19" wide-screen monitors: a good deal if you know what you are getting...and what you are giving up.

Ever wonder why things are put on "sale"? Think about it, it actually COSTS money to put something on sale. The vendor has to advertise the fact that they are willing to sell something for less. So not only do they lose the difference between "regular" price and "sale" price, they lose much more because they had to advertise the sale.

So why do this?

There is only one reason items are put on sale: to STIMULATE SALES, either in that item (legitamate sale), or in other items (so-called "loss leaders", or cross-effects).

But why put things on sale at certain times? Standard practices dictate that you place items on sale when you need to move them. In the case of technology, you often need to move items to make way for new technology. The last thing you want is some old "obsolete" piece of junk sitting next to the NextBigThing on the shelf.

That is the case with 19" monitors RIGHT NOW. Two things are happening in the industry wrt monitors right now. Here's the scoop on both of them:

#1. Shift from 4:3 aspect to "Widescren" aspect. HD now has enough critical mass, and manufacturers now have enough supply, to get behind massive promotions of new HD format monitors, which will have the same "aspect ratio" (ratio of width to height) as our movie theaters have had for decades. This "new" aspect ratio is 16:9, much wider than the old television standard of 4:3. For whatever reason, the whole world is moving this way.

#2. New display technology which will bring near HD resolution in a desktop monitor. New monitors will have 1650x1080 pixels in a 19-22 diagonal size, with an approx 16:10 aspect ratio. The next meaningful breakpoint will be so-called "full 1080p" resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, which will be in monitors over 23" diagonal and cost a LOT more (these prices are never linear until commoditization occurs).

--> So the reason 19" monitors are on sale right now is that newer monitors with near-HD resolution and widescreen format are coming to a storeshelf near you! The stores know that once they do, there is NO WAY they'll sell these old units for what they want to.

So you have a choice: buy old technology now, or wait until the new stuff comes on line. Or better yet, wait. The new stuff will most likely be horribly over-priced (at least until Black Friday - day after Thanksgiving), and when they do arrive, if you can find one of those old monitors, I guarantee you'll get it for a steal.

My advice to all technology buyers is the same. Know exactly what you need and don't buy anything more. The rest is just useless indulgence. Further, if you can get away with it, buy at least one and preferably two technology iterations behind the current "Best" product. That way, you'll save boatloads of money, and have pretty good stuff. You can usually find items like this on eBay, the day after the new stuff goes on sale...

Using this method, today you should be buying proven technology like:

- iPods (which are only now falling out of favor)
- Motorola RAZR phones (which are now really cheap, and have proven to be great units)
- ALL 4:3 aspect ratio monitors...which will start dropping like flies this year.
- And, yes, those 19" wide-screen monitors (approx. 1440x900, 16:9 aspect ratio) which are now on sale for $199 at many stores!

Bottom line: Things go on sale for a reason. Never pay retail if you can get away with it, and it's ok to buy "old" technology, as long as you are ok with giving up what will be in the stores the next week.