Thinking about buying a monitor to go along with my MacBook...

I have narrowed it down to the HP 1707 or HP 1907. Both are the same monitors, but have different screen sizes. The 1707 is 17" and the 1907 is 19"... On Amazon they are exactly the same price, but I'm concerned because I have limited space on my desk... I don't want the screen to be too big if it's going to be close to my eyes. What would you do if you were in my position? Is about a foot enough between me and a 19" display? Thanks in advance...