If you want a really good example of where a box like this would be needed, look no further than your local church. Traditional churches by nature are all non-profit organizations that operate on a very tight shoestring budget. Whatever technology is brought into the church must have good longevity to it because there’s simply no other purchase options. They can’t lease computer boxes. Whatever they get, they own, and it has to last a long time.

You could, if so desired, opt not to build but rather go with a brand name like Dell as they have new desktop PCs starting at $269. But maybe you’re in the situation where you have to deal with existing PCs because the budget simply won’t allow for the purchase of new computers. In this instance you have to refit them with new parts that will stand the test of time. That’s what this how-to covers.

The icons seen below are from Icon Archive. Be sure to check that place out for some truly good looking icons for Windows, Mac or Linux.

  Motherboard and CPU

It used to be that AMD was cheaper than Intel, but this is no longer the case. Were you to compare AMD vs. Intel in both motherboard and CPU prices, you’ll find they’re almost identical on the lower end of the cost spectrum.

When it comes to long-haul computing, the prevention of heat is a major consideration. Fortunately this is easy to take care of, because all you have to do is employ the use of a low-watt CPU. AMD has 45-watt offerings and Intel has 35-watt. Either is a good choice.

  RAM

With desktop memory the goal is to use the "slowest" possible sticks you can buy. Once again this is done to avoid heat. Use the bare minimum clock speed that the RAM banks will support, and put the maximum amount of RAM in the box it can support.

Also try, if possible, to use same-brand RAM. This will avoid any unforeseen issues with old RAM, as in some instances old sticks do not "play nice" with new ones. It is rare when this happens, but not out of the realm of possibility and you probably don’t have a RAM tester. (If you do have one however, use it.)

  Hard Drive

This step is simple, stick with 7200rpm hard disk drives. Were it a few years ago I would have recommended to use a 5400rpm (again, for less heat), but those offerings are now all but gone for standard 3.5-inch drives, and you’ll spend too much on a 5400rpm due to its rarity. The tried-and-true 7200rpm SATA of any media storage size works fine.

  Sound Card

Any. Doesn’t matter what you use as long as it works. You’ll most likely use the on-board sound from the motherboard anyway.

  Video Card

If the motherboard has a built-in video port, use it. Heat is avoided by doing this. If there isn’t any on-board video, what to use for a video card depends on the operating system. I’ll cover that in a moment.

  Optical drive

As long as the customer reviews for the optical drive you’re shopping for are favorable and it can play, read and burn CDs and DVDs, that’s all that matters.

  Case fans

This is the only part of the build where you absolutely cannot go low-cost. The case fans you use must be of premium grade, have good bearings and be as quiet as possible. Their only job in life is to cool, so don’t go cheap with these.

Here’s an example of a premium case fan. Yes, it’s almost $25 per fan. But it’s one of the best you can buy and totally worth the money.

I’m not saying you have to buy $25 case fans, but don’t go with the two-dollar cheap stuff. Do so and the PC’s life will end earlier.

  Operating System

If the box has a legal licensed copy of Windows XP or Vista, you’re all set. Continue to use it, continue to automatically download auto-updates as they are provided.

XP runs happily with 1GB of RAM and a 64MB video card. You can’t game on it, but you can do just about everything else.

The system requirements for Vista state it can get by on 1GB RAM, but as everybody knows it needs at least 2GB. The minimums also state that 128MB video is needed, but in reality 512MB suits it much better.

If the box has an illegal copy of XP or Vista, you need to either purchase a license of Windows 7 or switch to Linux – especially if the box you’re building is going to be used by somebody else. Why? Because somewhere along the line Windows will break without its needed updates eventually. And if you’re the one building a box for someone else, guess who gets the first phone call when somehow the end user magically turns on auto-updates and WGA disables Windows? That’s right, you do. Do you honestly want to deal with that?

The purchase of 7 is out of the question for most people because it blows the budget. You’d have to buy a full license of Windows 7 Home Premium, which costs just under $110. The "Starter" Edition of Windows 7 is only available to OEMs and not the general public unfortunately.

Linux’s strongest point is that it’s free. The flavor that’s the most suitable choice is the very recently released Ubuntu 9.10.

If you happen to be building/refitting a box for someone else, and that person only requires the basics of computing, you may want to consider Ubuntu Netbook Remix instead. It’s designed for netbooks, but has superior performance on low-end computer boxes. It also helps that the 9.10 UNR interface is super-friendly to use.

