If you need speakers just for business audio, the ones in multimedia monitors should suffice, and they save you valuable desk space. A good 17-inch monitor will have a viewable diagonal of 16 inches. Advanced users will need controls in order to correct convergence and pincushioning at each edge.
Some warranties cover the CRT, the most expensive part of the monitor, for only one year.
If space is tight in a cubicle or home office, look for a monitor with a smaller footprint. Some vendors cut corners by giving you only a 3-foot cable, which might be too short if you keep your CPU on the floor. Look for a 6-foot cable. Having both a standard VGA and a BNC connector will let you attach two machines simultaneously and switch between them. Flicker is a natural by-product of CRT technology.