Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
measurement. Displays smaller than 15 inches are available for specialized uses (and are often used
on smaller laptop or palmtop/netbook systems, ultrabooks, smartphones, tablets, and touchscreen
media players). Displays larger than 30 inches are also available; however, these are generally
categorized as large format multimedia displays or televisions rather than as PC monitors. In general,
the larger the monitor, the higher the price tag; however, there are often “sweet spots” where a certain
size may have a price advantage over smaller sizes due to sales and manufacturing popularity.
Display sizes are measured diagonally, which is an artifact from the round tubes used in the first
televisions, where the diagonal measurement was equal to the physical diameter of the tube. Whereas
the diagonal display size measures the physical size of the display, the
viewable image size
refers to
the diagonal measurement of the usable area on the screen (for example, the OS desktop). On an LCD
or LED panel, the physical diagonal measurement and the viewable image size of the display are the
same. With CRTs, however, the viewable image size is typically 1 inch smaller than the advertised
diagonal display size. Therefore, when you're comparing LCDs or LEDs and CRTs with the same
diagonal size, the LCD or LED actually offers a larger viewable image.
Tip
Larger, higher-resolution monitors retain their value longer than most other computer
components. Although it's common for a newer, faster processor to come out right after you
have purchased your computer or to find the same model with a bigger hard disk for the same
money, a good monitor can outlast your computer. If you purchase monitors with longer term
usage considerations in mind, you can save money on your next system by reusing your existing
monitor.
Resolution
Resolution
indicates the amount of detail a monitor can render. This quantity is expressed in the
number of horizontal and vertical picture elements, or
pixels
, contained in the screen. The total is
usually expressed in the millions of pixels, or
megapixels
. As the resolution increases, the image
consists of a greater number of pixels. With more pixels, you can see more of a given image, or you
can view the image in greater detail.
As PC video technology has evolved, available resolutions have grown at a steady pace.
Table 12.17
shows the industry standard resolutions (from lowest to highest) used in PC graphics adapters and
displays as well as the terms or designations commonly used to describe them.
Table 12.17. Graphics Display Resolution Standards
