I have a question about monitors. I have read alot about computers, leaving them on all the time or to shut them off. Seems 60/40 to me in favor of just leaving them on. That is what I do anyways. Not sure about monitors. I had a nice Sony 17 inch that lasted about 3 years then I got a 19 inch Viewsonic and it seems like it is going out. Getting more blurry and everyday it seems to be getting darker although I never adjusted anything. Chalk it up to bad luck or maybe that is how long they last. I DONT KNOW? What is the general rule with monitors. On or off. I ask since I am getting a new flat screen LCD in two days and would like to start out doing what is right. Thanks very much for any and all input. Roberto

OLD monitors will suffer from some burn, especially if you display the same thing all the time (thats why a good dark but "moving" screensaver is a good idea). Modern monitors shouldn't suffer from burn, nor should LCDs/TFTs. A good idea (more from a energy point of view) is to set you screensaver to turn the monitor OFF after 15 or 20 minutes of inactivity... Spinal

Turn your monitor off every night when you are not using it. I am looking at an ADI Pro-Vista monitor that is well over five years old and it is still going strong with daily use and being turned off every night. I am waiting for it to pack up so I can justify getting a new LCD monitor. Three years does seem a bit short. There is a school of thought that says leaving the monitor on with a blank screen lengthens the life of the monitor as it avoids the initial power surge when the monitor is first turned on. However, there is no evidence to support that theory and besides, the current regulation in modern monitors will take care of that. As for LCD monitors, they are a different kettle of fish altogether. They work totally different and use less power to begin with. But likewise, turn them off if you are not going to be using it for a few hours. Saves an appreciable amount of electricity over twelve months. Stuart

There's probably a reason why manufacturers offer warranties that range from 1 to 3 years. At work we leave our LCD monitors with power on in standby mode all the time and in 6 years the only problem I've ever seen in any of them is a failed powersupply. The screen image on these units is as good as when new. The only problems I've ever had at home with a number of CRT monitors has been one second-hand unit that failed completely and an intermittant high pitch "whistle" on cold mornings at startup. I believe this is generated by the internal power supplies and is typical of low end components. (at home I'm a cheapskate and have bought the lowest price CRT monitors I could get) Anyway, as to the question of leaving things on or turning them off for maximum service life, I don't know the difinitive answer. Can only suggest that leaving them on MAY be the better option. I base this on an experience this week with an incandescent light globe in my living room. My wife advised me that when she turned it on it flickered a little. It was working right up until I turned it off. Tried immediately turning it on again but the bulb was blown. From this I would surmise that an electrical/electronic component may continue to function even in a weakened state as long as stable voltage/current continues, but that weakened component is likely to fail under the added stress of a "startup". Of course it could be the lamp was blown but just didn't know it. I used to have a signature but it disappeared and I just couldn't be bothered writing another so please feel free to ingore this.

Appreciate all the quick replies. Gave me some good ideas. Saving energy is also a good thing although I never took that into perspective. Cant wait for the new eyecandy Thanks again Rob

I agree that LCD monitors shouldn't get screen burns but "something" can happen to them! Mine (second hand) shows a faint line at the bottom of the title bar and you can see a ghost outline of the stuff at top right (X etc). It obviously depends on the background. I do believe the previous owner had the intensity far too high (me too at first). The default settings were way over the top and my eyes are much better for the lower settings. Maybe you should use screensavers on LCD monitors after all, whatever the technicalities. DerekW