Formac Introduces 17.4" Flat Panel ADC Display For US$899

by , 11:00 AM EDT, October 17th, 2001

Formac has introduced a stunning new display product on the market, a 17.4" LCD display for US$899. The unit is physically attractive and has an aggressive feature set. Formac is a German-based company that has been competing in the video card space for many years, and has recently moved into the peripheral and display market.. The new flat panel display from the company is aimed at the prosumer and professional user. From Formac:

Formac Electronic Inc., a leading manufacturer of performance enhancing peripherals and advanced visualization solutions, today announced Formac gallery™ 1740, the world's first 17.4" flat-panel display with Apple Display Connector (ADC). Combining beautiful form and smart functionality with Fujitsu's revolutionary Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) technology, Formac gallery™ 1740 outperforms comparable Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) in picture and video quality. Formac gallery™ 1740, the latest product in Formac's award-winning form + function™ line, is designed for professional applications, such as desktop-publishing, CAD/CAM, video editing as well as data-intensive business applications and is compatible with Macintosh computers with ADC interface.

Combining the technical superiority of Fujitsu's MVA technology with the advantages of a true digital interface (ADC) Formac gallery™ 1740 supercedes comparable LCDs as well as CRT displays in picture and video quality. The active matrix LCD yields higher brightness (220 cd/m2), increased contrast (400:1), and provides a fine dot pitch of 0.27 mm, resulting in sharp, brilliant and crystal-clear images. The industry-leading pixel response time (10-25ms) predestines Formac gallery for professional video work, allowing full-motion digital video playback with fluid motions and eliminating the ghosting effect often found on flat panel displays. The ultra-wide viewing angle allows users to view crystal clear images with accurate colors from a viewing angle of up to 160 degrees – from sides, top or bottom. Formac gallery’s™ true 24-bit technology delivers a rich palette of 16.7 million vivid colors allowing graphic artists to professionally match and calibrate colors. To ensure the highest in LCD quality, Formac's displays undergo an industry-leading screening process, reducing the allowable number of pixel anomalies below the one of comparable displays in the market.

Equipped with an Apple Display Connector, Formac gallery™ is an all-digital solution, i.e. the display data is supplied digitally from the Macintosh. Without losing signal quality through analog conversion Formac's LCD produces crisper images than analog-driven flat panels. The true digital interface also negates the need for manual adjustments of the image by user controls such as CRTs require. The advanced LCD technology and constant light output means that Formac gallery™ 1740 minimizes eyestrain, as it eliminates flicker and loss of light.

Formac gallery™ 1740 features high quality multiple resolution support and a true resolution of 1,280 by 1,024. This is equivalent to the virtual work space typically selected on a 21-inch CRT monitor. Compared to a standard 17-inch LCD Formac's 17.4-inch display increases the virtual work space by approximately 5%.

Setting new standards in industrial design Formac gallery™ 1740 combines technical superiority with beautiful form and well thought-out functionality. With an ultra-slim desktop footprint Formac gallery™ 1740 occupies a minimum of desktop space. Its functional hinge design allows users to adjust the viewing angle to their individual preference. Formac gallery's™ clear enclosure and its silver-painted bezel makes it a perfect companion to Apple's latest desktop computers and previous G4 cubes. Special editions with different bezel-colors will be available at a later point in time. Formac gallery's™ ADC connectivity, which combines USB, power and video in one cable, makes set-up a breeze. Formac gallery™ offers an integrated two-port powered USB hub for easy plug-and-play connections to peripherals.

You can find more information on the Gallery 1740 at Formac's Web site. The display is priced at US$899 and includes a 3-year limited warranty.

The Mac Observer Spin:

This is an aggressive product all the way around. The specs meet or exceed the specs of Apple's 17" Studio Display, and the price is cheaper (the 17" Studio Display is priced at US$999). It even looks like a Mac product too. Prices on LCDs are coming down one way or another, and a quick consultation with our resident fortune teller revealed price cuts in Apple's future. With competition like this, that might happen sooner, rather than later.

Formac