Lenovo ThinkVision L171: a solid, basic monitor at a basic price

While most of us have moved on to larger LCD screen for our computers, there's still a place for smaller displays. The Lenovo L171 Flat Panel Monitor could find a place in many environments such as point-of-sale systems and offices where space is at a premium. Lenovo touts the L171 as being best suited for general business applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, data entry and business graphics.

The L171 was dead easy to set up. There's a single connection option, VGA, so you'll be able to connect it to almost any computer, new and old. However, that didn't seriously diminish image quality. Images, text and video all displayed clearly. The LCD surface is matte so there were no annoying reflections. Rather than going for a widescreen form-factor, the L171 retains the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. This is a good thing as 17in widescreen displays typically are too short for office use.

While many LCDs are moving from computer screens to multimedia displays with support for multiple inputs the L171 keeps things very simple. There's no DVI, HDMI, component or other inputs. While most screens at lower price points add a USB hub and/or speakers, Lenovo has left those out. However, they have made sure that the L171 carries out it primary task as a computer monitor with aplomb.

The maximum resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 is satisfactory for business use. When we benchmarked the L171's performance on our Vista test system, a Toshiba Portege R500 with docking station, we were pleased with the outcome. Diagonal lines and arcs displayed with no jaggedness and the viewing angle was excellent. While images are optimal when viewed from directly in front of the monitor we could still see the screen clearly from almost an entire 180 degrees. The backlighting was even with no bright or dull spots. There were no dead or stuck pixels on our test unit. Topping it off, DVD playback on action sequences with rapid-firing lasers and fast-moving space craft was excellent with no noticeable blurring.

Getting the L171 into a decent working position is a little tricky. There's plenty of forward and back tilt but no vertical adjustment. That means you'll need to find a couple of thick books to get the screen to an ergonomically sound height. There's no rotation option either although with a screen of this size that's not a significant omission. If positioning comfortably the L171 proves to be difficult, you could buy a mount as the L171 is compliant with the 100mm VESA standard.

To be sure, the L171 is not a display that will suit everyone but it's not trying to be all things to all people. On the contrary, it's primarily designed for business users although it does perform well at multimedia tasks. We can imagine it being used in point of sale areas where space is at a premium. Graphics professionals with limited budgets might consider it as a second screen for toolbars and palettes.

While the ThinkVision L171 has many limitations it can still fill a need in some niches.