Computer monitor styles
For those of you using a traditional PC with tower or desktop style CPU, you now have more options than ever for different types of monitors to work with. Here are descriptions of the most popular choices:
CRT - Cathode Ray Tube
This is the traditional oldie but goodie monitor that's been around for years now. It uses a large vacuum tube with an internal electron beam that constantly scans across the surface of its display area, activating pixels that emit light. Flat panel CRTs (not to be confused with flat panel LCDs discussed later) eliminate some of the distortion that results from rounded screens. Today people don't tend to use CRT monitors because of their size, but they are quite affordable.
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
Most LCDs today use sophisticated technology involving individual cells containing liquid crystals sandwiched between perpendicularly polarized screen, with a light source in the background. The crystals associated with each pixel can be controlled by a current of electrons to twist and align, in varying degrees, with the polarized screens in order to let the right mix of light pass through the primary color filters. These monitors are popular now because they are so thin and their resolution produces a sharp image. Expense has been a deterrent as well, but prices have declined significantly in the last few years.
Plasma
With plasma displays each pixel contains its own red, green and blue phosphors that are energized by a special gas in varying degrees of intensity to create a richly colored high-resolution image. Charged electrodes react with tiny pockets of inert gas to cause the gas to emit light when in its plasma state. Though plasma displays can be quite a bit larger than LCDs, their life span is shorter and they are the most expensive.