One of the few things that may prove to be a roadblock with UNR is printing. This is not Ubuntu’s fault, but rather the fact that most printers only come provided with proprietary Windows and Mac control software.

Check printer compatibility here for Ubuntu. It’s well worth the time to take a few minutes to read that over for your specific printer. Yours should be there as the lists are extensive. You know you’re in good shape if your printer is listed as both supported and working.

  Mouse

At least mid-grade quality, not wireless and manufactured by Microsoft or Logitech.

  Keyboard

Same requirements as the mouse.

  Monitor

You’ll most likely be using the existing monitor. If buying another, don’t buy used. Buy new.

The price for a new low-cost LCD monitor off the shelf will be between $125 and $175.

If you opt to buy online, specifically seek out the ones with free shipping, else you’ll pay the same price as you would off the shelf for the same thing.

As for the size, don’t buy anything under 18 inches. It’s simply not worth it.

  Software

In a basic sense, your computer must be able to:

• Browse the web
• Have the ability to use instant messaging easily
• Compose documents and spreadsheets and be able to share those documents easily
• Be able to import images from a digital camera easily
• Be able to edit images on a basic level easily
• Print
• Be able to burn CDs and DVDs
• Play DVD video
• Have sufficient protection against spyware, malware and viruses

Here’s each point covered one by one. I’m listing very specific choices that don’t require any additional software unless absolutely necessary. The less software installed, the better off the overall installation is.

Browse the web

Windows: Internet Explorer
Ubuntu: Firefox

Instant messaging

Windows: Windows Live Messenger
Ubuntu: Pidgin

Documents and Spreadsheets

Windows: OpenOffice
Ubuntu: OpenOffice

Digital Camera image import / Basic photo editing

Windows: Windows Live Photo Gallery
Ubuntu: F-Spot

Printing

Windows: Use provided printer control software CD or download from printer OEM’s web site
Ubuntu: Depends if the printer is supported or not by the OS (see above)

Burning CDs and DVDs

Windows, Data/Backup: Built-in to the OS natively, drag/drop
Windows, Music: Windows Media Player

Ubuntu, Data/Backup: Built-in to the OS natively, drag/drop
Ubuntu, Music: Brasero (included with OS)

Play DVD Video

Windows XP: Not included with DVD video codecs on fresh XP install. Codec must be provided by purchased player software such as WinDVD or CyberDVD.

Windows Vista/7: Codecs included, uses Windows Media Player to play DVDs.

Ubuntu: Codecs included, uses Totem to play DVDs.

Virus, spyware and malware protection

Windows: Microsoft Security Essentials or any other number of free protection suites.

Ubuntu: Generally speaking, not required because of the way Linux is designed. But if you feel you need it, there’s documentation aplenty on it.

  Placement

If you have the option, place the PC on the desk and not on the floor. As you know, computers are dirt magnets. This not only makes the computer box easier to clean but also keeps it away from dust and dirt that collects on the floor that the case fans would otherwise suck inside the box.

  Performance notes and other tips

The only time you’ll experience true slowdowns is on web pages with heavy Flash use. Then again, Flash will bring any web browser to its knees if you throw enough of that content at it even on the fastest of computers.

It is better if the PC has wired instead of wireless networking as it will speed things up quite a bit concerning internet usage. It’s not that wireless won’t work, but you want to give any speed advantage you can, so if you have the option, use wired internet connectivity.

Automate everything you possibly can. For example, if using a Windows OS you could use Defraggler to schedule drive defragmenting easily.

If you can, clone the drive once everything is installed, so if something busts on a major level, you’ve got a "vanilla" copy ready to be imaged back if the need arises.

Try (or instruct whoever is getting the PC) to get in the habit of "living in the browser." Keep installed apps to a minimum. The less apps there are, the less likely something will break on the software side and in many cases the speedier the OS will run, regardless of what OS it is. The best way to do this is to stay in the browser as much as possible.

For every app you download and install, save that to USB stick or CD/DVD. It’s also smart to perform a software inventory periodically just in case you have to reinstall the OS for whatever reason.

For any hardware you installed that has a warranty, put all the paperwork in an envelope and physically tape it to the side or top of the case. It’s not pretty, but you’ll never lose the info, should you need it.

