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Buying a display/Display
You can have the most sophisticated personal computer system money will buy, but all its power, capability, and cool software will be of little use if you do not have a desktop display that you are comfortable viewing. Some systems come with a display, but it's important for you to realize that you can buy a different display you do not have to take the one that's packaged with your system. Displays have been called "monitors" in the past.
With today's proliferation of multimedia, graphic, and Web-browsing applications, you can't afford to compromise when purchasing a quality display. Let's take a look at some factors to keep in mind when considering a desktop display.
Should you buy a flat screen display? If your budget fits and you aren't a gamer, then absolutely. Flat panel displays offer excellent image quality, use very little power, emit very little heat and radiation, take up much less space, and are easy on the eyes. When purchasing a flat screen display, and if your video card has a DVI (digital video interface) connector, look for a panel with a DVI connector. Using DVI connections, rather than the older, analog VGA connectors, tend to produce much brighter and more colorful images.
Flat screen displays cost considerably more than standard displays, although prices have been decreasing over time. Note that a 17-inch flat panel equates to a 19-inch standard display and a 15-inch flat panel equates to a 17-inch display. This is because the image on these panels reach from edge to edge, so a 17-inch flat panel gives you nearly 17-inches across of image, which is almost identical to what you will get on a 19-inch standard display.
When choosing flat panels the most important deciding factor will be the image, so be sure that you see the display before purchasing. One final note, flat panel displays work the same as notebook displays--that is they are optimized for one resolution, usually 1024 x 768 for 15- and 17-inch panels, and other resolutions will not look as good. Finally, many newer flat panels allow you to swivel the screen to view documents in portrait or landscape mode. This can be very useful for desktop publishing.
Flat panel displays are generally not as good for gaming.
The price of high-end flat panels have come down over time. For example, Dell has a high end 24" wide-screen flat panel for $900. See the UltraSharp 2405FPW 24-inch Wide Aspect ratio panel at www.dell.com.
To make sure you get clear, crisp images that are true to color and don't flicker, you should give some thought to the screen size, dot pitch, resolution, refresh rate, and (if you're considering a Windows-based system) Plug and Play support.
Size of Screen. Typical displays are available in 15-inch, 17-inch, 19-inch and 21-inch sizes. These numbers are measurements taken diagonally across a tube's surface before it is installed in the housing. (Actual viewable screen sizes are 5 to 8 percent smaller). A larger display screen allows you to display more images and windows concurrently, among other advantages. The difference between a 14-inch and 17-inch display is about 30 percent of viewable area, which can make a big difference when working for long periods of time.
We suggest that you purchase a display that has a screen size of at least 15-inch, with 17-inch recommended if you have space for it on your desk and can afford it (see "Cost Considerations" later in this section). While a 21-inch display could be considered almost essential for higher-end graphics and desktop publishing applications, they can cost twice the price of a good 17-inch display.
Dot Pitch. "Dot Pitch" is the distance between same-color dots in any direction on a display screen. The smaller the dot pitch, the easier characters are to read, and the better color clarity they have.
If you're looking for a display that delivers clear, sharp text and graphic images, select one with a dot pitch of no more than .28 mm for a 17-inch screen or .31 mm for a 21-inch screen.
Screen Resolution. The "resolution" of a display screen is a designation of how many pixels it contains. A "pixel" is a dot on the screen. If you connect enough dots together, they look like a continuous line. A screen resolution of 1024 x 768 has 1024 pixels across and 768 down. A resolution of 1024 x 768, for example, describes a screen that is 1024 pixels wide and 768 long vertically. The more pixels a screen has, the sharper the images.
If you're purchasing a 15-inch display, we recommend that it support a resolution of at least 1024 x 768 pixels. Choose 17-inch displays that support a resolution of at least 1280 x 1024. For best readability, you'll want to set your resolution lower than the maximum (our recommended settings are 800 x 600 for 15-inch displays and 1024 x 768 for 17-inch displays), but a good display will be able to support the maximum resolutions we've cited. Remember that your graphics card must also be able to support these higher resolutions.
For those who want more precision detail and can afford the dollar bite, we recommend a 21-inch display with a minimum support resolution of 1660 x 1280 pixels. Many people find that viewing 800 x 600 on a 15-inch screen and 1024 x 768 on a 17-inch screen is a good compromise for most daily use.
