[XCSSA] Getting another CRT

[X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio]

> I used to do some CRT repair.. but not having any schematics.. and  
> with the
> risks of working without an isolation transformer.. I just take my  
> CRTs over
> to Microfix:
> 	http://tinyurl.com/lewah4
> 	http://www.microfixinc.net/
>
> They do pretty good work.. although last time I checked with them..  
> they were
> doing less CRT work just because they would typically have to  
> charge more
> than what the things are to replace new.
>
> Tweeks

Thanks, unfortunately they don't do CRT repair, and it appears the  
business they referred me to is out of business.  I might check with  
a guy I used to bring electronics to in Austin, who was doing lots of  
monitor refurbs around 2003.

I checked out 22" and 23" LCD monitors at Office Depot, yesterday.   
My opinion remains that "widescreen" computer monitors less than 30  
inches are "vertically challenged".  And a 30 inch widescreen monitor  
is fine if your desk is little more than a computer monitor stand,  
like my desk at work.  But if you're trying to squeeze one more  
monitor into your non-supersized-home or apartment, the old 4x3  
tallscreen screen format makes more sense.  I have 3 big 16x9 HDTV's,  
including 2 LCD's, if I really want to watch movies, which I don't do  
that much, actually.

Also, fwiw, you get more actual square inches of screen for a more- 
square shape like 4x3, given a fixed diagonal.  But the real issue is  
how much screen you can fit into the space you actually have.  Our  
dwellings generally have room to burn in the vertical direction but  
less so in the horizontal.

So that, and my preference for nice color and static contrast ratio  
have led me back to getting another CRT.  You can find 'em, though  
not easily, online.  From Dolphin Enterprises I ordered a refurbished  
Viewsonic P810 for $174.  That wasn't my first choice, I wanted a  
more up-to-date G225fb, but it's the big Viewsonic they actually had  
in stock, and the price is very reasonable, same as for a teeny LCD.   
And, it makes my second P810.  My first P810 is still going strong  
for Windows and Amiga in my computer room (whereas the new P810 will  
go on my more-often-used Mac system in the kitchen, because I  
actually spend more there browsing the web than in my overstuffed  
computer room).  I paid $1900 for my first P810 in 1999 and now I'm  
getting my second one for less than 1/10 that (well, plus shipping).   
It has always been bright and crisp and apparently they're pretty  
reliable, as shadow mask monitors generally seem to be.  (For some  
reason, trinitron monitors generally seem less reliable, it may  
either be the more complex electronics or the companies involved who  
generally push trinitron screens for graphics performance and shadow  
mask for general purpose durability.  Viewsonic monitors are  
generally made by Panasonic which is more known for reliability than  
pushing the performance envelope.)  And having two of the same thing  
potentially makes future repair easier.  A newer model might have had  
digital connections, higher resolution, etc., but at greater cost and  
potentially lower reliability.

I also see the advantage of the 16x10 format vs 16x9.  It's not the  
perfect size for widescreen movies, but for computing it gives you a  
nice 11% increase in height.  Unfortunately, the insist on giving you  
what seems to me to be a stupid format: 1680x1050.  What they should  
give you IMO is 1920x1166.  Then you could see 1080p high definition  
video (1920x1080) with perfect pixel mapping, and just a black bar on  
top or bottom.  Perhaps they're afraid to do 1920x1166 to call  
attention to the poor static contrast of most LCD, better to cut the  
picture a bit and hide that.   Or, alternatively, they could give you  
perfect double pixel mapping for 4x3 television (hello you tube) with  
1536x960.  BTW, 4x3 is the same as 16x12, so you can see where 16x10  
fits in.

So you go to office depot (or most anywhere else) and view their 16x9  
and 16x10 monitors, but then when you go up to the sales terminal,  
what kind of screen they have?

Charles Peterson