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Tell Your Boss You Need an LCD
By: Robert H. Spencer, PhD
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Technologist Dr. Bob Spencer says he still sees tax and accounting professionals working on CRT monitors. But there are good reasons to replace such monitors with LCD screens, even if the CRTs are working fine.
Here’s ammunition if you need tell your boss to upgrade monitors, or convince your inner fiscal conservative that you don’t need to spend the money.
Join the Crowd. Industry experts estimate that 180 million people have already replaced their monitors over the last year.
Supply. Manufacturers now favor LCD (liquid crystal display) screens over CRT (cathode ray tube) screens for good reasons. LCDs are less expensive to manufacture and generally better for the environment. Think green.
Reducing Eye Strain. But more importantly, LCDs are a boon to knowledge workers, who spend long hours at the computer, because LCDs tend to produce less eye fatigue for the user.
The constant light barrage and scan lines of a CRT monitor tends to cause strain on heavy computer users. The lower intensity of the LCD monitors, and their constant screen display of pixels being on or off, produces fatigue the user less.
More Ammunition
Academic. If you need science and authority, here are the findings of Professor Alan Hedge, Department of Design & Environmental Analysis, Cornell University.
| Ergonomics Considerations of LCD versus CRT Displays |  [PDF, 53KB] |
| Understanding LCD Monitors |
Key Words to Use
Jargon may help you win your argument. Mention
Refresh Rate. Refresh rate is one of the negative aspects of using older CRT displays. Users of CRT displays experience flicker when refresh rates are not high enough and the eyes have to constantly adjust. LCD displays work differently, as the appropriate Pixel is on until turned off.
Frame Rate. LCD monitors can suffer from their own problems. For LCDs, the refresh rate problem could be discussed in terms of frame rate (often locked at 60Hz). Under some circumstance, the LCD can produce a flicker that comes from its backlights operating at some cycles. Standard backlights typically operate at around 200–Hz.
Size Matters!
It may be too soon to raise the issue of multiple monitors, but if you are able to upgrade, don’t forget that size matters. Size is just one of the variables discussed in the following white paper, published by NEC last year.
| Monitor Size and Aspect Ratio Productivity Research: A Comparison of Single and Dual Traditional Aspect Displays with a Widescreen Display over Productivity | [PDF, 2.4MB] |
Dr. Bob Spencer is an internationally recognized writer, lecturer and consultant. You may e-mail him drbob@tsif.com, or visit him at Twenty Seconds In the Future.
Last Updated: 02/23/2009