Final notes

The best way to treat an older computer is to configure it like a kiosk would be. A kiosk by nature is set up to be simple and efficient. If you use Ubuntu Netbook Remix, this is very much how your computer will act, and that’s not a bad thing. You can do the same with Windows by hiding the taskbar, avoiding the Start menu when possible and placing the icons for the apps you regularly use on the desktop.

If you approach computing this way with an older refitted PC box and build it as outlined above, it should easily last 5 or more years.

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Long Haul Low-Cost PC "Refit" How-To

What was interesting wasn’t the graphics per sé but rather the screen resolution for most of the screen shots shown, which happened to be 1024×768. It showed up so much that a few commented on it saying something to the effect of, "Why are all you people using such low resolutions?"

Want to know the real kicker? These people posting screen shots were all in their late teens, 20s and 30s. This was not 40+ territory whatsoever.

So why is it that so many people still use 1024×768?

There’s actually a few good answers.

If you’re on a netbook, the vast majority of them have screens that are a native resolution of 1024×576 or 1024×600.

A teen may be using his parent’s computer where the parent prefers the resolution at something he or she can read, and that’s usually 1024×768.

The really interesting crowd are the twenty and thirty-somethings. I fall into this crowd because I’m 34. I wear eyeglasses, but my primary 20-inch monitor is 1680×1050 and the secondary 1280×1024. What’s the deal with 1024×768 in this age group?

The answer is something you probably didn’t think of: Games.

Games run much better and faster at lower resolutions. And if you keep your Windows resolution as 1024×768, when the switch to the game happens your icons don’t get all messed up and moved around. This is common in XP when you have your Windows resolution set different than your game resolution.

In addition, not all computer gamers run the newest blazing fast PC hardware. Many run decidedly old stuff and couldn’t care less about things like anisotropic filtering as long as the game plays smooth and fast. To get any advantage in speed and smoothness possible, the resolution is lowered on purpose even if the eyesight is just fine.

If you thought 1024×768 was only for the 40+ crowd, think again. There are plenty, and I mean plenty of younger users rockin’ the 1024 resolution for daily use.

What’s your res?

Write a comment and let people know. Include the resolution and your monitor’s physical size (ex: 17-inch, 19-inch, 20-inch, etc.)

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Is It Still A 1024×768 World?

However there is one failing of LCD monitors and a big one at that. It’s a lack of vertical resolution.

I’ll explain.

Let’s say you want a monitor that has a 2048-pixel-wide resolution. Yes, this is an insane amount of pixels. How big, as in physically big, do you have to go with an LCD to get this?

The answer is 21 inches.

However, at that size you only get 1152 pixels on the vertical within a reasonable price range – and those are 23-inchers. The monitor is really wide, but seriously short. Bear in mind that is only 72 pixels taller than a 1680×1050 resolution. Like I said, short.

Now let’s say you want something with some true vertical resolution, as in 2048×1536. That’s proper.

That will cost you $4,400 to get it with LCD. You literally pay an extra four thousand dollars for those extra 384 vertical pixels.

Now let’s compare this to the good ol’ CRT – which is really hard to come by these days.

You can get a 21-inch monitor that will support a true 2048×1536 resolution. I found one on eBay for just $600. It’s used because I could not locate a new one.

(Note: If you know of any vendor that does sell these new, please feel free to post a comment with a link as I’m sure there would be some interested parties.)

Who needs crazy resolutions like this?

Programmers love having this kind of screen real estate. You can fit so much stuff on-screen that there is no need for a secondary monitor.

If you’re wondering, "How could anyone read anything at that resolution?" Trust me, programmers can and do routinely.

You simply cannot get the vertical resolution of those old huge 21 and 22-inch CRTs on modern LCDs. Not without paying several thousand dollars for it, anyway.

To answer the question: Did we lose resolution with LCD? Unquestionably, yes.

Hopefully someday the LCD monitor manufacturers will wise up and give us some decent vertical resolution at an agreeable price.

And no, buying an LCD that turns sideways is not the answer because then you lose a ton of horizontal real estate. What the monitor manufacturers need to do is start making taller monitors and not wider. We’ve got enough wide to go around already and don’t need any more. We need height.

For those that would say, "Well, just get a 2560×1600 LCD! Problem solved!" No, problem not solved. The monitor is physically too large. You’re going to have a 26 or 30-inch behemoth on the desk. That’s not practical at all. Maybe fun and cool, but not practical.

