History of the PC Monitor
The first successful, mass-produced personal computer, or PC, appeared on the market in 1977 in the form of the Apple II--though the term "PC" didn't exist until 1981 when IBM released the IBM PC. The monitors of these early PCs used cathode ray tube displays, which remained the dominant technology for PC monitors until the beginning of the 21st century, when liquid crystal display monitors started to lead the market.
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CRT Era
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While CRTs dominated the PC monitor industry for over 20 years, CRT technology evolved considerably over time, with technological advances resulting in improved brightness, contrast and resolution. In particular, advancements in cathode tubes, display connectors and the introduction of flat displays all contributed significantly to improvements of CRT PC monitors during the 1990s.
LCD Era
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LCD PC monitors came on the scene in the late 1990s, featuring an improved, compact design and higher display resolution. By the early 2000s, LCDs had effectively replaced CRTs as the dominant PC display--in the summer of 2001, the world's top CRT manufacturer, Philips Electronics, agreed to merge with competitor and LCD screen producer LG Electronics. Also in that year, Apple began shipping all its systems with LCD monitors and Hitachi stopped producing CRTs, stating, "there are no prospects for growth of the monitor CRT market." LCD monitors continued to evolve throughout the 2000s as new technology led to improved brightness, contrast and response times.
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The Future
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Although some companies have created technologies to create flatter CRTs that are 50 percent thinner than old model CRTs, CRTs cannot compete with ever-improving LCD display technology and designs. It is unclear which technology will eventually replace LCD panels on the PC monitor market, but surface-conduction electron-emitter displays and organic light emitting diode displays have both been touted as strong contenders.
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References
- Photo Credit computer monitor iso right image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
