[jgift]

I know everyone has a favorite, but what would be average resolutions for a 19, 20, 21 or 22 inch CRT monitor (ignore the refresh rate for now)? ie I now use my 17 inch at 1280 X 1024.
Thanks!

[tooki]

1280x960 is a good resolution for them (1280x1024 is not a good one for ANY CRT, because it does not match the aspect ratio of the display).

That said, historically, to maintain 72dpi, Apple used 832x624 for 17", 1024x768 for 20" (no longer manufactured!), and 1152x864 for 21". Most people nowadays (even Apple) prefer higher resolutions.

Just avoid 1280x1024 on CRTs, since it does not match the dimensions of the display. Use 1280x960.

tooki

[Luca Rescigno]

1280x960
1344x1008 (new one available for many 17" and larger monitors in Panther)
1440x1080
1600x1200

Those are all 4:3 aspect ratio - the same aspect ratio as the physical monitor itself. 1280x1024 is a 5:4 aspect ratio, resulting in non-square pixels. It's really god damn stupid that it's become such a mainstay for 17" and larger monitors, but I guess that's what happens when 90% of the population is brain-dead enough to prefer Windows over everything else.

Anyway... if you want to unlock plenty of resolutions, there's a little program called DisplayConfigX that will let you access a large number of 4:3 resolutions. It's especially helpful for crappy monitors with low refresh rates, but it will also help a little with larger monitors. Just experiment with a few different resolutions until you find a good balance. If you go too high, you'll get a bad refresh rate and things will be difficult to read.

[Apfhex]

I've always used 1024x768 for 17" and 1280x960 for 19". For 21" (never used one though) I'd probably use 1600x1200.

[davidflas]

I use 1600X1200 on my 21" display @ 85hz referesh

[tooki]

Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:
1280x960
1344x1008 (new one available for many 17" and larger monitors in Panther)
1440x1080
1600x1200

Those are all 4:3 aspect ratio - the same aspect ratio as the physical monitor itself. 1280x1024 is a 5:4 aspect ratio, resulting in non-square pixels.

That is, it's supposed to have square pixels, but if you use that resolution on a CRT and stretch it to fit the screen, it will be squished vertically.

tooki

[jgift]

Thanks for all the feedback. I hadn't thought of the 4:3 issue before and I appreciate the tips. Tried 1344 x 1008 and the fonts in the Finder are actually clearer than in 1280 x 1024.

But the question remains, I guess. What would be the "standard" for a 19", 21, or 22" monitor?

I'm asking because if they all are supposed to run 1600x1200, then I'd rather go for a smaller screen and save desk space. but if 19" is supposed to run 1600, and a 22" 2048, then that changes things.

I know the supposed is subject to idividual tastes. Just what the average use, as in 1280x1024 for 17", etc.

[tooki]

There is no standard -- they're CRTs, so they have no native resolution.

Bear in mind that 20" monitors no longer exist (in fact, I'm not sure they ever did: Apple sold them, but Apple used to measure their displays differently, e.g. their 13" monitor is what everyone else called 14", so the 20 might just have been a 21").

Right now, for CRTs, there are 15, 17, 19, 21, and 22" for 4:3 displays.

My personal preference for those sizes, resp., is 832x624, 1024x768, 1280x960, and 1600x1200 for the last two. (Most 21/22" CRTs I've seen have been running at 1152x854 or 1280x960.) To me, 1600x1200 is too small on a 19" or smaller. Most displays nowadays will go to very high resolutions, but that doesn't mean they can display those high resolutions well. The physical limitations of the CRTs will cause excessively-high resolutions to have various display defects, such as blurry display, and the limitations of the electronics in the display can cause flicker and geometry irregularities.

Do yourself a favor and don't ruin your eyes by running a CRT at an excessively high resolution. Either get an LCD that runs at the resolution you want, or buy a big enough CRT for the resolution you want. But don't run a small CRT at some huge resolution.

tooki

[jgift]

Ok. Thanks again for the feedback.