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Connection Types
Make sure your monitor has all of the desired connections that you will need.
Color of the Bezel
Make sure the color of the monitor's bezel matches the rest of your decore.
Flat Panel Vs. CRT Monitors
Within the last couple of years, it seems like everyone suddenly has to have a flat panel monitor instead of the traditional CRT monitor (which stands for Cathode Ray Tube, in case you were wondering).  But is this flat panel trend simply a passing fad, or are there really advantages to buying an LCD or plasma monitor?
The answer to that question is a resounding yes.  There are many different advantages to owning a flat panel monitor.  The first is, obviously, size.  A flat panel monitor takes up much less room than the traditional, boxy CRT monitor does.  This saves you a lot of desk space, plus it makes it much easier to move your monitor around if you need to since flat panel screens are much lighter.  Another benefit is that many flat panel monitors have an adjustable base.  This lets you raise the monitor so that it’s an eye level without stacking it on top of books or buying a special little shelf to put it on.  
The fact that flat panel monitors are available as wide screens is another advantage.  CRT monitors are almost always square or close to it.  With a flat panel, though, you can get screens that are 16:10 or so, which give you a lot more computer desktop space.  These monitors are great for several things.  First, more monitor space allows you to have more windows open side by side.  If you’re doing internet research, for example, you can open a browser window and your word processor program and resize them so they’re side by side.  This makes it much easier to type notes and saves time since you won’t be constantly switching between the two programs.  In fact, these wide screen monitors almost eliminate the need for using dual monitors since the main benefit of having two monitors attached to your computer is that it allows you to run two programs side by side.  The wider screen is also nice if you plan to watch a lot of movies on your laptop computers.
Viewing quality is another reason why flat panel monitors are becoming very popular.  LCD and plasma screens are capable of presenting much clearer, crisper images than CRT monitors.  This is especially useful for anyone who does a lot of graphic arts or video editing.  Many of the new flat panel monitors include digital connections in addition to the standard analogue cables, which is nice if your graphics card has digital output.
Finally, price and availability are also becoming issues in the flat panel verses CRT debate.  Because they take up less room, businesses can stock more flat panel monitors than CRT monitors, and many have begun phasing out the traditional monitors.  Plus, the price of flat panel monitors has dropped dramatically in the last five years.  If thing