(no subject)

[krazykitkat]

Am considering replacing my old 13 inch CRT computer monitor (though it means I lose all the stickers on it :(, yes I'm twelve).

Can get a cheaper second-hand (came out of a bank) LCD monitor. 17 or 19 inch. Anyone think one size is better than the other? My current screen resolution is 1024x768, if that makes any difference.

Comments

[cretkid.livejournal.com]

the LCD monitor? definitely better. You will likely notice that the 17 or 19" LCD screen will have a smaller footprint on your desk than the 13" CRT screen.

I would recommend it.

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

I worded that badly. I was actually meaning whether there's a preference for 17 or 19 inch. But due to the size restrictions of my desk (there's a shelf above the monitor and the computer tower next to it) I'm thinking probably the 17 inch would fit better.

Just become very attached to this CRT. It was dad's years ago, and I inherited it and somehow healed it. We only expected it to last a little while as the screen when on was bowing...but over time it miraculously straightened!

[cretkid.livejournal.com]

ah. 17" will do you just fine!

[nomadicwriter]

Just FYI, I'd personally be a bit wary of a second-hand LCD. In my experience they don't last for years like CRT ones - I've had to replace my LCD monitor about once every 18 months (admittedly, I buy the cheapest ones and they stay on like 16 hours a day). The backlight inside burns out and the computer shops around here won't replace them because it's cheaper to get a whole new monitor.

...That said, if it's out of a bank, they'd hopefully only have had it on 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, which is about 1/3 the usage I get out of mine. So it might well be okay, especially if you're not going to be using it really long hours. But it might be worth trying to find out how long the bank had it if you can.

All these disclaimers aside, I do love my LCD to death and definitely wouldn't go back to CRT. I have an LCD TV too now, and that's lasted for years with no problems because I use it so much less. I would go with the 17" model if you're on 1024x768 now; I used to have a 17" but had to get 19" this time around, and the resolution on it is 1280x1024, which is a different ratio (5:4 instead of 4:3) and took me ages to get used to. (Plus none of my old wallpapers were the right shape. Woe.) You can't change the resolution on an LCD monitor because it looks awful, so you have to use it at whatever pixel size it's designed for.

[thegrrlgeek.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...I use both; and I don't notice much difference. I've got a 19 inch LCD at home and my desk at work has a 17 inch; they're both good.

[thegrrlgeek.livejournal.com]

Oh, and just to help since I read the comment above mine; mine is second hand. Yes, it was my brother's but he plays computer games constantly when he can. We've had it for at least four years and it's doing good. Mine at work is almost a year old and is constantly on...we never shut down our computers, even when we aren't there on the weekends.

[nomadicwriter]

I think I may just have really crappy luck with monitors. I'm on my third with a computer I've had for five years. But I have heard that good quality ones have two or three times the life of my "cheapest model in the shop" approach, so, there's that. It depends on your make and model, how much you use it, and your luck, I guess.