Monitor This

Nothing draws more “oohs” and “ahs” from co-workers than a big liquid crystal display monitor sitting on top of your desk. It’s a sure sign of being a power user--someone who for some reason needs an outrageously expensive and thin monitor to do his or her work.

Samsung recently came out with one of the slickest LCD monitors on the market--the 17-inch SyncMaster 170MP. Not only is it big enough to stop passersby dead in their tracks, but it also includes a built-in television tuner and speakers so you can further rub in your power status by watching CNN while people gawk. All this for a mere $1,600.

True, for the same price you could buy a 36-inch Sony Trinitron stereo Wega television and cram it next to your desk, but then people would just think you’re showing off.

The 170MP’s active-matrix screen provides a sharp image with resolutions of up to 1,240 pixels by 1,024 pixels. The monitor also includes video inputs for camcorders, VCRs and DVD players so you can watch a movie while pretending to be hard at work.