External monitor for iMac G3 experiences

Preferably TFT, LCD type.

I have an iMac G3, no probs, but the internal monitor is fading slowly.

I have tried an external enormous CRT monitor in the VGA port, works a treat, but looking for a slim-line monitor, of the LCD/TFT type.

Anyone have any experiences of these into G3 ?

I don't require any PC info, thanks.

It should work with any standard-aspect LCD out there. I'd get something with a name brand at least, maybe Acer or Samsung.

Ideally you want an LCD where the pixel count exactly matches the resolution that you use on your iMac (1280x1024 or whatever it is), otherwise the LCD will interpolate and the image will not be sharp.

Greg

From LowEndMac.com ...

"Video: supports resolutions of 640 x 480, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 768 using ATI Rage IIc chip set, 2 MB provides 16-bits at maximum resolution, 24-bits at other settings, will support resolutions to 1600 x 1200 on an external monitor.
VRAM: 2 MB SGRAM, expandable to 4 MB or 6 MB using SGRAM SO-DIMMs"

So, wow. I'm surprised at the 1600 x 1200 but there it is.

The speed of the processor will give you an idea of the era of the iMac (as you know there were many versions with G3 processors)

Here's Apple's G3 iMac support starting page. You can download the instruction manuals from that page which will give you the specs for your particular model. If you're not sure which one you have according to Apple's bewildering naming ("Original"; "DV"; etc) then you can usually glean the name by entering your serial number into the About Your Support Coverage text box on that page.

Go under the Apple Menu and (depending on your OS version) get the System Profile and check what your video RAM is. That'll tell you whether you have the 2 MB for 1600 x 1200. If you feel adventurous then you can add more VRAM. The 2 is a minimum, and more the merrier.

You should be fine with any standard aspect-ratio LCD display. I wouldn't try one of the widescreen ones, though. I suspect that the wide ratio wouldn't be supported by the video card.

edit: I meant to say "The 2 is a minimum required for 1600 x 1200." not that all of the iMacs came with 2 MB VRAM b/c apparently they might not have.

1600x1200 wow! Probably at 60Hz which would be horrible on a CRT, but just fine on an LCD.

Greg

Greg...System Profile gives:

VRAM 16mb
Display resolution 1024x768 max
I use it at 800x600 on internal monitor, 15"

Anything else is just too small icons etc for me.

binky...nice links, thanks

A 20" 1600x1200 monitor would look good at 800x600 (since it's an even multiple) but I suspect 1024x768 would look blurry then. A 17" with native resolution of 1024x768 would probably look good.

Your best bet may be to buy locally from a place with a good return policy. Then return the LCD if it doesn't look good with your computer.

Greg

The 1024 x 768 max is just for the internal CRT.

By the way, if you'd like, can we address the assumption that the CRT needs to be ditched?

Would you like to describe more about what you mean by fading? Is it overall darker all the time?

For example, when you say it's "slowly fading" do you mean it's not as bright as it once was?

Or, is it so burned in that you see a ghost image? Fading is not exactly a failure mode I'm familiar with. If the power supply goes, it'll start to get wavey. That's a power supply issue alone. Doesn't sound like you're describing this, but just another example of what people report as a bad display whereas if the power supply goes the whole iMac will of course be dead until it gets that part replaced. That cost/benefit should be weighed skeptically.

If you can get your internal display to be useable and you still want to use an external LCD then you can use both displays at the same time. Working in that mode is super intuitive and is wonderful. The Desktop just spans across the 2 displays and you can orient them however you want (LCD to the left, LCD to the right, LCD on an arm above the iMac display) and tell the System Preferences->Displays to mimick that in the Desktop space so that moving your mouse from one to the other is coordinated with how the displays are actually laid out.

The power supply analog board (includes video circuts) in slot-loading iMacs was a big issue. They were OEM'd by GoldStar, famous for their junky TVs and monitors. When you combine low-quality electronics with a poorly cooled box things tend to break down fast. These days repairing them isn't even worthwhile since the board is basically the innermost part of the computer and it requires a massive dissasembly effort.

Apple's blue&white 17" CRT displays, also GoldStar, were even worse. Every single owner I've talked to either has a dead or dying one. Mine died, too.

ABTOMAT said:

Apple's blue&white 17" CRT displays, also GoldStar, were even worse. Every single owner I've talked to either has a dead or dying one. Mine died, too.

Click to expand...

Wow, Abtomat. You know it cold. Great info. BTW -- what was the failure mode when you say "dead or dying"? Was it ever fading display? I just haven't seen either darkening or reduced contrast as symptoms, but I kinda missed keeping tabs on that era of hardware.

Fading=slowly losing contrast, max contrast not quite good enough now, even with personal calibration.

Setting contrast ok, not bright enough, swings and roundabouts.

(PS Getting new iMac when they come out later on this year)

I wonder if a lower contrast could be due to the phosphors staying on too long between refreshes. I wonder if turning down the refresh rate to something like 75 Hz would help, or something high enough so you don't perceive the flicker but slow enough for the tired old CRT.

These monitors aren't that old, the phosphors shouldn't be shot after this. I know TV collectors who have 40-year-old color sets that are as sharp as ever, and I have computers from the early '80s the same way. The contrast and focus starts going when the components on the analog board change values enough for things not to be working 100%.

If the phosphor was "staying on too long" you'd experience ghosting, seen in old amber monitors.