Computer Hardware

Borrowing technology from laptop manufacturers, a large amount key monitor producers put up for sale monitors with liquid crystal displays (LCDs). LCDs have low-glare, fully flat screens and low power requirements (five watts versus nearly 100 watts for an ordinary monitor). The color excellence of an active-matrix LCD panel actually exceeds that of most CRT displays. At this point, however, LCD screens usually are more limited in declaration than typical CRTs and are more costly; for example, a 15-inch LCD screen cost more than twice the cost of a high-quality 17-inch CRT monitor. However, it is imperative to think about that an LCD screen provides a larger viewable image than a CRT monitor of the equal size. Three basic LCD choices are available today on notebook computers: passive-matrix color, active-matrix analog color, and the up-to-the-minute-active-matrix digital. Monochrome LCD displays are superseded for PCs, although they stay behind popular for Palm and comparable organizer devices and are sometimes used for industrial display panels. Virtually all passive-matrix designs sell today use dual-scan technology, with the dimmer single-scan versions again being related to hand-held organizers. The passive-matrix color panels are first and foremost found in low-cost notebook computer displays or in industrial-use desktop display panels because of their relatively low cost and improved durability compared to active-matrix models. Desktop LCD panels are analog or digital active-matrix units.