Refresh Rate. As with all television-like screens, the images on a display screen are constantly being erased and "redrawn" to eliminate flickering, which can cause severe headaches and eyestrain. The "refresh rate" is the number of successive screen projections per second, expressed in Hz (Hertz). For a screen that is free of flicker, your display should have a vertical refresh rate of at least 75Hz at the screen resolution you plan on using.
Video Card. With all of the display considerations above, it is critical that you have a video card installed on your computer that will take the best advantage of your display's capabilities. The largest, clearest display will perform badly if it is driven by an inadequate video card. The important characteristics of a video display card are its onboard memory (measured in megabytes, or Mb), and it's refresh rate.
For example, a typical 24-inch flat-panel is capable of displaying 1920x1600 pixels, with millions of colors (32-bit color), at a refresh rate of 60Hz. However, if you have an older video card with only 16MB of onboard memory, it may only be capable of displaying 1600x1200. This means that the panel will only display the lower resolution. Since panels are optimized for a particular resolution, you may suffer from artifacts suffered from down-sizing the dispay (interpolation).
Plug and Play. "Plug and Play" is a feature that Windows users will find especially useful. displays that support Plug and Play (which most do these days) automatically provide descriptive information about themselves (their screen size, resolution, refresh rate, etc.) to the CPU, making for easy configuration and the most efficient use of a PC's resources. The CPU responds by selecting the display features that make the best use of the display's capabilities.
Ergonomics is a general concept that simply means creating the best fit between a job and the person or people doing that job through the design of equipment and procedures. The end goals are to encourage the interrelated benefits of worker health and productivity. Keyboards, mouse pointers, mouse pads, chairs, and displays are just a few items that can, through design and use, create a healthy work environment.
Display ergonomics combines several design features and usage routines. In general, when purchasing a new display, the features that you should look for are a low dot-pitch and a high refresh rate, as described on the preceding page. When you note the maximum supported refresh rate for your potential display, be sure you also determine the refresh rate for the screen resolution you plan on using. More detailed resolutions may not support the advertised maximum refresh rate.
A final rule of thumb to follow when using any display is that the images on the screen should be as clear and easy to see as possible, using the screen resolutions recommended on the preceding page. Position the display between 18" and 30" from your eyes, with the top of the screen no higher than eye level. displays that offer tilt and swivel features will be easier to adjust and position than ones that do not. Finally, glare reduction screens that can be placed in front of the display can increase character sharpness, as can keeping the display clean by wiping it lightly with a damp (not wet) paper towel or cloth.
Radiation emissions, energy efficiency, and heat output are all important environmental factors you should consider before making a final display purchase decision. (These issues do not apply to LCD displays.)
Radiation Emissions. displays emit a low level of electromagnetic radiation that can be potentially harmful if not regulated. Since you're likely to be spending endless hours sitting at your display, we recommend that you get one that adheres to either the MPR II or TCO standard.
Energy Efficiency. Another environmental consideration is the energy efficiency of your display. We recommend you purchase one that displays an "Energy Star" logo, which indicates that it exceeds the U.S. EPA's strict energy-efficiency standards.
Heat Considerations. A display generates a significant amount
of heat output, so you'll want to make sure you place it where it will get
some air circulation around it and out of direct sunlight or other heat sources.
Keeping the cost of the display within your budget is an important consideration.
Most high-quality 17-inch displays can be had for about $200. On
the top end, a high-resolution (1600 x 1200) 21-inch display prices can begin
at approximately $400. If you're willing to make some sacrifice in dot pitch,
resolution, and refresh rate, you can find low-end 21-inch displays for around
$250. There are 19-inch displays on the market that split the difference,
with resolutions of 1280x1024 selling for $300. The warnings of dot pitch,
refresh rate, and resolution apply.
Displays are difficult to repair. Matter of fact, they are more frequently replaced than repaired. When investigating a display's warranty, make sure it covers parts and labor and the integrity of the screen tube for a minimum of 12 months, with a 3-year warranty preferable. Extended warranties are available from third-party vendors for up to five years of on-site repair for some display models, if you're willing to spend the money.
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