I have the same monitor. Be sure to check your ClearType settings. Sometimes when cleartype is configured you get red around the type. Go to Contol Panel>ClearType Tuning and use this utility. If for some reason it's not there in control panel, you can download it from microsoft.com. Go into the downloads and do a search for PowerToys. You should find Win XP PowerToys. The ClearType utility makes type more easier to read especially on LCDs.