It's like a little hat for your primary display!

Samsung also peacocked prototype units of its new T-series displays. They frowned on cameras, so no pictures, but what we can tell you is that the 26-inch monitors we saw feature little bits of color towards the bottom of the screen -- red, green, or blue. The monitors will come with a built-in HD tuner, as well as inputs for HDMI and DVI connections. Look for these 1920x1200-resoution monitors to hit in the first half of 2008.

Dell

Oh, Dell. We wish we could tell you about the awesome things Dell showed us beyond its CES offerings, but the company has sworn everyone to secrecy under the threat of knee-breakings and sharp, pointy sticks to eyeballs. It's serious stuff. So yes. Just know that Dell has some awesome products in the pipeline.

If it makes you feel better, Dell's flagship CES product was actually on this List o' Secrecy last year. But the curtain's finally been brushed back from the Dell 22" Crystal display, and wow, does it look awesome. I'm talking about the picture and the presentation. As you'll note from the accompanying pictures, the Dell Crystal display is a screen built into a see-through bezel. You get four speakers, elegantly connected via precision black wiring, with the whole shebang resting on top of a tripod-like stand made of chrome-plated zinc alloy. Yum.

The screen itself rocks a 1680x1050 resolution at a 98-percent color gamut. A single cable trails out the back, split into four separate connectors on the connect-to-your-PC end. The video connector is DVI-only, although the Crystal comes with an HDMI-DVI adaptor right in the box. This monitor was really meant for single-PC use, which might very well be its Achilles Heel in a market that's shifting to multi-function displays.

The buttons on the front of the monitor are entirely touch-sensitive, by the way. And the monitor comes with a built-in, 2-megapixel webcam. Sound familiar? Yes, this is the PC's answer to those pretty Mac displays everyone's always fooh-foohing over. But in this case, I think we have a winner on our hands. We're going to get this monitor in for testing ASAP, but I dare say that it might be worth clearing out desk space for even if the picture quality isn't at the tippy-top. It's just that impressive-looking, and truly an inspiring move in the normally stale world of display styles. At least, for $1,200 retail, it better be!

Note said touch-sensitive buttons in the lower-right of the Crystal's front.

What it saves on cable management, the Crystal might very well lose for those who want a monitor that can accept more than just a single input!

Dell's also launching its new UltraSharp 3008WFP display. This 30" beast comes in a 2560x1600 resolution and 117-percent color gamut, making for a rather stylish, vivid look. It also comes with nearly every connector under the sun: vga, DVI (with HDCP), DisplayPort, S-Video, Composite, Component, and HDMI. Yes, you read that right: DisplayPort. It's a big step for Dell to incorporate this emerging DVI/VGA replacement into its monitor line, especially for a product as dramatic as a 30-inch panel. Still, we were impressed with what we saw, but again, it's likely that the Crystal announcement will nevertheless overshadow this little... er... big guy.

HP

HP didn't have much to show in its line of computer monitors, which is understandable, given the company's current focus on connecting every product it makes to the home entertainment space. And that's not sarcasm -- I was quite impressed with HP's extender-based offerings on both the television and storage sides.

But back to the monitors. The new HP w2207H and w2408H monitors are, as the naming system suggests, 22-inch and 24-inch monitors. The former runs on a 1680x1050 resolution, while the latter cranks it up to 1920x1200. Both monitors are including HDMI inputs (and cables!), which is pretty much the biggest improvement to speak of. The front bezels have also been updated to reflect the general stylish black glossy shine of HP's other offerings, but that's about it. HDMI. Thumbs up. Shown below, the w2408H: