Evolution of monitors

Evolution of Monitors

Computer monitors are a crucial component of the modern world. For many people, a solid computer monitor is their connection to much of their work and social life.

 But what a lot of people never stop to consider is that the computer monitor is an invention that has begotten notably since its commencement.

 

The evolution of computer display from blinking indicator lights

While nearly every early computer provided some concise of hard copy printout, the earliest days of digital displays were dominated by lines of blinking indicator lights, small light bulbs that flashed on and off, when the computer processed certain instructions or accessed memory locations.

IBM introduces its Personal Computer (PC)

 

  IBM PC

In 1981, the fast growth of the personal computer market with the announcement of its own personal computer (PC). The IBM PC,formally known as the IBM Model 5150, was based on a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system. The IBM PC revolutionized business computing by becoming the first PC to gain widespread adoption by industry. This is widely copied (“cloned”) and led to the creation of a vast “ecosystem” of software, peripherals, and other commodities for use with the platform.

 The IBM PC shipped with a directly attached monochrome video display standard (MDA) that rivalled a video terminal in sharpness. For colour graphics, IBM designed the CGA adapter, which hooked to a composite video monitor or the IBM 5153 display.

In 1984, IBM introduced EGA, which brought with it higher resolutions, more colours and of course, new monitors. Various third party IBM PC video standards competed with these in the 1980's, but none won out as IBM's did.

Macintosh monitors

Macintosh monitor

The first Macintosh (1987) included a 9-inch monochrome monitor that crisply rendered the Mac's 512-by-342-pixel bitmapped graphics in either black or white.The Macintosh 512K is a personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, inc. from September 1984 to April 1986.

It wasn't until the Macintosh II (1987) that the Mac line officially supported both colour video and external monitors. The Mac II video standard was similar to VGA. Mac monitors continued to evolve with the times, always known for their sharpness and accurate colour representation.

Two important monitor

 

In the early days of the IBM PC, users needed a different monitor for each display scheme, be it MDA, CGA, EGA, or something else. To address this, NEC invented the first multisync monitor (called "MultiSync"), which dynamically supported a range of resolutions, scan frequencies and refresh rates all in one box. In 1987, IBM introduced the VGA video standard and the first VGA monitors, in league with IBM's PS/2 line of computers.

 

Laptop LCDs improve

When LCDs first appeared, they were low contrast monochrome affairs with slow refresh rates.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, LCD technology continued to improve, driven by a market boom in laptop computers. The displays gained more contrast, better viewing angles and advanced colour capabilities and they began to ship with backlights for night viewing.

Early desktop LCDs

Computer companies had experimented with desktop LCD monitors since the 1980s in small numbers, but those monitors tended to cost a lot and offer horrible performance in comparison with the more prevalent CRTs. That changed around 1997, when a number of vendors such as ViewSonic, IBM and Apple introduced colour LCD monitors with qualities that could finally begin to compete with CRT monitors at a reasonable price. These LCDs used less desk space, consumed less electricity and generated far less heat than CRTs, which made them attractive to early adopters.

Present day LCD monitors

LCD monitor

Another display technology developed during the 1960s was the liquid crystal display or LCD. These displays were energy efficient, thin and inexpensive, but they were hard to read without either back lighting or direct illumination.

Today, LCD monitors are standard across the PC industry (except for tiny niche applications). Ever since desktop LCD monitors first outsold CRT monitors in 2007, their sales and market share have continued to climb. LCD monitors have become so inexpensive that many people experiment with dual monitor setups like the one shown here.

 

Increased resolution - 4k and 5k

LCD monitor resolutions have kept pace with wider display advancements, moving from HD, to Full HD, and now 4k screens have dropped enough in price to become relatively affordable.

 The next step is the move into 5k. Apple and others such as Dell have already produced 5k displays with an impressive resolution of 5120 x 2880, and almost 15 million pixels - almost double the number of 4k.

Curved screens

Curved screen

The jury is still out as to whether curved screens will be here for the long run with TVs and smartphones – but the close proximity of a user to a PC monitor means the technology could have a place on the desktop, with a slight curvature providing a more intimate viewing experience.

 

3D and augmented reality

 Current work on monitors involves 3D support. While 3D screens still require the use of specialized glasses, work is being done on stereoscopic and glasses-free alternatives. While the basic premise of using dots to convey information is still in effect, monitors have come an incredibly long way from the blinking lights of the earliest computers.

3D screens are not new and their limited success has predominantly been among gamers. However, there is still some potential for 3D interactivity.

Alongside its Sprout display, HP has indicated its moves into augmented or blended reality with its futuristic Zvr display, announced earlier this year. The Zvr combines sensing and imaging technology, generating ‘holograms’ that can be manipulated by users equipped with 3D glasses.

 

 

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All the pictures and information taken form Google and YouTube .