Monitor suggestions
 

My ancient,massive CTX monitor is about to clap out so I'm sizing up the eBay market in flatscreens.Will any not be compatible with my G4?A friend of mine bought a flatscreen recently only to discover that it wouldn't do more than one resolution size-is that common?

Unlike CRTs, LCD displays have a fixed number of pixels, which is referred to as their "native resolution". Most, if not all, also offer a couple of lower "scaled resolutions" - but the image quality suffers as a result. These may be OK when scaling down for full-screen games etc, but I wouldn't want to use a scaled resolution for my desktop. So in that respect, yes - you are pretty much limited to a single screen resolution.

Rob.

Thanks for that Robarmo.
OK can someone recommend an inexpensive 17"+ monitor that doesn't screw up your eyesight,works with a G4,has lots of resolution possibilities and is less than 20" deep?

The Dell 20.1" is on sale again for $414 delivered. It is stunning (uses the same LCD panel as the Apple Cinema 20"). Makes a fantastic pairing with our Macs.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...s=19&c=us&l=en

Coupon code: 1P002ZF2T7QPD0

If I'm not mistaken, zzzuppp decided that a 17" CRT was more what he wanted. Frankly, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a good 17" CRT for pretty close to $200. But you've just got to look at individual specs to determine which ones are short gun CRTs, what the dot pitch is, and the like. Look at places like Buy.com to find what's in your price range and then go to the websites of the manufacturers to get the exact specs. There's no single answer to the question of which one will be the best. Probably, the most expensive one. :)

Joe VanZandt

Thanks folks.What I'd like is:-
-a monitor that doesn't do my head/eyesight in (main concern)
-something that takes up much less depth on my table(present monitor is 18-20" deep)
- about 17" plus screensize
- able to do 800x600,and 1024x768 resolution basic-that would suffice
- about £100 (I'm in the UK)..or approx $150
(hence eBay flatscreen search)

zzzuppp, please clarify if you are requesting a
1. CRT
2. LCD
3. don't care, as long as it meets the requirements above

Trevor

Thx Trevor-answer 3,I guess.
I've been toying with flatscreen because I've been led to believe that LCD (is that the same as flatscreen?) is better for your eyesight(mine has deteriorated FAST since using computers a lot),and of course they take up less room.
More info-OSX 10.3.9
Machine Model: Power Mac G4 (AGP graphics)
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (2.8)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 450 MHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 768 MB
Bus Speed: 100 MHz

There are several choices of brand new TFT/LCD monitors that are 17" and will cost between £100 and £150, and are capable of 1280 x 1024 natively (and 1024 x 768 and 800 x 600 in a blurry mode). Whether these will be better for your eyesight or not is not something that I can say.

For just one example (I've not used this monitor personally--this is simply from a quick search of amazon.co.uk): Amazon.co.uk: Yusmart 17" TFT Monitor - 178QP 12ms with Built-in Speakers Black/Silver

Trevor

Thanks Trevor.I suppose what I want to know now is whether any TFT/LCDs(are these both flatscreens?) are NOT suitable for use with a Mac,and why not...

There are a few TFT/LCDs (yes, they are flatscreens) that will not work properly with specific video cards. There is no limit regarding Macs vs. PCs, but there may be with the specific video cards in some Macs or in some Wintels that will not work with some specific screens.

In general, almost everything will work with almost everything, though.

Trevor

TFTs and LCDs are terms often interchanged, but are basically the same thing - a flat screen display.

If you want to get technical, a TFT monitor is an LCD that has a Thin Film of Transistors added to the mix that allows each pixel to be controlled directly, while conventional LCDs control their pixels by sending signals down a particular row and column - the intersecting pixel being the one that responds. The TFT layer allows for faster pixel response times. I'd seriously doubt that you can buy LCD computer monitors that aren't TFT so wouldn't worry about it.

800x600 and 1024x768 are pretty low resolutions for use with a 17" CRT, considering that some models go all the way to 1600x1200. Is this a requirement because of your eyesight?

If so can I suggest a 19" LCD display? They offer the same resolution as a 17" LCD, (1280x1024) so effectively magnify the text etc. This is what I am considering doing next, as my eyes are totally fooked (but that's another story).

