How to choose a flat panel display: what features determine quality?
We recommend looking at the following major features when evaluating the quality and price/performance ratio of an LCD monitor. Resolution: Make sure you measure the maximum true resolution–the resolution achieved by the number of pixels the monitor contains–without scaling the screen contents up or down. Size: Size is measured diagonally from one corner of the glass to the opposite corner. Aspect ratio: This is related to resolution; it is the ratio of the monitor’s width to height. Most displays have a 1.25:1 ratio. Some, like Silicon Graphics 1600SW, have a wider format, 1.6:1 ratio. The amount of horizontal space is critical in determining how much information can be displayed at once, particularly when viewing side-by-side pages, or spreads. Dot pitch: This is a measure of the amount of space between each pixel. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image. The dpi, or dots per inch (also called pixels per inch), is related to dot pitch: the smaller the dot pitch, the higher
