Computer B-Words

Remembering CRT Computer Monitors

• CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors were basically small TVs. Both used the same technology of shooting electron beams at phosphor-coated screens to create images.
• Early CRT monitors in the 1980s–1990s weighed a ton. A typical 17-inch monitor was easily 35–40 pounds.
• If you touched or placed your hand near a CRT computer screen, it would make your arm hair stand up due to high-voltage static electricty. You also got a tingling feeling or a buzzing, vibrating sensation, in your arm.
• Remember the After Dark Flying Toasters? Screen savers were not just cool animations designed to amuse. They prevented phosphor burn-in, where static images would permanently mark the screen.
• Full desktop computer setups took up a lot of real estate. This was mostly due to the depth of the CRT tubes in the monitor.
• Early CRT monitors usually had their own power cables and switches. You had to turn on the tower and the monitor separately.
• Cathode Ray Tube monitors were notorious for running hot. Office spaces packed with them often required specialized air conditioning to keep the temperature at a comfortable level.
• Many early PC systems used monochrome monitors. These were cost-effective, bright, and had long peristence which reduced flicker. Green was favored for readability, as our eyes are highly sensitive to it, while amber was introduced to reduce eye strain.