Battle of the Displays: CRT vs. LCD - Better, Stronger, Faster
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In addition to power saving, LCDs also have the advantage of being lightweight (great for LANs), brighter, and resistant to screen burn-in and magnetic interference.
As LCD production costs drop, price is becoming less of a factor. Even though 19-inch CRTs may be in the same price range and 15-inch LCDs, you need only spend a little more on the 17-inch LCD to match the size of the 19-inch CRT. When you think about the viewing areas, CRTs typically have that black border around the viewing area and most models still have half an inch or more of casing around the front, which can reduce the screen size even more. So it’s entirely possible that the 17-inch LCD has an equal viewing area to the 19-inch CRT. Take a trip up to CompUSA with your tape measure and check for yourself.
Although LCDs inch closer to becoming the new reigning display, they have yet to be perfected. Users still complain of color distortion, dead pixels, and poor contrast ratio. Graphic artists, photographers, and gamers still face disappointment in the depth and richness of colors. On my display, black is a very muted dark gray and other colors print out much darker than they appear on the screen.
Quality and cost aside, you may want to view your display choice from an ergonomic standpoint. How many times have you spent days in front of your monitor only to step away and do a quick mirror check to find bloodshot eyes or suffer from a massive eye-strain headache? It could be blamed on your monitor. The Ergonomics report shows that eye fixation times are 9% longer with CRTs when compared with LCDs. LCD displays are also flicker free, meaning they do not rely on scanning electron beams. It is hoped that no flickering and less eye fixation time will reduce related headaches and eyestrain.
In my final days of using my old CRT (let’s call him Curt, just to add to the sentimental value), I walked away everyday with mild headaches and eyestrain. Despite my reluctance to upgrade-Curt had been with me through three systems, seven moves, and several boyfriends-the pulsating finally drove me crazy enough to think about a replacement. I picked my new low-end LCD without doing the above research, but must say that the eyestrain is much less severe and often non-existent.
Next: The Bitter End >>
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