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ViewSonic has added to its VA series of LCD monitors, the company announced the week of June 25 at the National Education Computing Conference in Atlanta.

The new displays include the 19-inch VA916, a traditional 4:3 display, and the 17-inch VA1716w and 19-inch VA1916w, both widescreen displays that offer panoramic viewing for multiple documents and high-definition video content.

ViewSonic said the increase in viewing area on the widescreen monitors allows users to navigate between multiple windows and applications more quickly, expanding virtual desktop space without sacrificing physical real estate on the desk.

“These latest displays reflect ViewSonic’s ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of the education market,” Jeff Volpe, vice president of marketing for ViewSonic Americas, headquartered in Walnut, Calif., said in a statement. “Our VA Series of displays deliver the features and performance to make the most of a customer’s technology budget.”

Click here to hear a podcast interview with ViewSonic Vice President Jeff Volpe about trends in the display business and how they affect resellers.

All three displays are Certified for Windows Vista Basic, and incorporate a textured cabinet with thin-bezel design and a clean cable management system. Both 19-inch displays, the ViewSonic VA916 and VA1916w, offer a high dynamic contrast ratio, a technology that dims the backlights to achieve darker black levels and better overall contrast. ViewSonic said such displays are ideal for entertainment applications.

The ViewSonic VA1716w offers 1440 by 900 native resolution with 500:1 contrast ratio. It has an estimated street price of $209 and will be available in July.

The ViewSonic VA1916w ships in August and has an estimated street price of $229. It offers a 1440 by 900 native resolution and 2000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

The 19-inch ViewSonic VA916 has a 4:3 aspect ratio, 2000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 1280 by 1024 native resolution. It will be available in August for an estimated street price of $239.

The displays will be sold through authorized ViewSonic retailers, resellers, distributors and mail order outlets, and are backed by a three-year limited warranty on parts and labor.