NameDescriptionPriceSystem Requirements
| Microvetic M1438S |
| 14" Amiga Multisync Monitor |
| £300 (RRP) - £199.99 from Wizard (0181 303 1800) |
| Amiga (AGA recommended, Monitor adaptor needed for gfx cards) |
Well, I've finally got myself a monitor... Normally, I would never spend out £200 or more when I could use my TV. I know the display would be better, but that's a lot of money. So why did I change my mind?
Now I'm off to uni, if you want a telly, you need a TV licence. Now I'm not really bothered about watching TV, so it's a bit silly to pay about £90 a year just to use my Amiga. Maybe there could have been a way round it, if I was only using it with my Amiga, but I thought I'd get a monitor anyway.
Sadly, there's not a lot of choice regarding monitors at the moment. I wanted a multisync, and I was happy with a 14" display (or rather, 17" was too expensive for me), so that meant a Microvetic M1438S - so now I've got it, how does it perform?
Well, it's difficult for me to compare to other monitors (if there were other monitors to compare to, that is...) but it performs very well.
As you'd expect, it's much better than a TV. Using existing modes gives a much clearer picture. And squarer too - it doesn't curve off at the edges. There are also lots of other modes too. Dbl PAL gives you 640x512 without interlace - a flicker free display, rather than doing your eyes in looking at HiresLaced, or sticking with 640x256.
And if you do decide to use interlaced, you can have even bigger modes, like 1280x512, 800x600 or 640x1024. Although I use 640x512 (ie, no interlaced) for most programs now, I've got Photogenics at 800x600 - I find the slight flicker is bearable given the extra resolution, and it's not as bad as interlace with a TV.
Running Shapeshifter is better too - the Mac desktop was obviously not designed with TVs in mind! The window title bars flicker like mad, but now I can view it as it should be viewed.
The monitor has a nice swivel stand, so you can position it just right. There are also stereo speakers - I'd still recommend wiring up to a stereo system, but it saves you having to buy those 'Multimedia Speakers'.
It's not all good news, though. One thing I immediately noticed was that screens don't fill all the available space, that is, you git blank spaces to the left and right of the screen. Okay, you soon get used to it, but it would be nice if it filled the screen.
The monitor has a 23 pin connection, so you can connect it straight to the Amiga without any adaptors. From what I know, graphics cards usually have a PC style 25 pin connector, so an adaptor would be needed. These are less common than VGA to 23 pin adaptors, but are available for around £15 (try Bliitersoft).
All in all, a nice monitor. It would be nice if the Amiga market had more choice, but at least what is available is pretty decent.
SpeedInterfaceDocumentationFeaturesValue For Money
| Microvetic M1438S | |
| N/A | |
| N/A | |
| Adequate - 70% | |
| All Amiga screenmodes, Stereo, Swivel Stand... 85% | |
| A bargain if you can get it for £200 - 89% | |
Overall -87% | |