Iridium Starview 17F

CTS (August '03)

THE LEADER OF THE FLAT PACK

The remnants of the IT retailer and the consumer channel sweltering away in the UK rather than sunning themselves on Mediterranean beaches, may be forgiven for thinking they had made the wrong decision in keeping their businesses ticking over this august.
While those of us manning the channel barricades at Computer Trade Shopper magazine huddle around the office milk fridge for some respite from the heat, we’re pleased to hear that dealers at the front line, unlike many others in the distribution channel, are still flying the flag in their hot and sweaty shops.
While Autumn and its traditional spike in sales may still seem a long way off, the industry is gearing up for a bumper final quarter with a host of innovative and well-designed new products pouring into the CTS reviews department on a daily basis.
One such gem we’ve taken a look at while attempting to cool down by dipping our feet into an inflatable paddling pool filled with freezer-chilled CPU’s is the wonderful Starview 17F LCD Flat Panel monitor – another snazzy, good-looking screen we feel confident most dealers will want to add to their shelves.
The Starview 17F comes, first of all, with an excellent manufacturing and brand backing, produced, as it is, by Warwickshire channel stalwarts Iridium Portable Computers, part of the fast-growing Rock Group.
Iridium may be better known for some of its other lines, such as its winning laptops reviewed in these pages earlier this summer along with projectors, but it has also been burrowing quietly away on the monitor front with some positive results.

Top of the class…

Released as part of a duo of new products, the other being the smaller 15F flat panel LCD monitor, the 17F is a leading mid-market product, which promises much and delivers well.
Looking under the bonnet of the 17F, we were pleased with what the monitor was capable of, with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 SXGA and 16.7m display colours.
One run through with the kit in a variety of situations produced a crystal-clear graphics display and very good stereo sound reproduction. Additionally, the 17F delivers a range of features including security locks, VESA, wall mounting capability and a full consumer warranty with a 36-month on-site exchange.
Otherwise, the 17F has all of the other features you would expect from a monitor in this class, including plug-and-play compatibility, on-screen displays, tilt capability, and an external 12V power supply. A word must also go to the classy design of the 17F, which comes in a contemporary silver and matt black finish beloved of those who decide what monitors must look like at the moment.
Our one moan would be that the monitor has no height adjustment mechanism, but we believe the other features more than compensate for its absence.
In summary, the Starview 17F is a leading LCD product which delivers excellent visual and audio performance in a well-designed and eye-catching package, at a price which won't upset anyone’s bank manager.