Definition of Monitor (computer screen)

There are many physical components associated with computers and computing. But without a doubt, one of the most important and indispensable of them are the monitors. Computer monitors are screens through which users can interact with the computer, in the same way that other peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. are used. They are thus components of hardware from a computer.

The main function of the monitor It is obviously the visual. Thanks to it, we can see the work and the orders we are carrying out, or view other content, review stored information and countless other tasks.

The main characteristics that define a monitor are firstly, the resolution, which depending on whether it is larger or smaller will give us a sharper or less image. Resolution is measured in ppi (dots per inch, points per inch in English) or in pixels, which are the result of multiplying the horizontal points by the vertical points that a monitor is capable of displaying.

Another feature associated with monitors is the image size able to display, and which is defined by inches. These are obtained by directly measuring the diagonal from a lower corner to an upper corner. Obviously, the greater the number of inches, the larger the image size will be, but we should not confuse this with the resolution. An image can be huge, but very poorly defined. The definition, remember, is always expressed in ppi.

One parameter to take into account is the frequency. Unlike televisions, which are usually designed for standard frequencies, in monitors it is a factor to take into account. The frequency (expressed in hertz) indicates how quickly a monitor updates the image, and by definition, a high frequency prevents us from seeing jumps, flickers… in the images. It is also interesting to know the luminosity, the brightness, the contrast, the useful area… but these parameters would need further study.

As we can see, a monitor itself is quite similar to a television, but the truth is that although there are currently dual monitors (capable of functioning as monitors and TVs), and also televisions capable of interacting with computers, the normal thing is that the monitor is for exclusive use with a computer device. This is because in addition to the power outlet, the monitor is connected to the computer via a data cable (usually 16 or 32 bit). It is the computer that transmits what you should see, not an analog or digital signal from an antenna. In addition, the monitor can function as an intermediary between the user and the computer, since it is also capable of transmitting data back, although this capacity has been introduced a posteriori.

At first the first monitors were in black and white, with a very low resolution. With the development of computing, and the first steps of graphic design, more and more definitions were needed, as well as the inclusion of color, first in 4, 16 or 256 colors (CGA, EGA and VGA, respectively), until reaching to the present, where the most modest already use palettes of more than 32 million colors (True colors).

There are many different types of monitors, depending on the functionality that is going to be given to them. From huge monitors designed for the creation of professional graphics, to small monitors or screens that only occupy a few inches. They can be tactile, flat, slimline, desktop, integrated, with speakers, with webcam, LCD, plasma, TFT…

Be that as it may, monitors were essential not only for the development of visual programs, but also for the development of computing itself. By being able to present the results graphically and visually on a screen, users could communicate in a much more pleasant environment with the computer, which undoubtedly contributed decisively to the expansion of PCs throughout the world, computers that previously they were limited to a small minority. Just look at the number of applications that today depend on a screen to be able to run (videos, programs, documents, web pages…)

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