Last edited 29/08/2006

Displays / Monitors

Wether you are purchasing a display for someone else to use, or for yourself, please bear in mind one thing: the user will be looking at this all the time! This is their sole interface visually with the computer. It is false economy to try and save a few dollars here. 

There are still a few CRT monitors available (the big bulky ones we had for years) but these are disappearing rapidly in favour of the slim LCD flat panel type monitors.

For those whose eyes prefer things on the screen to be larger rather than smaller, a CRT is worth considering, as the display resolution can be lowered to a comfortable level. LCD resolutions can be lowered, but they are designed to run at their 'native' resolution, and lowering this native resolution results in a degraded display.

From: Screen Size Measures

"The size of computer screens is measured in the length of their diagonal. However, the aspect ratio of these screens (width:height) vary among 4:3, 5:4, and 16:10. Therefore, a screen with a longer diagonal does not necessarily have a larger area. Moreover, one may be more interested in the screen height than the screen width. Manufacturers seldom indicate, whether, for example, a 14.1" screen (4:3 aspect ratio) is taller a 15.4" wide screen (16:10 aspect ratio). Perhaps surprisingly, the former is 0.3 inches taller. Also, it is worth noting that CRT screens actually have shorter diagonals than what is described.

The screen resolution determines the number of pixels available for use. The more the pixels, the larger the working area. A higher resolution makes text and images look smaller on the screen than they do on a lower resolution. The actual size of text and images on the screen is measured by Pixels Per Inch (PPI). It simply indicates how many pixels there are per inch. The smaller PPI, the larger texts and images are. PPIs of 96 (±10) are used in many screens, but some graphics designers and programmers work with screens that have PPI values of 117 and more, which allows them to have more workspace."

Types -

CRT: The traditional monitor that has been with us for a long time (or more simply put, the great big beige box that takes up most of our desk space).

CRT "Flat Screen": As above, but the actual glass is almost perfectly flat. Far easier on the eyes.

LCD "Flat Panel": These are the good-looking items we would all love to have; they are based on notebook screen technology. They only take up a small amount of desk space, being only about an inch thick. One drawback with LCD screens is that they don't always render colours as truly as CRT screens, so if you are doing work where colours and shades are important, such as web design work, please consider this when making your choice.

Connector types -

One important thing to note is wether or not you want an analog or DVI connection. Your monitor may have an analog or DVI connector, or both. LCD flat panel monitors often have DVI connectors, which maximise the display quality when used in conjunction with a DVI video graphics card. See HERE for more information about DVI.

Sizes - 

CRT & CRT "Flat Screen": The stated size is not what you see; typically you subtract 1" to 1.2"; i.e. a 17" screen means the diagonal visible measurement will be around the 15.8" mark. This is because part of the screen is hidden behind the plastic of the monitor; the manufacturers take the measurement of the physical picture tube as the size, whereas we look only at the visible area.

LCD "Flat Panel": The stated size is what you see, i.e. a 17" flat panel means if you measure the visible screen diagonally, it will measure 17".

The display adapter and monitor you use can make a big difference in your computing enjoyment. The factors to consider are:

1. LCD versus CRT
2. Monitor size and resolution
3. Number of colours
4. Refresh rate
5. Graphics and video acceleration

LCD VERSUS CRT
LCD flat panel displays for desktop use have several advantages over CRTs. They take up less room on the desk, emit less radiation, use less current, and they are not affected by glare. Best yet, they provide a very crisp and pleasing display. Important note: "flat screen" is not a "flat panel LCD screen." The screens on CRTs have become flatter over the years, providing more uniform sharpness at the edges of the screen. A flat screen monitor often means a CRT, not a thin flat panel LCD screen.

MONITOR SIZE AND RESOLUTION
Monitor size and resolution depend on the applications you run. The standard resolutions are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1600x1200 and 2048x1536. For example, 640x480 means that there are 640 columns and 480 rows of pixels on screen. The higher the resolution, the more viewable material on screen at one time. For standard Windows applications, 1024x768 is the desired resolution with at least a 17" monitor. A 19" or 20" monitor is better yet. For desktop publishing and graphics work, 1280x1024 or higher on a 20" monitor is preferred.

SCREEN RESOLUTIONS - More information here: Display resolution - Wikipedia and Computer display standard - Wikipedia
These are the common screen resolutions. There are higher resolutions for special applications, such as document imaging. The higher the resolution, the more information (pixels) can be displayed on screen at one time. Current resolution standards include XGA, SXGA, SXGA+, UXGA, and QXGA. If you see a 'W' in front of any of these standards (such as WXGA), it refers to a wider version of the original. The standard 'aspect ratios' are 4:3 (traditional displays) and 16:10 (newer wide displays).