That just proves what I suspected about Ubuntu having hardware detection problems with monitors.

Could you please publish the modline that worked with the brand and model of your monitor.

1400x1050 @75hz on a viewsonic g75f:

Modeline "1400x1050" 156.214 1400 1504 1656 1896 1050 1051 1054 1096 -hsync +vsync


My point is screw detection I know what it can do so why won't it do it? Even in windows the monitor reports a max res of 1280x1024@85hz. Yet once I load the viewsonic windows drivers it can do 1400x1050@75hz and 1600x1200@60hz. Even without the drivers in windows I can force it into 1400x1050. Seems like in linux it shouldn't be much harder.

In Linux it is usually easier! The kernel will have all the modules built in when you do the install. You just don't have to mess with drivers. The problem comes in when the distro doesn't have the capability to recognize the hardware. It might think that your monitor is something else, hence the different resolution. That is why for me, the xorg conf file was right when Mepis generated it (correct hardware detection) but wrong when Xubuntu generated it.

There is a program called "gtf" that you can use to generate modelines.
"gtf 1400 1250 85 -x" will generate a modeline that you can try. The gtf program is one that comes from the xorg installation. I needed to use it at first after I got my laptop with a 1280x800 screen.

gtf, that's interesting. I haven't needed to use a modline as 1440x900 for my Viewsonic VA1912wb was accepted in xorgs screen section. How does one know the best refresh rate rate to use?

LCD's don't have refresh rates so 60 is fine for them. On crt monitors, usually anything under 70hz causes flickering and headaches

Ok, looks like my new nvidia card fixed everything!

My kubuntu 6.10 installation started with such a high resolution I could barely read it. I was able to change it to something like 1024x768 using the control panel. After I installed CrossoverOffice 6.0 beta, Quickbooks 2001, and TurboTax 2005 (first version I have been able to run since about 2000) the desired resolution held. About when I tried to install TurboTax 2006 the resolution went to asd the panel gave me only two other choices, both in that range. I copied the screen section from someone else's post for another distro asd X wouldn't run at all. Then I copied from another post for Kubuntu 5 asd got the same resolution, and the control panel gave me an error message instead of choices. Here is my screen section:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "NVIDIA Corporation NV11DDR [GeForce2 MX 100 DDR/200 DDR]"
Monitor "CPD-420GS"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
End Subsection
Subsection "Display"
depth 24
virtual 1024 768
modes "1024x768" "1280x1024" "640x480" "1280x1024" "800x600"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Can anyone tell me what I did wrong?

You need not change resolution just specify larger system font sizes. Not sure how in KDE but in Gnome you can change the size icons on the desktop and in Nautilus with a single % parameter.