New ways for displays

The past few months have seen the latest plasma display technology begin to creep across organisations' desktops, particularly for CAD/CAM and graphic design applications.

Originally available as a 42 inch version or larger for boardroom, home or entertainment applications, plasma has been shrunk for business applications to offer a technological middle ground between the resolution, contrast and colour of the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and the smaller footprint and reduced distortion of the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

While plasma technology can display anything from 260,000 to 16.7 million colours, it is not a cheap alternative, with Hitachi's new 25 inch plasma display retailing for around $17,400.

For this reason alone, the CRT and the LCD are far from dead. The LCD has continued to drop in price, which has narrowed the gap between it and CRT. It is also increasing in size, which has aided its penetration into financial, corporate and call centre markets.

CRT, meanwhile, has focused on two areas: reducing footprint and improving resolution and image quality. Philips and Panasonic have introduced flat screen CRTs with truer colour and less distortion in a move to meet the needs of imaging users. Manufacturers have also continued to develop image resolution and quality in standard CRTs, while maintaining a range from entry level to larger higher end models to meet the scope of user needs.