I just got a Dell refurb 1704FPT Ultra 17" LCD monitor. I have two problems with it: 1. It has a dark gradient on the top of the screen; in order to view the entire screen (uniformly bright), I have to either tilt the screen toward myself, or sit up straight and look downward at the screen. Viewing the screen perpendicular results in the top being dark and harder to see. 2. The monitor is too bright: I work at home in a softly lit room, and I have to turn the brightness to zero, and the contrast to about 13%, and still the LCD is hard on the eyes. Compared to my Hitachi 19" CRT, the Hitachi is easy on the eyes, very adjustable, and super sharp and crisp. The Dell LCD appears to have thicker dark areas, which is cheap-looking. Is all this normal for LCDs ... or do I have a defective monitor ? Any other comments appreciated. SteveH