Specifications

LCD Benefits
Cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors are quickly being surpassed in popularity by liquid
crystal displays (LCDs). In 2003, unit volume shipments of LCD-based displays in the
personal computer market exceeded those of the CRT. In fact, it is believed by a lead-
ing display research company that by the end of the decade it will be difficult to find
a CRT to purchase for your personal computer. It is no longer a question of whether
LCDs will be accepted as a viable display alternative, but rather how long it will take
for LCDs to be the only alternative.
Apple pioneered the move to LCD technology in 2001 with an award-winning line of
all-digital active-matrix flat-panel displays, which provide the following advantages
over CRTs:
• A thin, light form factor
• Excellent visual quality
• Best technology for wide-format designs
• Low power consumption
This section focuses on the benefits offered by today’s best active-matrix thin film
transistor (TFT) flat-panel displays, such as those offered by Apple.
Thin, Light Form Factor
The first thing you notice about any LCD display is its slim and light design. Using two
thin sheets of glass to enclose the liquid crystal material allows a flat-panel display to
have a dramatically smaller desktop “footprint” when compared with a conventional
monitor and its bulky cathode-ray tube. In fact, a flat-panel display averages about
one-third the desktop space and weight of a comparable CRT.
With their smaller footprint, LCD displays allow more desktop computers to be set up
in places where they may not have previously fit, such as crowded audio and video
studios as well as home, office, and school environments. A breakthrough feature of
the Apple display line is an optional VESA mount that makes it possible to configure
the displays in any number of imaginative ways, from making them a seamless part of
museum kiosks to mounting them on hotel lobby walls.
8
Technology Overview
Apple Cinema Displays