i spent the day catching up on sleep, and needed it. but, i got my square monitor this afternoon for $20.
i got tricked a little on the actual size; the model specs told me 17", which i though meant it was about 17x17. it's actually only about 13" across. the monitor that it is replacing is about 15" across, which means it is replacing a 19" monitor. going from 19 to 17 may seem backwards, but i'm actually more concerned about desk space and would not have wanted something much bigger. i've tested it, and the size is acceptable - but i'll revisit later on if i have to. again: owning a spare monitor is not a bad thing.
the way i should look at it is like this: it came with a dvi cable, which i don't have and should not expect in a second purchase. that dvi cable is worth more than $20, anyways. even if i don't use it, this was really a steal.
but i'll reiterate that i'll probably be fine with the slightly smaller screen. i've just increased the resolution a little to compensate. and, the thing is indeed quite sharp and focused at 1280x1074.
updated total:
airwalk shoes (payless): $33
bicycle repair (city cyclery): $23
3x40 gb ide hds (kijiji): $10
dell ultrasharp 1703 fp with dvi cables (kijiji): $20
2x500 gb sshd laptop drives (best buy): $2x82
2 tb internal drive (best buy): $104
100 dvd-rs [best buy]: $30
50 bd-rs [best buy]: $45
2x2 gb laptop ram (amazon.ca): $2x15 + shipping, $47
8 gb sd ram for mp3 player (amazon.ca): $13
2 tb external drive (amazon.ca) : $123
50 cd-rs [amazon.ca]: $30
ps/2 to usb connector [amazon.ca]: $5
intel core i3-4710 [amazon.ca]: $243
atx mid tower [amazon.ca] - $52
asus p9d ws [amazon.ca]: $360
2x8 gb ddr3-1600 ram [amazon.ca]: $150
arctic silver [amazon.ca]: $11
450 joule surge protector (amazon.ca): $9
600 watt psu (amazon.ca): $80
700 joule surge protector (amazon.ca): $10
laptop battery (ebay): $26
2x4 gb laptop ram (ebay): $2x33
ip68 phone (ebay): $128
m-audio audiophile 2496 (ebay) [used]: $60
250 gb ssd drive (newegg.ca): $135
bathroom supplies (food basics, walmart, loblaws, shopper's): $202
ps/2 keyboard (axxon computer corporation, windsor): $23
usb mouse (walmart): $15
universal battery charger + aaa batteries (canadian tire): $54
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