I've had 2 CRT monitors in the 8-10 years i have been using computers, those 2 monitors both burned out (got darker and darker until they were just black) after a few years, and i dont want to spend a couple hundred dollors on a new monitor every 4-5 years.. What i want to know is, do LCD's burn out as CRT's do? i put allot of hours on my monitors and i am just woundering if its worth the money to go ahead and get a LCD (if it will last longer) Any info would be great, thanks!

The Great Debate: CRTs Versus LCDs http://www.vartechsystems.com/pressroom/aprnewsletter2003/crt-lcd-comparison.htm Cost LCD: Considerably more expensive purchase price than comparable CRTs . (Cheaper lifetime cost: lasts about 13,000 - 15,000 more hours than a typical CRT. CRT: Less expensive than comparable displays using other display technologies. CRTs can save you more than 50% on the purchase price. ============================================================ Comparing LCD & CRT Monitor Costs http://www.tech-plus.co.uk/pdffiles/LCDCOSTSAVINGSV2.pdf Assumptions CRT life – 20,000 hours to 50% brightness LCD backlight life – 50,000 hours to 50% brightness We’ve limited the lifetime of the LCD to 10 years in the office, despite the apparent longer life of the backlight as we believe that after 10 years most IT equipment will be obsolete.

You are going to spend a heck of a lot more that a couple of hundred dollars for a flatpanel; even a 17" will run you several hundred, and may not have the highest dot pitch. A 21" LCD will run you in the neighborhood of $13-1600. I just bought 2 new, 19" 3 year warranty Samsungs (.21 pitch) from Newegg for $300 each including shipping; I bought a 21" viewable Sun Microsytems from my source with 1 year warranty for $300, include shipping, the 2nd I have bought. They were one year used off-lease from a pro graphics business. Only redeeming thing I can think of for LCD is that it may be a bit easier on the eyes and takes up less deskspace. That's still not enough to offset their ridiculous prices.

If you have the cash, LCDs are very nice to have. Make sure you go with a quick response time and good brightness levels. I purchased a 17" hitachi last fall and it has been wonderful compared to my old crt. Very bright screen, and the savings in desk space is amazing. Plus I can move the lcd around, such as put it on a high shelf to watch tv/movies in bed. It doesn't seem to put off as much heat as well compared to the old crt which seemed to heat my room very nicely :) Also, LCDs are not bothered by speakers so you don't get any magnetic field distortion if you have it set up close to speakers that are unshielded. The prices are definitely going down. Can't wait til a year or two down the road when I can afford another for a dual monitor setup.