Are you talking about a flatscreen or a LCD? LCD is the thin kind and flatscreen is a CRT but the front of the screen is flat instead of being rounded like a normal CRT.
The LCD's are coming down in price which means that the higher quality ones will be more affordable.

ok...I guess I'm meaning the thin kind(LCD). Do you know anything about the so-called 'big jump in quality' that the 'in-the-knows' are claiming? True, or just sales-pitching? I know that I should be surfing and reading tons about it (here we go again) but I thought that maybe some of you had already done that! ... Or could give me some links or pointers that could reduce my 'research' time a wee bit maybe??

I've heard that LCD flat screen can't go above 1024 resolution. Is it true?

LCD's are nice

 

CRT monitors are best if you do graphics, play games, or watch movies on your computer. LCD monitors are only good for office use right now. The problems are low resolution, poor dot pitch, and horrible refresh times. Of course, there are come LCD monitors that are good at the above, but they're still MEGA $$$.

About a month ago my CRT monitor bought the farm. And I told myself if it ever went, my next monitor would be a flat panel LCD. I purchased 17" Compag LCD monitor withe capability of resolutuion up to 1280 x1024 24 bit color resolution 120 DPI. It cost a whopping $589 when all was said and done, and it took some getting used to (the transition between CRT and LCD), but I love it! I get crisp, clear resolution weather it be graphics or games . And yes, it DOES take up much less space.

Oh ya' Ms Crissy:: what WAS the transition to get used to, exactly? Thnx!

c242:: now THAT'S good news!(re: more efficient energy consumption)...

Hmmmm...

Well--I love the contempory sleek, space-saving, modern appeal of the LCD. However for Graphical use...I don't know.

My husband has a really nice one (1400.00?) something like that. I don't remember--I had been trying to steal his away for sometime. Well one day my Sony Trinitron monitor wouldn't turn on. I wanted to use my pc, and well...without a monitor it's a lil dark?
Anyway, I begged to use his for a couple of days until we get me a new one. He used the backup monitor while I used his for about a week. Well, I was inlove! I LOVED the amount of space it saved on my desk. My dungeon (that's what Akasha's pc room is called)looked sweet with that monitor. The Sony trinitrons have a back to that is too big and annoying. So this was heavensent. Vibrant,beautiful colors, clear, crisp. I was having a blast on my video games and everything. Then I whipped out my graphics programs and got to work, and suddenly I wanted my Trinitron!!! I don't know--maybe I'm just stuck in the old ways, but for graphics use, it wasn't the same. No matter how great his was.

Hubby ended up fixing my monitor (See how quick a man will fix somethin' for ya when he wants his expensive toys back???? ) and in all honesty, I was so happy to have my Trini back. I got back to making something straightaway!

I'm now looking for a really big monitor--and we went pricing, looked at those again... the sleekness and size is still so appealing, but in the end I still keep pricing the large crt's.

I even asked a couple of my computer guru buddies, and they too said, "for you I don't recommend it, you spend all your time making some kind of graphics... stay CRT."

Yes, in the end, I think it's a matter or preference.  For the about same price of a 15 inch LCD, you can get a huge 21 inch CRT. So, do you prefer a sleek crips LCD or a very big monitor for the same money?

One thing to keep in mind with Flat Panel monitors is the "Native Resolution". Most 15" panels have a native resolution of 1024x768. 17" panels are 1280x1024, 19" panels are 1600x1200.

Graphics and anything else for that matter look great at the "NATIVE" resolution. These monitors do support other resolutions, but will NOT look as nice at a non-native resolution.

I wonder if people that have commented about the quality of graphics on a flat panel, were running at a non-native resolution for their particular monitor.

c242 My main experience with LCD monitors is with those under $300 (since those are the ones that are bought by non-techs). I use them every day, and they are extremely poor for anything other than your generic cubicle-monkey office tasks.

Well...I sure appreciate all the input here. Gives me much to chew on. A friend of mine is offering me a great deal on a Samsung 172B (17"), and I've been 'testing' it out. So far, I'm impressed. Just the recovered space on my desktop makes it almost TOTALLY worthwhile inspite of 'anything else'! I'm quite liking it. It's one of the better 17" ones out there that I've seen so far. I spent 2 full days off looking everywhere (physically in the stores) and comparing in the stores AND on the net,too)... This one had one of the best specs and picture for the 17" LCD's that I've seen so far. A couple of NEC's and a weird Swiss brand were good, as well as (surprise) a 'ViewSonic" made by EMachine?? Of course, the whiz-kid that made my computer is totally for the CRT's right now. He says to wait another couple of years for the LCD! I need a monitor NOW, though, and if the price is right...??? Here we go yet again with the 'Mmmmm'...