[jcadam]

The only LCD screen I've ever used is on my 3 month old iBook/600/DVD. The rest of my computing experience, from Apple //'s, through my Amiga days, to PCs, and now Apple machines I've always used CRTs. MOST of my CRTs (with one exception) have never died on me before I replaced them (in effect, I was never FORCED to buy a new monitor but one time).

Now I find myself lusting after a 17" inch Apple LCD display (after using my iBook and seeing the difference between LCD and CRT (my primary comp monitor is a 19" FD Trinitron, btw).

However, I have concerns (or ignorance) about the durability and longetivity of LCD displays. Normally, I buy a CRT and move it through 2-3 computer upgrades. Will I be able to do this with an LCD? I know that an LCD is more likely to survive being dropped onto concrete than a CRT (obviously), but will the image quality or brightness/contrast on the LCD degenerate faster than on a CRT?

Some of you long-time LCD users out there, what do you think the average lifespan for one of these displays is?

[Macola]

Originally posted by jcadam:
<STRONG>
Now I find myself lusting after a 17" inch Apple LCD display (after using my iBook and seeing the difference between LCD and CRT (my primary comp monitor is a 19" FD Trinitron, btw).
</STRONG>

I'm surprised you'd prefer the LCD over a Trinitron, particularly a laptop LCD. I will admit that LCDs offer advantages in power consumption and lower eyestrain, but image quality has a long way to go (even on Apple's Studio Displays, which are among the best LCDs I've seen). I use a TiBook as my primary computer, but have to switch the display to a CRT any time I'm doing design work, particularly color-matching.

If you're concerned about durability, you should be aware that the backlight on LCDs gets dimmer over time. Your CRT will most likely outlast the LCD in that respect.

[Mac Zealot]

Actually, CRT's also get dimmer in time.

LCD's can last forever, provided you replace the backlight. Since they're solid state they don't really 'wear out'. Most of the fading you see with 6 years of use or so (I have a 10 year old laptop on my desk that was used at least 7 hours a day for 8 years, and still has it's original LCD, and backlight, it looks the same as it did when i got it (6 years ago) anyhoot, most fading is just due to a backlight, and that's very rare.

I have a 12 year old CRT, however, that's on it's last legs and was sitting in my closet for a long time. Got used 2 hours a day or so.

CRT's generate color blushing and spots over time, and yes, they do loose brightness if you ever pay attention. Personally I wouldn't worry about either, though backlight replacement can be a little costly $300 or so for a decent 18" or so.

I have a cinema display and always have said it's far superior to any CRT I've used, the response rate is very low, which means it's about the same as a CRT: cinema display pixel response is about 20ms, CRT is 17ms.

If I switch to a trinitron CRT, like the $900 one my brother has, I get a headache, and I switched to that for a while because I was thinking my good standard CRT was just crappy on OS X. Color accuracy is better than most CRTs since these are caliberated in the factory, and stay that way, while CRTs have to be recaliberated over time.

I dunno where people get all these things about color accuracy. Geez I can grab some color matching cards and such and show you they're exactly the same

[Macola]

Originally posted by Mac Zealot:
<STRONG>
I dunno where people get all these things about color accuracy. Geez I can grab some color matching cards and such and show you they're exactly the same </STRONG>

Color accuracy is part of the problem (and yes, it is a problem for the average LCD). The other issue is density: you can get even a cheap CRT with a dot pitch of less than 0.24 mm (even better resolution if you have an aperture grille). There's just no way that current LCD technology can squeeze transistors that close. It's improved a lot, but it's not there yet.

[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Macola ]

[jcadam]

Originally posted by Macola:
<STRONG>

I'm surprised you'd prefer the LCD over a Trinitron, particularly a laptop LCD. I will admit that LCDs offer advantages in power consumption and lower eyestrain, but image quality has a long way to go (even on Apple's Studio Displays, which are among the best LCDs I've seen). I use a TiBook as my primary computer, but have to switch the display to a CRT any time I'm doing design work, particularly color-matching.

If you're concerned about durability, you should be aware that the backlight on LCDs gets dimmer over time. Your CRT will most likely outlast the LCD in that respect.</STRONG>

I'm a programmer and stare at code for about 8+ hours a day. I need a screen with maximum clarity and minimum eyestrain for reading plaintext.

[timster]

Originally posted by Macola:
<STRONG>

Color accuracy is part of the problem (and yes, it is a problem for the average LCD). The other issue is density: you can get even a cheap CRT with a dot pitch of less than 0.24 mm (even better resolution if you have an aperture grille). There's just no way that current LCD technology can squeeze transistors that close. It's improved a lot, but it's not there yet.

[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Macola ]</STRONG>

I'd disagree.

1. Dot pitch doesn't indicate density. Dot pitch indicates the amount of space between pixels on a monitor. LCD's have it down on CRTs on dot pitch, which is probably why you don't see dot pitch ratins on LCD panels, because its virtually nonexistent.

2. As for density itself, you obviously haven't seen the T221 LCD panel from IBM. Its a 22" LCD panel with a resolution of 3840x2400 pixels. The spec sheet even says it has a dot pitch of .12mm, those two numbers blow away any CRT.
http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/accessories...ors/index.html

[Macola]

Originally posted by timster:
<STRONG>2. As for density itself, you obviously haven't seen the T221 LCD panel from IBM. Its a 22" LCD panel with a resolution of 3840x2400 pixels. The spec sheet even says it has a dot pitch of .12mm, those two numbers blow away any CRT.
http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/accessories...ors/index.html</STRONG>

Yes, and it costs almost $10,000. I'll stick with my CRT, thanks.

[Too Much Coffee Woman]

Originally posted by Mac Zealot:
<STRONG>I dunno where people get all these things about color accuracy. Geez I can grab some color matching cards and such and show you they're exactly the same</STRONG>

why don't you grab those color matching cards and show the entire graphic design world.

my advice is to calibrate on a scheduled basis. the maximum brightness on a lcd is much higher than what we use (on a good lcd). so if you calibrate...even if it gets dimmer over the years, you still get the same calibrated goodness.