[Aric]

i'm starting to look into getting a lcd monitor but have a few quick questions.

1. how strong is the lcd screen? i was at bestbuy this past week and saw a samsung 20" lcd, at first i was like, thats a cool looking colorful spider web pattern they have as a screen saver, but actually, it was a cracked screen. has anyone ever broke their lcd?

2. how long do these last? are they on par with a crt monitor's lifespan? for me this is a lot of money and since the technology is different from a crt i'm just curious to how long one would expect it to last.

anyone have that dell 20" widescreen lcd? it looks like it's just about the same as a apple 20" except it doesn't look as cool and doesn't have a firewire port but it does have usb ports. but it's also 749 compared to 999

any input is appreciated, thanks

[tooki]

1. LCDs are fragile if not equipped with a protective shield, which VERY few models have. They will break if struck.

2. LCDs use fluorescent tubes as their light source, and these tubes do go bad. The LCD manufacturers would like you to buy a whole new LCD, but you can get just the tube replaced inexpensively if it goes bad. They last a few years, I'd say at least 3-5 years for most people.

tooki

[Aric]

thanks tooki, i thought this was gonna go unnoticed.