>I'm fairly uninformed when it comes to display adapters, monitors, etc. I currently have an ATI Radeon X800XL with 256MB of memory. I started having some problems with my CRT monitor (or maybe it's my eyes), so I ordered a Dell UltraSharp 2007WFP 20-inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD Monitor the other day.
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>Now, what do I do when it gets here :)? I've been working in 1024 x 768 for awhile now, but would it be better to move to a higher resolution? Also, what about refresh rate? My current CRT monitor supports refresh rates of 60MHz, 70Mhz, and higher. Is a higher refresh rate easier on the eyes?

Unlike CRTs, LCD monitors have a "native" resolution - this is their maximum supported resolution, in your case 1680x1050. Running at this resolution gives you the sharpest possible image. If you run at a lower resolution, the monitor will "interpolate" and edges of text etc. become noticeably blurry.

Of course, running at high resolution means that things like screen icons etc. may become very small (but sharp). If they're too small, you may have to compromise, and have larger icons etc. at the price of some blurring.

There are some other considerations:

- in Windows you can turn ClearType on, which makes text easier to read, especially on LCD monitors. Give this a try before deciding that things are too small when running at max resolution

- You can also set Windows to use "large fonts" (120dpi instead of the default 96dpi), or some custom setting in between. This can give you larger icons and text while still retaining sharpness. The downside is that the forms in many apps are designed for standard 96dpi, and look funny at large fonts - captions wrapping etc.

- When trying out various resolutions etc. make sure your contrast and brightness are set somewhere near mid-settings, not way off either end. Having the screen too dark or washed out can affect how things look to you

- Your monitor may come with a colour-balancing utility. You might want to run this either before or after you decide on the other settings above.

Of course, the best settings are up to you - you'll need to experiment with all of the above to find out which works best for you.