Wide is great, but don’t you wish sometimes you had an extra 300 or so pixels at the bottom? I know I do.

Real-world monitor resolution considerations for those of us on a budget

The two best resolutions that give you the most usable vertical space within a reasonable price are:

• 1680×1050
• 1280×1024

Why is vertical resolution so important? Because you scroll less.

My advice: Don’t buy anything under 1000 pixels on the vertical. Not unless you like scrolling a lot.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Did We Lose Resolution With LCD Monitors?

..there was 320×200 resolution with the Commodore 64.

Then came MS-DOS and VGA with 640×480 resolution. It was good and there was much rejoicing. Then came Super VGA (800×600). And it was better. And there was more rejoicing.

Fast-forward to present. You can now easily acquire LCD monitors with very high native resolutions. The big-big ones have 2560×1600.

But the people aren’t rejoicing anymore.

Is there such a thing as too much resolution? Yes. And it matters, because for many, anything over 1280×1024 is just too much, mainly due to the fact there’s much squinting involved when running native.

You may have noticed over the past few years that OEMs and monitor makers are purposely downing the native resolution on LCD monitors. This is because too many people were complaining that they couldn’t even read the text under their icons on the desktop without upping the font sizes at least 4 to 6 points (which is a lot).

Some would say, "So increase the font size.. what’s the problem?" The problem is that applications "expect" you to run native font size choices, and when you increase that size, menus look a bit off, scrollbars (the bad kind) happen and so on.

Running the native resolution on an LCD monitor with standard font sizes is obviously the best choice for the best picture and general use. With that said, here are my recommendations if you’re shopping around for monitors.

To note, "optimum" means "the res you can see and read stuff the best with".

Laptop 15-inch screen optimum resolution: 1280×800

The 1280×800 native res on a 15-inch widescreen laptop is "just right", so to speak. Both Linux and Windows look best with this res.

Note: Yes, you can read things easier with Ubuntu Linux compared to Windows XP. All fonts are larger, thicker and much easier to read.

Also note: Laptop LCD monitors are typically better than standalones. They are more crisp, clear and have far less tendency to "fuzz" things on-screen.

Standalone standard aspect 19-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1280×1024

This resolution on a 19-inch standard aspect (meaning non-widescreen) makes reading everything very easy.

Standalone widescreen 22-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1680×1050

You can "get away" with 1680×1050 on 20 and 21.5-inch monitors, but it definitely looks best on the 22.

Standalone widescreen 24-inch flat panel optimum resolution: 1920×1200

Make no mistake, a 24-inch monitor is frickin’ huge. And while it’s true you can get a lesser resolution of 1920×1080, the extra pixel height makes a (literally) big difference.

And believe it or not, one can be had for $260 new. It’s definitely not an expensive as it was a year ago.

What’s the best for those on a tight budget?

The standard aspect 19-inch at 1280×1024. This is the one I usually recommend. They sell for as little as $120 new.

What’s the best for those that can spend more?

The 24-inch widescreen. Bear in mind it’s big and requires space. Definitely not for small desks. And if you have one of those hutch-style things, it may be too tall to fit. If this may present itself to be an issue, shop for one that specifically has a height-adjustable base because it will be required.

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Monitor Resolution And Your Eyesight

I will say up front that there isn’t any end-all/be-all way of setting the correct color on a monitor because it obviously depends on how you see things. That being the case, you should always set your monitor for what your eyes see and not what software or hardware “thinks” is correct.

Step 1. Start with white

Open up your web browser of choice and enter the following URL:

about:blank

Enter it exactly as such. Works in IE, Firefox and Opera.

After than, press F11 to go “full screen mode”. Wait a few seconds and the address bar should disappear. This will make your screen 100% white (or very close). You can press F11 again to go back to windowed mode.

Examine the screen and note if it looks pink-ish or blue-ish.

Step 2. Correct with both hardware and software controls

Most people adjust their monitor’s color using only hardware controls. This is when you physically press the “menu” button on your monitor and adjust using buttons.

The problem with only using hardware controls is that while your screen may look correct doing normal things like web browsing and so on, using other software like video games may look significantly different.

Software controls for color adjustment will give you the extra control you were looking for.

If using an NVIDIA or ATI video card, you can locate your color controls in the taskbar next to the clock.

