The biggest benefit to running your own business is splurging on cool technology. The toughest part of running your own business is splurging on cool technology. But for the past few weeks, I have had serious monitor-envy over flat-panel displays.

Everywhere I’ve gone, folks have been enjoying the beauty that is the LCD flat-panel display. The thin lines, the sleek appearance, the crystal-clear picture.

So I finally took the leap and bought a Sony SDM-HS95P 19-inch monitor ($599 with a $100 rebate). To say it’s amazing is an understatement.

The first part is the size of the display. I first brought home a 17-inch version of this monitor, but it looked very elfin on my desk, so I immediately returned it for the bigger one.

My last monitor was a 17-inch Samsung SyncMaster. Though there was absolutely nothing wrong with it - it also had a beautiful picture, there’s something about keeping up with the Joneses. And in today’s technology world, the Joneses all have LCD flat panels.

The second I set it up, I realized the heft of my other monitor was just too much. Where once the whole desk was consumed by my monitor, I suddenly had space to organize my printer and router and speakers without everything being crammed together. The space alone is a reason to upgrade.

The screen is also a dramatic step up. I thought my SyncMaster was vivid, but the Sony is impressive. The colors are pristine and the size of the screen makes for a much bigger workspace. I had to make a few adjustments from the default settings to get the brightness, contrast, screen resolution, etc. correct for the lighting in my office, but overall, it was plug and play.

I even tried out a movie on it and it made me want to reach for the popcorn, lean back and pop my feet up on my desk.

The only hitch - and it was because of the age of my computer - was I had to update my Intel graphics drivers. One five-minute install later and I was good to go.

I highly recommend the 19-inch version - it’s about $200 more than the 17-inch, but it’s well worth the extra money.

My spending spree didn’t end with the monitor. I also picked up Norton AntiSpam 2005. The spam ratio on my main e-mail account has been out of control and a big time waster. Also, it’s taking up precious space on my BlackBerry as everything is forwarded there. Anyone who hates getting that note from your server saying you’re over your limit understands my ire.