World-First: Dell's Crystal Display, Reviewed!

Posted 04/17/2008 at 11:54pm | by David Murphy

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I fondly recall seeing Dell's big Crystal display at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, because it was--hands down--the monitor that everybody was talking about. In a world of thinning panels and absurd technological achievements with coloration and clarity, here was Dell. Good ol' Dell. The bastion of the common man's PC, working on a display that looks downright Mac-like in its creativity. If not more than, because I have yet to see anything from Apple that remotely resembles the see-through panel Dell was pushing.

Long story short, I was excited. Me, and just about every other magazine and blog that got wind of the display. Sure, it was going to be a little pricy, but it if delivered an awesome picture, I can think of no reason why the hipsters, graphic artists, and gaming enthusiasts wouldn't want this sweet-looking display on their desktops. It's rare for a product to inspire a purchasing decision by looks alone, but Dell's Crystal had that je ne sais quoi. That ultimate geeky appeal.

Well, the fateful day has arrived. Dell shipped us a Crystal this week, and I've been rushing at lightning speed to put it through its paces in both our Lab benchmarking environment and the confines of a typical bedroom setup. Why this scrutiny? I was worried that some of the effects we were seeing in the benchmarking process might be a result of the Lab's less-than-ideal lighting situation. But I'm proud to report that everything we experienced with this monitor can be replicated in both an office and home environment.

I'm also proud to bring you the first review of Dell's Crystal display. Enjoy!