If you don’t have that, either install the latest NVIDIA at www.nvidia.com or ATI at http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html.

If you have a laptop with proprietary control software for display settings, this is usually found either as a specific icon in the Control Panel or a tab in Display Settings.

Example: My older Dell Inspiron 6000 uses an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Mobile driver. This is found by going to Display Properties first:

I click the “Advanced” button and go here:

I click the big tab at the top for the Intel stuff:

I click the “Graphics Properties” button:

This is a very ugly app but it has the settings I want to modify.

In this specific instance I am forced to change my colors this way because the monitor has no physical buttons for manual hardware changes on it; this is all software controlled.

Step 3. Adjust brightness/contrast for black

It isn’t easy getting a true black on an LCD monitor (even the more expensive ones) because when on, the back-light itself makes things gray even to a small degree.

Once again you can use both hardware and software controls to adjust for the black.

The same method for white can be used for black. Load up this web page:

http://www.blackle.com (a Google search in black)

…and press F11 again to go into full-screen mode, then adjust appropriately.

Final notes

Free-standing LCD monitors (meaning not a laptop) have presets for what it “thinks” is proper, such as “photo” or “movie” and so on. It also has settings to go more blue or red, labeled as “cool” and “warm”.

The best way to adjust is to not use the presets and manually configure it yourself with the red/green/blue, brightness and contrast. Yes, it will take time but your eyes will thank you for it later.

You can expect the adjustments you make via hardware controls to not be absolutely correct. You most likely will have to go to the software side to make small adjustments afterwards.

To date I have never known any monitor to be 100% spot-on perfect without adjustment, because the monitor doesn’t know your eyes – you do.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

How-To: Getting The Right Color On An LCD Monitor

According to The New Journal of Physics, researchers from Sony and the Max Planck Institute are exploring the possibility of creating, and are working on the development of, bendable optically assessed organic light emitting displays.

When fully developed, this technology could lead to the production of electronic poster displays for advertising as well as digital newspapers that can be folded and televisions which can be bent.

Additionally, the “upconversion” full-colour displays have several other advantages than flexibility over current display technologies. These include faster response times, almost unlimited viewing angles, and a virtually unlimited possibility of shapes and sizes.

Sony originally announced news of a similar development in 2006, but that early development ran into problems such as distortion when bent and size-limitations. Their new technology isn’t beset by any of those previous problems and therefore makes the development open to many further possibilities.

It certainly appears that technology is providing some amazing gadgets and gizmos that we never even dreamed of only ten years ago. Amazing developments are occurring lately, such as the one above, that can only change society for the better if used correctly.

It appears, to the untrained eye, that the depth of development of technological gadgets and gizmos is unlimited. However there is just one thing that puts the brakes firmly on one avenue of development – that being component miniaturization.

Current technologies have made it possible to build microelectronic devices out of almost infinitesimally-small transistors as small as 45 nanometers across – considerably less than the width of a human hair. You can pack millions of these devices into a small package, such as the processor chip of the computer that you are using right now.

There is a limit beyond which it appears impossible to go though. 45nm is only the distance across a small number of atoms of the doped molecular substrate used in the transistor’s construction, and we’re already getting close to as small as all possibility will allow these devices to be built without massive fabrication costs, electromechanical breakdowns, and current-leakages in the individual transistors themselves. In short, we’re nearly at the point where technology is as small as we can make it.

Nevertheless, even if we do ever actually reach that limit, there still seems to be almost endless possibilities in utilizing the available technologies.

Do you think that there may be a limit at which we have to stop developing all technologies and accept defeat? A point when humanity has developed every technology possible? If so, do you think there will ever come a point when we’ve also invented every possible practical device imaginable? Will geeks die of boredom at that point?

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Sony to Fold-Up Monitors

Plasma TVs are so yesterday. And rear projection has long been dead. LCD televisions are still popular, but what’s coming is sure to put the LCD out of business.

It is called organic light-emitting diodes, or OLED. It uses a very thin layer of organic material which emits light when electricity passes through it. This means that no backlighting is required. And that means it can be extremely thin and flexible. It is also more environmentally friendly, brighter, and cheaper to build.

