The future of computer monitors.Flat panel displays are making their way to your desktop Is your computer monitor hogging space on your desk? Soon you'll be able to replace your bulky monitor with something a lot slimmer: a flat panel display. Today, most monitors are cathode ray tube See CRT. (hardware) cathode ray tube - (CRT) An electrical device for displaying images by exciting phosphor dots with a scanned electron beam. CRTs are found in computer VDUs and monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes. (CRT (1) (C RunTime) See runtime library. (2) (Cathode Ray Tube) A vacuum tube used as a display screen in a computer monitor or TV. The viewing end of the tube is coated with phosphors, which emit light when struck by electrons. ) devices that employ the same technology as your television. Flat panel displays (FPD (1) (Flat Panel Display) See LCD, plasma display, EL display, FED and flat panel display. (2) (Field Programmable Device) An umbrella term for all chips that can be programmed by the customer including SPLDs, CPLDs and FPGAs. See PLD. ) are desktop monitors that use plasma or liquid crystal technology similar to that found in laptop computers. Advances in monitor technology and drastic price drops are bringing these streamlined monitors into more businesses and homes across the country. "Most flat panel monitors are still two or three times the cost of CRTs, but the benefits might be worth the price," says Rob Enderle Rob Enderle, founder of the Enderle Group, is a consultant, writer, and widely quoted technical and legal analyst in the information technology industry. Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices, the SCO Group, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell are (or have been) among his clients. , an analyst specializing in desktop computer technology for Giga Information Group in Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. . FPDs represent the future of monitor technology and have several benefits over CRT monitors such as: * A standard CRT monitor is roughly 15 inches deep, which leaves a large footprint on your desktop; a 15-inch FPD is between 2 and 6 inches deep, thus drastically increasing your usable space. * CRT monitors can weigh up to 50 pounds; most FPD monitors weigh only a quarter of that. * CRT monitors have an average work life of two to three years before problems set in; FPDs last twice as long. * Radiation levels from traditional monitors (cathode rays Cathode rays The name given to the electrons originating at the cathodes of gaseous discharge devices. The term has now been extended to include low-pressure devices such as cathode-ray tubes. ) are a concern for some businesses; FPDs emit no radiation. "Several years ago companies sold laptops with flat panel monitors that were monochrome and had low viewing angles," says Chandra Shekar Reddy, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Sage Inc., a Santa Clara, California-based company that develops several technologies used in flat panel displays. "Today, for the same price, you can get a much better flat panel display. In some cases, the active matrix, liquid crystal display liquid crystal display (LCD) Optoelectronic device used in displays for watches, calculators, notebook computers, and other electronic devices. Current passed through specific portions of the liquid crystal solution causes the crystals to align, blocking the passage of light. even has better picture quality than a CRT monitor." Reddy predicts FPDs will become the dominant market product by 2006 and the only type of monitor available by 2010. As prices dropped last year, several companies introduced high-quality flat panel display monitors that are now within reach of most businesses and many consumers. For those of you on the cutting edge, here are a few models to start your search: The Apple Studio Display is a 15.1-inch FPD that weighs 12 pounds with the desktop stand. The monitor works with Mac OS 7.5 or later and Windows 95 or Windows NT systems. * Retail: $1,299 * Apple Computers Inc. 800-795-1000 or visit www.apple.com. The award-winning Compaq TFT (Thin Film Transistor) The term typically refers to active matrix screens on laptop computers. Active matrix LCD provides a sharper screen display and broader viewing angle than does passive matrix. See LCD and thin film. TFT - Thin Film transistor 500 is a 15-inch active matrix monitor that is 2.8 inches thick and weighs 12 pounds hanging and 20 pounds on the base. The TFT500 has a 15-inch viewable image size On a computer monitor, the viewable image size or VIS is the actual amount of screen space that is available to display a picture, without obstruction from the case or other aspects of the unit's design. , almost the same viewing area as a 17-inch monitor. * Retail: $1,199 * Compaq 800-345-1518 or visit www.compaq.com. Bohlken Bai has a more avant-garde approach to the flat panel display. The San Francisco-based company manufactures seven designer LCD monitors in various styles. Prices range from $1,495 to $2,300. Bohlken Bai's owner, Joe Thrift, will also custom design a monitor to fit your office or home decor. Bohlken Bai 800-952-5501 or visit www.lcdmonitors.com. If you believe bigger is better, Fujitsu's Plasmavision is one of the largest flat panel display monitors available to consumers. The 42-inch monitor is six inches deep and uses plasma gas technology rather than liquid crystals. The Plasmavision can be mounted on a table or wall and is good for group presentations with its 16-by-9 aspect movie screen ratio. * Retail: $10,999. * Fujitsu 888-888-3424 or visit www.plasmavision.com. |
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