Monitors are your visual link to the computer. The single most important thing you can do to make your computing experience more comfortable is to buy a decent monitor. Monitors run at various resolutions and refresh rates. 640x480 is the default resolution for the Windows operating systems (this is a low resolution where objects appear large and blocky). 640x480 just means that 640 pixels are fit across the top of your monitor and 480 up and down. Most users prefer higher resolutions such as 800x600 or 1024x768 all the way up to 1600x1200 (and higher for graphics professionals). The higher resolutions make objects smaller, but clearer (because more pixels are fit in the screen). You can fit more objects on a screen when it is in a higher resolution. Larger monitors are better for running at the higher resolutions. If you run a high resolution on a small monitor, the text may be hard to read because of its small size, despite the clarity. The refresh rate is how fast the monitor can refresh (redraw) the images on the screen. The faster it can do this, the smoother your picture will be and the less "flicker" you will see.

 Monitors are not important because of their impact on performance, but their impact on the usability of the PC. A bad quality monitor can hamper the use of an otherwise high tech PC simply because a monitor that is hard to look at can make the PC hard to use. Despite the fact that they don't have a direct impact on performance, some people spend almost as much on their monitor as they do on the computer itself. Try to get at least a 17 inch monitor. At this point that is the standard for most computer users. If space or money is an issue than go for a "17 monitor. If you plan on using your computer to watch DVD movies or to play action games you might want to spend a bit more and go for a "19 or higher monitor or even larger if you can afford it.

 Monitors - How They Work

Under the covers, an electron beam is aimed at a phosphor-coated screen. Whenever the electrons hit the phosphor, it glows, producing images. When the monitor is plugged into the video card, it gets a scan frequency, or a signal telling the timing of the screen redraws. The electron beam must cross the screen in synchronization with the card's scan signal. The beam starts at the top left of the screen, crossing it from left to right. As it does this, it excites the phosphor dots. As it reaches the right side of the screen, it returns to the left side in order to refresh the line of pixels underneath the first one. It continues this process down the screen, returning to the top to do it over when it has finished the entire screen. During the passes, the beam excites those phosphor dots which the video card tells it to. Therefore, the card gives precise instructions to the electron gun to excite that pixel or another one, thereby forming some kind of pretty picture. 

On a color monitor, this remains true, with one added feature. Each pixel contains three separate dots, one for each of the primary colors of light: red, yellow, and blue. Combining these colors together produces the range of colors that we all know. 

An RGB monitor is the oldest kind of color monitor, and the lamest. RGB monitors have bad quality and the pixels are huge. Nevertheless, each pixel has the three primary colors. The electron beam to the pixels operates under a simple on/off signal, therefore only subtle shades of color are possible. RGB screens can only produce 16 colors. They work with a 9-pin connector and are compatible with the CGA video card. 

An EGA monitor works with a 9-pin connector and the EGA video card. They boast better resolution than the RGB monitor. Also, they offer two brightness levels for each primary color dot, therefore offering a wider range of colors. EGA screens can show 64 different colors. 

VGA monitors use a 15-pin connector, setting them apart from RGB and EGA. These monitors boast an analog signal which can be adjusted anywhere in a certain voltage range. As RGB and EGA screens use an on/off signal, the VGA screen uses a variable voltage signal, much like a dimmer switch. This provides precise brightness control at each of the primary color dots, making it capable of very subtle color shades. VGA monitors can show millions of colors. 

RGB, EGA, and VGA monitors are not interchangeable. A VGA monitor won't even plug into a CGA or EGA card. A SVGA monitor is not supposed to work with a standard VGA card, although there are adapters available. 

Non-Interlaced Vs. Interlaced 

Many monitors and video cards support both non-interlaced and interlaced display. In interlaced mode, the electron gun refreshes the odd-numbered rows of pixels on one pass, then comes back and refreshes the even-numbered rows. Interlaced displays, therefore, make a complete screen sweep twice as fast as a non-interlaced one, but it must make two passes for a complete redraw. The result is that, with interlaced displays, one can use lower refresh rates and get the same job done. The only drawback is that the technology depends on the user's eye to not detect the fact that only one half of the screen is redrawn per sweep. Some people can see this. 

If you are looking for high quality, full motion video, I'd recommend getting a non-interlaced display, as the screen is redrawn once per pass. 

Energy Star 

Most monitors sold today sport the Energy Star logo. This means that the display has met the requirements set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. These requirements state that the monitor should consume no more than 60 watts of power when coupled with your computer during idle periods. 

Gas Plasma Displays

There are alternatives to the standard issue CRT. There are LCD displays, but now there is something new and special. There is the Gas Plasma Display. Essentially, a CRT works by firing an electron beam at the phosphor tube, and there is complex circuitry and a whopping big voltage running through deflection coils for the purpose of aiming. 

A Gas Plasma Display removes the need for the long neck of a monitor, as there is no electron gun. There is also no deflection coil. There is a digitally controlled electric current flowing through a pixel matrix. The pixels themselves are little bubbles with a surface coated with phosphor. Each pixel is composed of three sub-pixels, corresponding to the red, green, and blue colors. 

The electricity causes the innards of the bubble to give off ultraviolet rays.These in turn cause the phosphor coatings to glow. 

Isn’t that special? Yes, it is.

FLAT PANEL LCD

 (Liquid Crystal Dispay) MONITORS- In todays environments where space is at a premium these super thin monitors are becoming more and more popular. Looking like something out of a science fiction movie they offer significant advantages over the traditional CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors. They are significantly thinner, taking up much less (as much as 80% less) desk space.virtually 100 percent of the LCD size is available as viewing area, in effect a 15 inch LCD screen has about as much viewing are as a typical 17 inch monitor. Those are the benefits. The picture quality however is not as good as that of a traditional CRT monitor, and they are MUCH more expensive. A good LCD display could cost you more than your whole computer system

Monitor Size And Price