Sony created one of the first flexible OLED screens and this video shows it:

And here is a quick video of Veronica Belmont showing the Sony prototype of a 27″ OLED television which is the width of 3 credit cards:

The only available model right now is the Sony model XEL-1, which measures 11 inches and costs $2500. Why anybody would buy one right now, I don’t know. It is obviously a proof-of-concept type of product and not something that is really yet meant for primetime.

Where could this technology lead us? Well imagine a television on your wall which barely protrudes from your wall at all. Imagine full-color screens literally built into the walls. Or full color screens on small electronics or even on the windshield of your car. We’ve already seen OLED used on some cell phone models

We have a few years left before we’re going to see OLED televisions come down to the prices of LCD televisions today. Many LCD manufacturers are probably going to keep the prices high for a while longer since LCD sales have been so strong. But, its just a matter of time.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

New Wave For Flat Screen TVs – and I Mean Flat

ClearType, another Microsoft way of making fonts look better, was announced in 1998 but didn’t make an appearance until January 2000 as a feature of the Microsoft Reader software for those that remember that title.

When Windows XP was introduced in 2001, ClearType was built-in.

All this font stuff is called subpixel rendering technology. In layman’s terms is just means the fonts you see on screen are rendered differently.

In Windows XP (and in Vista assumedly) you can enable or disable ClearType at whim. This is done via Control Panel / Display / Appearance / Effects button. You see this:

If you check "Use the following method…" and select "Standard" from the drop-down menu, fonts under the 12pt size will not show as ClearType. If you select "ClearType", all fonts are rendered in ClearType. If you uncheck the box, no fonts will be shown in ClearType at all.

I do recommend anyone running Windows XP to download and use the ClearType Tuner PowerToy. This will add an icon in your Control Panel called "ClearType Tuning". When you click it you see this:

Using the Wizard helps out a great deal in selecting how much ClearType rendering you want. Very handy to have.

Which is more readable, ClearType or Standard?

This obviously depends on a few factors:

LCD or CRT?

Subpixel rendering has heavy concentration to make fonts look good on an LCD monitor (note the screen shot above: "..improves the readability of text on existing LCDs"). More often than not if you’re using a CRT, turning ClearType off will look better.

Why is this? Because CRT monitors aren’t as crisp as LCDs are. If you have ClearType enabled on a CRT it may "fuzz out" the fonts too much causing them to look "smudgy".

Font size

Obviously larger fonts look better than smaller ones when talking about subpixel rendering. Think of it this way: With digital photography, larger resolution is always better. With smaller resolutions you lose focus. The same can be said for fonts.

LCD screen striping

If the smaller fonts on your screen have the tendency to have oddly-colored edges, sometimes something as simple as changing the LCD screen striping will fix this. The ClearType Tuning applet has an "Advanced" section where you can change it from red/green/blue to blue/green/red:

Note the left side of the screen shot above.

If when you change this it makes the fonts look bad, just change it back. It will not "mess up" your monitor whatsoever because it has nothing to do with screen resolution; just the font rendering method.

Standard resolution fonts do not have any issue whatsoever with display no matter what screen striping method you use.

Is the font "interrupted" by a background image?

This is particularly dealing with what wallpaper you use. Certain wallpaper will make the text under your icons difficult to read while others will not.

General rule of thumb: Darker-image wallpaper always make the icon text look better. And of course, using no wallpaper is the best for legibility – especially if the background color is black.

What’s your refresh rate?

The standard refresh rate for almost all LCD monitors is 60Hz. I made mention in the past that some offer the option of 59Hz. This may offer slightly better readability.

With CRT monitors, the default refresh rate is also 60Hz – but you may find better luck with 70, 72, 75 or 85 depending on the choices you have.

If no matter what you do for hertz on a CRT the fonts still look crappy, disable ClearType.

Screen hardware settings

This actually has nothing to do with the font itself but rather the physical monitor settings.

The ones to pay attention to are:

• Brightness
• Contrast
• Sharpness
• Color

Brightness and Contrast:

When your monitor is showing nothing but black, it should be as black as possible and not gray-ish. If the gray exists this will "fuzz" fonts a bit.

Sharpness:

Too much sharpness will cause odd colors to appear in font rendering.

Color:

You have "cool" and "warm" settings here. Generally speaking "cool" (blue-ish) is better read easier. HOWEVER – going to blue can be trying on the eyes by making the whites too stark. Adjust only in slight increments if you have the option.

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Web Site Legibility: ClearType vs. Standard

How long does it take before an LCD fails completely?

