LCD monitor prices have been fluctuating in recent months as demand continues to outstrip supply. As a result, the market for smaller screens is stronger than that for the big, 18-inch plus sizes. This 15-inch display hits the sweet spot for desktop monitors, because its viewable area is only a little smaller than that of a conventional CRT monitor, yet it takes up less desk space.

A lot less, in fact. The Eizo FlexScan L365 is one of the sleekest, most stylish LCD monitors we've seen to date, with a much smaller base than most of its kind. This does mean that you don't get any built-in USB hubs or any other paraphernalia, but that's not exactly a major problem since few people seem to use them anyway. You do get a pair of small speakers built into the casing, but the rest of the unit is solely concerned with the delivery of images.

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Two connectors at the back of the unit allow you to connect either a standard analogue VGA D-Sub cable or a DVI-D (digital) connection if your card supports it. Only a VGA cable is included in the box, so you'll have to get a digital cable from somewhere else if that's your chosen display route. The usual array of ergonomics certification accompanies the Eizo monitor, as does a good, detailed manual.

The FlexScan L365 has a native resolution of 1024 x 768, as you'd expect from a display of this size. It has an array of buttons along the front panel for adjusting the image size, contrast, brightness, colour balance, etc., and there's an 'auto' button that attempts to synchronise the display with the input signal from the graphics card. Generally this does a good job, although some fine tweaking is sometimes necessary to remove blurring around letters.

In terms of image quality, the FlexScan L365 does pretty well. Once set up, the colour reproduction is reasonably good and there's plenty of brightness, while edges are fairly sharp and defined. However, the viewing angle isn't great, and if you move your head in front of the screen you'll see noticeable variation in screen clarity. This is not likely to be a major problem, but it's an area in which other displays perform better.

You could get a large, well-specified CRT monitor for the price of this LCD display, but that's missing the point slightly. In applications where desk space is at a premium, this sleek, compact display is one of the most appropriate solutions. Its viewing angles (despite what the specifications say) aren't the best in its class, but it produces a fair quality image.