ViewSonic VX2245wm (Page 1 of 4 )
For a company like ViewSonic, which is smaller than Dell and HP, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the competition when it comes to LCD flat panels. ViewSonic is doing a fairly good job at creating new and innovative products, though. Keep reading to find out what ViewSonic has in store for the flat panel market with their VX2245wm LCD monitor.
The VX2245wm LCD monitor sports a built-in iPod dock right in the center of the unit, just below the screen. ViewSonic released their so-called ViewDock back in late 2006.
On the surface, the idea of having a built-in iPod dock on your computer monitor seems like a great idea, but the iPod dock feature is limited in its capabilities on this model. This monitor will only play music or videos from your iPod if the monitor is hooked up to a computer. Basically, you need to be running iTunes in order for the iPod dock to function. It would have been nice if the monitor could run independently from a computer to play music and videos through the iPod.
On the other hand, wouldn't you want your flat panel hooked up to your computer at all times anyway? I guess this small issue will be a problem for some, while most others will not have a problem with the limitations of the built-in iPod docking station. By the way, the iPod docking station will still charge the battery in your iPod when docked, even when the monitor is not hooked up to the computer, just as long as the monitor itself is plugged in.
As you can see, the ViewSonic ViewDock is aimed at a small niche of people. First of all, you need to have an iPod if you're thinking about buying this monitor. Although some people think that everyone in the world has an iPod by now, not everyone does. These days, there are a ton of good alternatives to an iPod, so many people are choosing other brands. If you do have an iPod, you need to decide if it would even be worth it for you to purchase this monitor when your iPod already comes with a charging dock. Lastly, you need to make sure that the iPod you have will actually function with the VX2245wm's docking station, because not all models do. Here is a list of compatible models:
iPod Nano
iPod Mini (first and second generation)
iPod Video
iPod with Click Wheel (20,40 GB/U2)
iPod with Color Display (20,30,60 GB)
iPod with Dock Connector (10,15,20,30,40 GB)
iPod Photo (40,60 GB)
The ViewSonic VX2245wm flat panel comes with five different adapters in the box. The various adapters are used to make each type of iPod compatible with the ViewDock.
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