[rescue] pls help with monitor decision

[Curtis H. Wilbar Jr.]

>Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 23:55:45 -0400
>From: "Patrick Giagnocavo +1.717.201.3366" <patrick at zill.net>
>To: rescue at sunhelp.org
>User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i
>Subject: [rescue] pls help with monitor decision
>
>I have got rid of my 15" LCD laptop and am now in the process of
>building out an OpenBSD based desktop.
>
>Would love to hear all your opinions on getting a new monitor, in terms of:
>
>LCD vs. CRT

Depends on what you are going to do.  If you will be staying in one
resolution all the time, then a quality LCD makes for a very share
display such that for a given resolution you can usually do with a
smaller LCD than you would need for a regular monitor.

If your going to be using different resolutions, a regular CRT is
better (as pixel interpolation on an LCD for a non native resolutions
results in substandard picture quality vs display on a CRT).  I.e.
doing 800 x 600 on a 1024 x 768 panel... 

Also, CRTs are still better at displaying high amounts of motion (games,
etc).  (although I find the performance acceptable for games with my
NEC 15" LCD).

>do you need more than 1280x1024 resolution

That's up to you... you only need the resolution you need based on what
you want to display.

If you do lots of text work, doing 1600x1200 or higher on a nice big 21"
screen will let you have more of your work on screen....  

>DVI vs. normal HD15 conenctor

If you get an LCD, DVI is better.  Even if you go with a CRT, getting
a card that does DVI and HD15 will give you the flexibility to change
in the future (technically there are DVI to HD15 converters, so a DVI
only card can be made to display on a CRT but the cost of an adapter
is larger than that of a card that outputs both types of output).

>
>I will be sitting in front of this thing for at least a few hours
>every day, up to 10-12 hours per day.

LCDs or CRTs with a good fast refresh rate will be nicer on your eyes.

>
>bonus question: best video card for 2D work?  I do no real 3d stuff,
>just lots of Mozilla windows and xterms.  Under $70 is the price range
>for an AGP card.  Have seen 64MB Radeon's for about $70.

For strictuly 2D work, you can use an old PCI S3 card...  pretty much
any card that has good driver support in Xfree.  Look for one that
support has been around for a while and that has acceleration.  Myself
I have a handfull of old S3 and Matrox cards that I use for 2D work.
PCI vs AGP for what your talking about here isn't going to make a big
difference (IMHO).... plus older PCI cards like the S3 and Matrox cards
can probably be had for cheap cheap cheap... if not free from someone
disposing of old equipment.

If you want lots of colors (24 or 36 bit color depth) get a card with
at least 4 Meg of RAM (most likely all AGP cards sold now have likely
8 or more... but if you go the older PCI route try to find something with
4).

>
>--Patrick
>_______________________________________________
>rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

-- Curt