Mikus, thanks for the detailed reply, certainly helped.... hmmm stuck with SuSE 9.1 but I think I'l give it a bash... Cheers. On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 06:28:14 -0600, Mikus Grinbergs <mikus@bga.com> wrote:

In list.suse, you wrote on Fri, 25 Feb 2005 04:15:13 -0600:

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I would like to upgrade my monitor to an LCD ( TFT ??? ) Monitor, however I'm concerned about spending the money to then discover that it won't work with my suse box....

I have several SuSE systems with LCD monitors. It has been my experience that I was more comfortable with telling YaST/SaX2 to use the GENERIC (LCD) specification rather than choose from their model list (my LCD panels were so new they were *not* in the list, and I wasn't happy with the substitute model number it chose).

I'm using SuSE 9.2, which uses xorg rather than xfree86 for X. I had to get the *latest* SaX2 for it to work with xorg -- the SaX2 that was on the 9.2 distribution DVD did not work for me.

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Are there any considerations that need to be made in choosing an lcd monitor... i.e. what happens if it not in the list of know monitors in YaST ? I also noticed that some monitors say required os are windows / mac ??? aren't monitors os independent ?

There is at least one well-advertised LCD monitor which does __NOT__ have any buttons -- *all* adjustments (brightness, color, etc.) are made through software. I kinda doubt that anyone has ported this "adjustment software" to Linux.

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Lastly, how easy is it to actually swap monitors over in linux, I mean as long as suse knows which graphic card is being used then swapping a monitor should not be a problem ?

I don't know how to answer this. Assume that nothing in life is easy.

I use the DVI (digital) cable on my LCD monitors. With one of them, I had to tell the graphic card to *use* its DVI socket -- and I had to __see__ the software panel I was typing in to. So I had to first hook up the analog cable (so I had a screen with which I could work), then switch to the digital cable once the graphic card was set up.

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OT question... I've been told to look for a monitor withe + 1.3 million pixels, but when I look at the specs I don't see such details ??? is this supposed to be something else, like colors maybe ?

Affordable LCD panels come in two kinds of construction -- they have either a six-bit or an eight-bit "digital to analog converter". __If__ you are going to be doing any kind of graphical design work (or if your main activity will be to watch color movies) you NEED the eight-bit version. [It will be advertised as supporting 16.7 million colors (note the '7').] If your main activity will be games (i.e., less emphasis on *exact* color), you'll do ok with the six-bit version. [It will be advertised as suppporting 16.2 million colors (sort of true -- but only if you count dithering between pixels).]

Panel size is an interesting question. Since spring 2004, a number of *good* 17-inch models have come on the market. [Though earlier not-so-good models are still being offered - avoid anything with a "response time" of 35 milliseconds, or worse.] This "quality upgrade" wave has (IMHO) NOT YET spread to 19-inch models.

1.3 million pixels corresponds to a screen of 1280 x 1024. Yes, "quality" LCD panels come in this size. Note: if you use the "digital" cable, the picture will look horrible *unless* you set the graphics card at the same numbers as the "native" panel size.

And if "game playing" is the be-all and end-all of your existence, buy the LCD monitor with the fastest "response time" that you can afford - even 20 milliseconds might be slower than you want.

Good luck, mikus (I am *not* a gamer)

-- devosc