LCD monitor question / adding second montor

[Jack Honeycutt]

At 12:30 PM 10/2/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>I'll be anxious to see what other people say about this as I'm getting 
>ready to buy a new monitor for my G4 as well.  Is it worth the extra $200 
>or so to get the digital Mac monitor as opposed to some Sony flatscreen?

PC Magazine (which is the most critical of computer hardware publication 
that I know of) says that flat screens still have not come up to the 
quality of the old time CRT if you compare like-for like.  For example, you 
can't compare a high end $2,000.00 flat screen with a $99 CRT monitor. But 
like-for-like, nothing beats a CRT  (still).

I just picked up a VGA type CRT monitor at Costco for my G4.  It is made by 
Princeton Graphic (model number VF723).  It cost less than $120.00.  I use 
it as a second monitor for my Mac.  It works real nice.  .25 dot 
pitch.  Jaguar 10.2.6 found a driver for it and ID's it in control 
panel  (or what ever it is called in X now)

>Since you're doing video work it might make sense for you -- because the 
>analog monitors have to go through an adaptor I've heard people say there 
>is some "lag time."  Don't know exactly what that means, but I've heard a 
>couple people use the phrase.  Maybe it's some new slang?

I don't know what that means.  I still run my Apple monitor off the 
apple  internal  video connector in the back of my computer, but the VGA 
monitor is monitor #1, and the apple monitor is #2.  No "lag" time that I 
can see.

>On a related note, if I want to add a second monitor to the G4 system can 
>I just add some old video card (one that I had running in my old G3) and 
>hook up a second monitor or do the newer model computers not work with 
>these older cards?

I put a ATI PCI video card in my Mac.  It is the ATI PCI Mac Radeon 
7000.  It retails for about $125, but using Pricewatch  and other price 
search engines, you can find the card for about $99 plus shipping.  The 
7000 has a plug for flat screen monitors if you decide to go that way.

Two monitors is fun.  Just move stuff over the 2nd screen while you are 
working on multiple  apps.  It's cool!

jack in Portland Oregon