Monitors and Video Cards
MONITORS are the TV-screen like devices on
which we see our programs and data.
There are several primary types
of monitors:
CRT’s.
Cathode Ray Tube monitors. These are the big boxy original computer
monitors. They are now cheaper than dirt
and probably free. As businesses upgrade
their monitors to LCD’s, they are giving away their CRT’s. CRT’s have the advantage of a super fast
display response rate, which is only attractive to gamers but of no value to
management companies. CRT’s also are
reported to have radiation problems, and many users fear to look into the
barrel of the electron beam gun that the CRT’s use to paint the phosphorus
coated screen. The CRT is an analog
device.
PLASMA screens are great for big screen
TV’s. They also have a faster display
response rate than LCD screens. They
also have a wider viewing angle than LCD’s.
They are less expensive than LCD’s in big screen formats. They suffer from “burn-in” of the screen if
images are in a steady position. Their
life expectancy is less than LCD’s:
average life is about 8,000 to 10,000 hours, although recent claims are
to 30,000 hours. The biggest problem is
the low resolution as compared to LCD’s.
The average resolution of a Plasma screen is 800x600 pixels. Higher resolutions drastically increase the
price of Plasma screens.
LCD’s.
Liquid Crystal Displays are
ideal for computer monitors. They have
high resolution (1024 x 768 pixels or higher) so they can show many different
programs on the screen and can display pictures in great detail. The average life expectancy is between 40,000
to 50,000 hours. The viewing angles can
vary greatly on LCD monitors … not a problem for head-on viewing at a desk …
but a problem for big screen models destined for conference rooms. Fifteen inch LCD monitors are available for
less than $300. There is no radiation
hazard. And the biggest advantage is
that they are thin. They take up very
little desk space. The LCD is a digital
device.
VIDEO CARDS are the interface between the
monitor and the motherboard. Most motherboards have a video card built in
so that a separate video card is not needed.
Separate high-end video cards are only needed if you are a crazed gamer
who wants super-fast response rate and extremely high resolution (high pixel
count) –OR– if you want you computer to display TV stations.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
get yourself an LCD monitor just as fast as you can. Buy motherboards with built-in video
cards. Here are the features we recommend in an LCD monitor:
DVI.
Digital Video Interface. The old CRT monitor interface and connector
was analog since the CRT was an analog device.
But LCD’s are digital. It does
not make sense to take the digital signal of a computer and convert it to an
analog signal to send it to the LCD which is digital. Hence the DVI interface was developed. More and more motherboards are being built
with DVI interfaces being built in. So
get an LCD with a DVI connection.
RESOLUTION. Ensure that the LCD monitor has a “native”
resolution of at least 1024 x 768 pixels.
SPEAKERS.
Ensure that the monitor has built-in speakers. Management companies do not need high
fidelity speakers. It is a great
advantage to recover more desk space by eliminating the speakers and wires found
on many computers.
BLACK.
The normal computer beige or white computer monitor is a super magnet
for dust and looks dirty after only a few months. They are almost impossible to clean as it
seems that the dirt gets burned into the plastic. Get a black (or blue or red) colored monitor.
NEC.
We love NEC LCD monitors. They
have the best looking screens. They are
a little more expensive and they have few models with built-in speakers.
PLANAR.
Planar has many models with built-in speakers and they offer different
colored cases. Planar has a great return
policy where they will ship you a replacement monitor before you send in a
defective monitor; you return the defective monitor in the carton that the
replacement monitor was shipped in.