External monitor not as crisp as MacBook Pro?

When you say change the user name on here, if you are talking about your Communities name the only way is to create a new account and let the one you are using now fade into oblivion.

To do a comparison between the MBP monitor and an external monitor you also have to compare the pixel sizes between the two...the external in all likelihood has larger pixesls. That alone will alter the perceived picture quality. Large monitors are designed to be viewed from a greater distance so you can have larger pixels and less resolution than a small monitor up close. For example, compare the iPhone Retina display with the iPad display with the MBP display of the same image.

If you go into a TV sales room and compare flat screen TVs of the same size, but different brands you will see a wide disparity in picture definition and even color.

What I am saying is, I am not surprised to see a difference between the MBP and external monitor. You might try playing with the contrast and birghtness of the monitor a bit and see if that draws it closer in color saturation.

The screens on MacBook Pro's are excellent. You have to pay quite a lot of money to get an external display of the same quality, and quite frankly the Acer model you've got is pretty much at the budget end! Ralph Landry1 has put it pretty well. If the external display has an HDMI input it might be worth trying a mini-displayport to HDMI cable instead. BTW, great pic of the Clifton Suspension Bridge right here in my home town of Bristol!!!