FLAT PANELS FOR THE MASSES

摘要

Back in 2001, I predicted that the days of the CRT monitor as a computer display were numbered. The CRT'S number, it seems, has now come up. The prices of flat-panel displays have fallen so low, and their quality has so improved, that except for people on the tightest of budgets, there's not much reason to buy a TV-type computer display. You can now buy a 15-in. liquid-crystal display monitor for as little as $250 and a 17-in. for $400 or less. And 18- and 19-in. monitors, which are becoming increasingly popular at the lower prices, can be had for $600. Even some 20-in. models, which are significantly more expensive, are pushing the $1,000 barrier. In each class, however, you also can spend substantially more for what seems to be a similar product. How do you choose?