· Intuitive image controls and settings
· 85Hz refresh rate at 1600 x 1200 the highest in group
· Aggressive price

· .28 dot pitch tied for highest in group
· Image quality inferior to top three monitors

As the entire computer industry (and the rest of the world for that matter) prepares to enter the next millenium, MAG Technology continues to develop products that deviate from the norm by offering unique features and high levels of performance.

The mainstream 21" large display from MAG that we've included in this roundup is the DJ920. Its features are fairly routine compared to the others in this comparison save for two: The "Digital JAG" control wheel on the front of the unit's bezel, and the option to add a USB hub in the unit's base.

The "JAG control" operates much like a home stereo receiver's volume knob, meaning that each of the DJ920's image manipulation options is selected and changed via the spinning of the wheel. To lock in one of the variables, a simple push of the large knob is all that's required.

Sharky Extreme came to enjoy the functionality of the knob during the DJ920's stay with us, but a few staffers expressed the opinion that perhaps the wheel in addition to a standard four button setup would be truly ideal. In any case the JAG control seemed to work as advertised and offered a great deal of control on the visible image.

The second feature we found unique to the DJ920 compared to its competition came in the form of the optional USB hub that MAG has begun to offer on a few of its different displays. The hub connects to the monitor's swivel base, and allows for the connection of four USB devices. Four seems to be the magic number for the amount of USB ports on the aftermarket hub stations lately, and for the immediate future Sharky Extreme feels that number is adequate. The price of the optional DJ920 USB hub varies but is usually between $45 and $65.

For its display abilities the DJ920 utilizes the same Hitachi .28dp OEM tube as the ADi Microscan 6G, and as you'd expect it suffers from the same general image quality deficiencies as the 6G does. However, text was slightly clearer on the DJ920 versus the 6G, as was the overall color saturation. Mysteriously, the DJ920 was two inches shorter in its depth measurement than the ADi Microscan 6G, another reason for the MAG's fourth place ranking versus the 6G's fifth place spot.

The DJ920 can be looked at as the first viable option out of this group, but only for buyers who use their PCs in an entertainment capacity the majority of the time. As with the ADi Microscan 6G, if your monitor needs have "work" at the top of the list, you're better off with one of our top three finishers.