So many monitors, so little technical knowledge

Greetings People who understand technical things:
Once again I come hat in hand begging for help. I am a self-taught:confused older person. I have learned that you get more radiation from a crt monitor than an lcd, and that one is less able to handle radiation the older they get. Thus, to fight radiation poisoning I have decided to reach into my dwindling savings and try to buy an lcd monitor, as I spend alot of time researching stuff on the internet and worrying I'll get cancer after each 4 to 8 hour session. I have been to a number of sites that view monitors, and they just made me more frightened and aware of what I don't know. I trust this site.

I don't have a clue as to what make, etc, of monitor to get. I don't want to make any big changes in terms of what I am looking at now with my current monitor. Maybe something the next size bigger, but that is it. One reason is because I have some vision problems,{nothing severe], and what I have now is good. I don't want to use the computer for movies or games, and don't want a widescreen. I research information primarily, so am dealing with pages and pages of written information. I have an older computer that I love, it is box shaped and sits on top of the desk. It is a Dell Optiplex. My monitor is a crt, 'Cornerstone c650', and seems to measure 16" diagonally. I was thinking 19" would be nice. I always adjust my fonts so the letters are big. If more info is needed, I am happy to provide it. I do know that my tune-up program is always telling me I'd do better with a processor upgrade, even tho I added a memory upgrade. I use a dial-up connection, which disturbs my trendy friends who are always getting viruses, but which I am happy enough with for now.
If you could suggest an lcd monitor that would work for me, I would be most grateful.
Sheena

 

I always trusted ASUS for hardware and now Monitors....

Take a look at this monitor and see how you like it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236089

 

ASUS is a good brand, as are Samsung and LG. If you're on a tight budget Hannspree is one of the better value-priced brands.

Since you prefer larger text, don't be afraid to consider a larger screen size if your budget allows it. I recently purchased a 25" LCD - it's large enough you can display two pages of MS-Word documents side-by-side at or near the actual printed page size.

If possible, make a trip to Best Buy, Office Depot, etc. and compare the brands. Some of the cheaper models (Acer, Compag) don't have as good of a screen quality - over time this may cause eye strain if you use the PC for hours at a time. Also check the mfr's warranty - better brands offer a three year mfr warranty; lower quality monitors only have a one year warranty.

Hope these tips help

 

I'm not sure who makes them, but I've had very good luck with HP branded LCD monitors. A second is Samsung brand units.

 

I like Samsung but have no problem recommending Viewsonic either. You actually limit your options by not wanting a widescreen, as they are the most popular. But with your stated needs, a standard 4:3 ration display is definitely what you want.

That said, your concerns about radiation are unfounded. Assuming you have not dropped your CRT monitor and damaged the shielding, you have nothing to worry about. This is important because the quality of a good CRT when viewing text is hard to beat, even with a good LCD. The precision of the picture elements (pixels) of the LCDs can make text appear jagged to those used to a CRT. There are many engineers, designers, and video and graphics professionals who still prefer CRTs.

On the other hand, your CRT is consuming lots of watts and pumping out a lot of BTUs so there are certainly pluses and minuses on both side.

Finally, a hard to find feature I won't do without is height adjustment. Most LCD monitors don't support it and I sure don't understand why.

 

My experience with HP has been iffy. Although their higher-end monitors tend to use LG displays, I ordered several of their bargain-basement models two years ago for an IT project. About a third of them failed in the first year and HP kept replacing them with "refurbs" that died within 30 days. My boss finally told me to give up and replace the dead ones with Samsungs.

 

Most of the height-adjustable monitors I've looked at are manufacturers' top of the line models.

It's the same ripoff as buying a car: If you want the sunroof the only way to get one is usually as part of an expensive upgrade "package" including other options you may not need. Ditto for adjustable height on a monitor.

 

I have had the same HP 19inch widescreen for 5+years and the only problem i have had is the damn stand broke off.

 

That's not true at all. A simple Google search found Samsung B1940W and ViewSonic VG932M.

And a quick look at Newegg shows fourteen 4:3 models with height adjustment for under $300 - hardly top of the line models which typically are well over $1000.

 

+1 Unfortunately, CRT's are getting tough to find.

 

Thanks to all who responded with suggestions as to brands of monitors that work well. I have written down all the brands you suggested.
Digerati, thank you and I don't know what a 4:3 ratio is. Also, you said that radiation is not a concern with crt monitors unless they are broken. This is not what my research has shown. I did that research couple yrs. ago and it is probably lost in the chaos I call my old stored files. Otherwise I would do quotes, etc. However, one research paper can say one thing, and the next something totally opposite, so it needs more looking into, which I will try to do if time permits.
Thanks, everyone.
Sheena

 

Currently, Dell has two crts on its site, maybe more.
Sheena

 

n5638j,
I just did look at that monitor. I am trusting you that this is one of more quality than the acer, for example. I expected the price to be alot higher. Pleasantly surprised. But I don't want speakers, so maybe I can get it even less expensively without speakers. Thanks.
Sheena

 

Yea, Digerati is right Sheena, CRTs have no radiation for you to worry about, only broken CRTs are a worry, other than that you shouldn't worry. Put it this way, you should be more worried about the radio waves that are constantly passing through you, that you have absolutely no idea about, than the "radiation" from your LCD monitor.

 

Interesting - I'll have to take a look at mine and determine who manufactured them. I've had four HP branded monitors - all are over 4 years old. I only still have two of them, but all four are still working fine in their respective locations. None are "bargain basement" but neither are they top of the line. Maybe the newer ones are of lesser quality?

I do like LG products - they tend to make a lot of products that are branded by other companies. I understand for years they made optical drives for Sony.

 

Sorry, I did not get notice of any replies until Spad's above.

@Sheena - a CRT monitor is pretty much just like the old style TVs that used a picture tube. In fact, the picture tube is a CRT - cathode ray tube. There have been many studies, myths, and urban legends about radiation from CRTs causing all sorts of problems from cancer, to sterility, to birth defects, but they are just not true - again, assuming the monitor/TV is not damaged. Kids have been sitting directly in front of TVs for years and in spite of mother's warnings, the kids were not damaged, nor did they go blind.

The Health Physics Society says,

 

CRT screens emit well below the maximum "safe" level of radiation defined by the US FDA. You are more likely to catch cancer from a trip through a hospital X-ray machine once every 10 years than you are from sitting in front of a CRT for 10 hours a day.

 

As you noted about the Sony/LG drives, the brand name stamped on the front of an item doesn't always mean that company actually manufactured it.

Although there is nothing deceptive about this (so long as the company whose name is stamped on it honors the warranty), it can lead to quality variations within a given brand.

In the case of the HP monitors I had to deal with, all 16 were the same model purchased at the same time from the same vendor. Although it could have been an honest quality control problem with that model, the biggest issue was HP constantly sending back "refurbs" that failed within a few weeks. Complaining to HP about this was useless; their only response was their warranty terms allow them to replace with anything they want. In contrast, the very few times I've had to RMA a Samsung it's always been replaced with a factory fresh unit.