Usually about 5 to 7 years.

What is the first thing to "go" on an LCD monitor?

With a free-standing LCD (i.e. one attached to regular desktop computer), the backlight is usually the first thing to break. With a laptop a whole host of other things can go awry. More on that in a moment. When a backlight fails, the picture will get extremely dim. It will still work but be almost unreadable.

Is it worth it to repair an LCD monitor?

Never. The cost of repairing an LCD monitor will usually cost more than replacing it outright.

Common issues with LCD monitors

Solid horizontal and/or vertical lines

One day you will turn on the monitor and these brightly colored lines will appear with no way to get rid of them. This is a hardware fault and there is no fix for this. Replace the monitor.

Monitor takes a while to "warm up" after starting it

You turn the monitor on and it takes a minute or two to reach full brightness. This is a backlight issue. You can still use the monitor normally until the backlight breaks (which it will eventually).

Monitor flickers on and off randomly

This is laptop-specific. The LCD ribbon connector cable is damaged from normal use of opening and closing the lid over time. This can be repaired. The monitor does not need replacement, but the ribbon connector cable does.

If you’re brave enough you can order this part from the OEM manufacturer and replace it yourself. It it normally located under the left-side hinge. It is not easy, but certainly cheaper than replacing the entire display.

Suggested course of action is to locate an authorized computer repair center and have them replace the ribbon connector. It will cost anywhere from $60 to $150, labor included. This may sound expensive but it’s still cheaper than replacing the monitor itself which will cost a whole lot more.

Corners or one side of monitor appears dimmer than the other

Again this is a backlight issue. There is no fix. Deal with it or replace the monitor.

Everything "goes green" or "goes pink" or "goes red"

For laptops, again this is the ribbon connector cable. Replace it. For desktops, replace the monitor cable which may or may not fix the problem.

"Wild patterns" appear for no reason

It will look something like this:

No fix for this. Monitor is busted. Replace it.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

LCD Monitor Troubleshooting 101

The solution could be as simple as adjusting your LCD monitor’s refresh rate by 1Hz if it’s allowed.

In my dual-display setup I have a 20-inch BenQ FP202W with a native 1680×1050 widescreen display connected via DVI, and an old (and rather crappy) Sony 17-inch SDM-S73 with a native 1280×1024 normal aspect display connected via VGA.

There were certain instances where I’d swear the fonts looked better on the Sony (particularly the smaller sizes). But they shouldn’t. The DVI should be better all around.

After looking around I found this:

I did in fact have the option to change the refresh rate from 60Hz to 59. So I tried it out.

The fonts instantly sharpened up and looked better. It wasn’t a huge difference but it was noticeable. All fonts were now more legible and in addition the look outperformed the Sony like it was supposed to.

That seemingly insignificant 1Hz change was in fact significant.

Whether you’re using nVidia or ATI, if (and that’s a big “if”) your settings allow it, you may be able to change your refresh rate depending on your monitor’s capabilities. And who knows, you may see a difference that will make things look better on your screen just by adjusting 1Hz.

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A few words about refresh rates, CRT and LCD monitors

The standard refresh rate on VGA-capable monitors (which is all of them by today’s standards) is 60Hz whether you’re using CRT (tubed) or LCD (flat panel).

With CRT, 60Hz is by far the worst refresh rate to use because many suffer from what I call the “60Hz headache”. When you have a CRT set to this standard refresh rate there are many (myself included) that will develop a “dull” headache after about 30 to 45 minutes of use. In addition you may hear an almost inaudible high-pitched squealing noise. The cure to this ill is to change the rate to 70, 72 or 75Hz. The dull headache will go away and the noise will be gone.

Those who have been using computers long enough (particularly at work) most likely have specially coated eyeglasses to combat against the ills of using a CRT at a 60Hz refresh. While this helps, changing the rate to a higher hertz is highly advised.

With LCD, the best (usually) refresh rate to use is 60Hz. It’s the exact opposite of CRT. I only switched to 59 because it presented a better look to my eye.

While it’s true CRT still has certain advantages (it’s still the best computer gaming monitor to date as there’s no such thing as “ghosting” on CRT), LCD is far better as far as your health is concerned. There’s no “crackle” of static discharge when the monitor is shut off, the power consumed is far less, and it’s far better for your eyes.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Does 1Hz Make A Difference? (Monitors)