Also don't forget the fact that a 17" LCD actually gives you 17" of screen space, while the viewable area of a 17" CRT would likely be less than 16", so a 15" LCD at 1024x768 might actually suit your requirements. Also 15" LCDs are really affordable as 17" LCDs appear to have become the standard.

If you want to reduce eyestrain you need to eliminate screen flicker, this means an LCD display with a digital connection, i.e. DVI-D. A quick check with Mactracker suggests you should have this connection on your Mac.
Make sure you look out for this when picking your monitor - the cheaper models are usually analogue only with a VGA connection.

Or if you want a really cheap solution - get a pair of Pinhole specs! They work wonders when they give me an eyetest at the hospital and I just heard of a place that sells them online in the UK - was just off to order a pair now actually!

Bye now...

Rob.

Rob makes some very good points, and I would add to that one last one. LCD monitors don't suffer from the "flicker" that CRT screens do, and I think that is what tires people most (although maybe without even being aware of it) when using their computer for long periods of time. So that is a further point in favor of the LCD. And he is also on point to suggest that you look at a 19" model over a 17"; you'll find the amount extra you pay is a very small premium.

Joe VanZandt

Thanks chaps.
I had a pair of pinholes for a while-they work,but eventually I gave in and bought the reading glasses.At my age (47) it's downhill all the way with eyes...:eek:

I had a cornea transplant aged 21 due to advanced Keratoconus, need the other eye doing too - told you my eyes are fooked! Things used to be really bad and my eyesight is still up and down cos I keep breaking my stitches and that changes my prescription. So hopefully the pinholes will be an ideal solution for my bad eye days until I can afford to replace my ageing first-generation iMac G4 with a Mac mini and a nice 19" LCD display!

Anyway, bit off topic sorry. Hope you can find yourself something to meet your needs. No doubt some people on here can provide details on specific models.

Rob.

Good luck with that, Rob.And I hope your dreams come true re iMac mini etc.:)

Just to clarify: LCDs have flat screens, but not all flat screen displays are LCD. In other words, some CRT displays (cathode ray tube, like traditional monitors/TVs) have flat screens.

If possible, I recommend comparing a 17" and the 19" with the same native resolution side-by-side since, at the same resolution, the 17" will have a denser (and crisper) image.

I would second Reacher's suggestion about doing a side-by-side comparison if possible. It is obvious that at the same resolution, the 17" is going to have a denser pixel-per-square-inch than the 19", which probably does give a crisper image, but it is also the case that the images will be somewhat larger on the 19" display. It's a matter of which one makes your eyes work less, and that may not be the same for each of us. Ah, the perils of middle age. My particular sympathy to Robarmo, whose unfortunate struggle with vision ought to make us grateful that nature waited so long for some of us.


Joe VanZandt

I too have been looking for a 19" LCD monitor, it seems there are mostly Analog ones, the DVI's I have found are quite a bit more expensive. Is there really a big difference? Is something like the Samsung SyncMaster 915N Black 19" LCD a good one even though it's VGA?

mac2369, this probably would have been appropriate as a new question.

I use a Benq FP931 19" LCD monitor at work, connected to my 15" PowerBook, which is both inexpensive and uses DVI. Although it's nothing to get excited about, it is a fine workhorse monitor, and very inexpensive.

Trevor

No matter what you do, stay away from "ACER" monitors, lol. My company learned the hard way, that "you get what you paid for!" My suggestion would be to go for a Dell Ultrasharp 1704EPT 17 TFT LCD screen. It has adjustable height and rotates the screen from portrait to landscape. It typically goes between $150-$200, but well worth it.

LoneShark

Yah, I did look at the Dell, but it seemed quite slow with a 23ms response time, while the Samsung Syncmaster has a 8ms and the new one 4ms, not sure if it's worth the extra money or not.

Loads of these-brand new on Ebay at the moment-any good to me?

DELL 17" TFT
Monitor size and type : 17" (43.2cm) active matrix TFT
Resolution : 1280 x 1024 (SXGA)
Response time / Brightness / Contrast Ratio : 16ms / 250cd/m2 / 450:1
Dimensions h x w x d : 402 x 378 x 141 mm
Inputs : Analogue
Mains Cable / power supply included
VGA Cable included

For what it's worth, I just upgraded to the Samsung Syncmaster 730b and I love it... now that Samsung is coming out with 4ms monitors I'm sure this and older models will drop in price.

I've had the Samsung 730B for several months myself, and am also very happy with it.