[Raion]

I have actually never used a 1600SW for an extended time, but I was thinking. If we could find a Chinese or Taiwanese firm to make the 1600x1024 panels, we could get a VA or IPS panel made to drop in for the 1600SW. Throw in a more modern PSU, and we have a pretty decent quasi-5:4 type monitor. But I only say this because I am sick of the lack of any modern 4:3 displays. 16:9 and U L T R A W I D E feel like ripoffs to me and I don't like just turning them portrait. Just doesn't feel the same. 

Anyone ever considered something like this? A VA panel would be cheaper and could have a higher refresh rate.

[drmadison]

The 1600sw was nice for what it was when it came out. But going from it to a modern panel is night and day. The bezels are horrendously huge, the backlight quality is lacking (bleeding all over the place), not to mention the fact that they pretty much all sag to the right due to the weird off-center mounting setup (haven't checked yet if there's something I can tighten to fix that).

I still love my 1600sw, I'll continue using it with my O2, but for me the benefit isn't that it's a great display, but that it's the only way to get a digital video signal out of the O2 (for monitor purposes.. obviously there are various digital video out options). I would LOVE a more modern IPS (or even VA as you mentioned) display I could hook up to the FPA on my O2.

[Raion]

I just don't like the assortment of modern display ratios, though. I use three 16:9 monitors atm, but I would love a bunch of new 4:3s instead..

[shrek]

The Dell 2007FP is a really nice 4:3 (1600x1200) monitor that's a little more modern and works with SGIs.

[Raion]

Yeah I've seen those around, I'm not a massive fan.