If you are still using the old time computer monitors that are bulky and weighty and have a curved screen, then you are still living in the dark ages and need to move ahead with technology. It seems odd to me when I see people straining their eyes to see what is on their computer screen all because they are still using out-dated monitors. It is time to step up to an LCD monitor that has a crisper and sharper display, is relatively light-weight, and comes in various viewing sizes depending on what each user prefers. Viewsonic monitors are among the clearest and best on the market right now. Their wide screens make viewing a pleasure and make whatever else you are doing seem a bit more lifelike.

If you are having a warm time figuring out which one to get, it might help to note that there are two in particular that are hot buy items right now at Buy.com. They are the Viewsonic X Series VX2035wm WideScreen LCD Monitor – 1 x 20.1″ – LCD Active Matrix TFT – 0.258mm – Silver, and the Viewsonic X Series VX2835WM 28″ Widescreen LCD Monitor – 800:1, 3ms, 1920×1200 – Piano Black. These two LCD monitors are a cut above the rest in their class and worth the price that you have to pay for them. Come on out of the dark ages into the wonderful light of modern technology by treating yourself to a Viewsonic LCD monitor right now from Buy.com. You will be glad you did, and so will anyone else in your home who uses it.

There are times when we are using the computer and the monitor just shuts off. Here are a few reasons why this may happen:

- defective monitor
- defective graphics card
- loss of power to monitor
- monitor set to shut off after a specified time
- improperly connected to graphics card
- over-heating

Though these are the most common reasons why it happens, the list is in no way exhausted. People experience a monitor shut off for various other reasons. Anyway, if the monitor or graphics card is defective, replace it. If power is lost, check the cord and its connection to the power source. If the connection to the graphics card is loose, tighten it. When over-heating occurs, turn the monitor off for a while and ensure that you are in a properly ventilated or cooled area.

These tips could be the difference between your continually using your monitor or your having to purchase a new one.

These quick tips were sponsored by Hoodia Gordonii Plus

Now who ever said that a computer monitor ever needed water when it runs hot? Seems to be the case as word on the street is that people have been pouring water into their monitors when they run hot. Well, it is not really exactly like that. What really happened is that a few guys were eating while at their PC and some juice accidentally spilled into the monitor. In fact, the keyboard and mouse also got a good dowsing.

I am saying all that to say this: It is not recommended that people eat and drink while at the computer doing work. True, it is unavoidable at times and even the most pro user will say that they are careful. Nonetheless, no matter how careful one is, accidents do happen. To drive home the point even more, let me put it this way: Would you prefer to eat around a dining table where, if a spillage occurs, it won’t affect your monitor or keyboard? Or would you prefer to sit at the computer desk and when something spills have to find the money to repair or replace it?

Common sense would naturally lead us to go for the first scenario. I am not telling anyone not eat while working on the computer because it is a matter of personal choice. All that I aim to do is present a situation that can happen to anyone at anytime. There are times when a fire starts or people become electrocuted while trying to dry out the inside of the monitor. This can happen even if the monitor is off and unplugged because the capacitors on the circuit board store electricity which is discharged upon contact with the water and human hands.

So, if you must drink near your monitor (the whole computer on a whole) do so with caution. As the saying goes, “A word to the wise is sufficient!”

There are various types of power cords used on electrical amd electronic equipment. The end that is plugged into the surface outlet is usuall a two or three pin plug (third pin for grounding). The other end that is plugged into the equipment is also usually a two or three pin connection. Some have four or more, depending on the equipment itself. As for computers, the plug end of the power cord has three pins while the other end also has three holes.

To differentiate between the power cord used on the monitor and on the CPU, the one for the CPU is usually thicker. The general reason for this is that the CPU pulls more power than the monitor and thus the thicker cord is less likely to melt or catch afire. This is the convention that dictates the size cords used on many equipment. The more current it pulls, the thicker the power cord. This is despite the voltage used, whether 110V or 220V.

Power cords must be regularly inspected for cracks or tears. There are times when the cord might be under some level of strain which eventually leads to its deterioration over time. If at any time you notice when the power cord is moved and the equipment is on it suddenly loses power, this is a sign to change it. This is very importatnt as the shorting out of the power cord can result in fire and eventual damage to the computer.

As technology advances, we see where devices we have become used to have gotten progressively smaller. Take for example cell phones, cameras, television sets (now installed in vehicles), MP3 players, computers, imaging devices, and so much more. We can also think of how far even telecommunications has come. Once upon a time a whole story of a building housed ‘mega computers’ where humans had to manually go and perform switching operations. Now in our modern age, there are much smaller computers that sit on a small table in the corner of a room that control the switching. Then we can think of monitors and displays (GUI devices). We can think for example of the LCD and Plasma Displays and Monitors. What are they, and how advantageous is one over the other?

According to Wikipedia, “a liquid crystal display (LCD) is a thin, flat display device made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in front of a source or reflector. It is prized by engineers because it uses very small amounts of electric power, and is therefore suitable for use in battery-powered electronic devices.”

Wikipedia also says that “a plasma display panel (PDP) is an emissive flat panel display where visible light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass.”

In comparing between LCD and PDP, Plasma Screens are:

- Slim
- Wall-mountable design
- Larger practical size than LCD screens
- Have a wider viewing angle than LCD screens
- Better color consistency
- Better contrast ratio than LCD
- Faster response time than LCD
- Able to achieve darker black than LCD

On the other hand:

- Plasmas are fragile
- Very expensive

Which would you be more likely to buy? It of course depends on what your needs are. In my experience, Plasma Screens tend to “burn in”, i.e. images and words tend to burn onto the screen. However, as I said, each person has a choice and that choice would be based on the advantages and disdvantages of each.