Several details should be taken into consideration when buying a computer monitor. Maybe this is not important to you, but it is important for those who search only for the best from their electronic devices; and here I am referring to the level of the black color that appears on the screen.

Other important elements that you have to take very seriously are: the aspect ratio, the brightness, contrast ratio, display ports, DVI, HDMI, the input lag, the ergonomic options, the resolution, the memory card readers, the USB ports, the audio, the viewing angle, the possibility of connecting the computer monitor to an HDTV and that's about it. These details at which you have to be attentive are not only available on the LCD monitors, but also on the LED monitors.

Let's present some information about the elements that I have just named. I have read an article on CNET.com, a guide that allows you to take the best decision and buy the perfect computer monitor for your computing needs. And that article inspired me to also write an article about the things that you have to take into consideration when buying a computer monitor. I will start with the aspect ratio and I am pretty sure that I will end this article with the aspect ratio element as well, just as I started this article, because there are many things to say about this topic. But don't worry, we have a full week ahead of us and I will write about computer monitors every single day. The aspect ratio of a computer monitor is usually of 16:9, but we can encounter aspect ratios of 4:3. It is reported that this type of aspect ratio is encountered on tablet computers or smartphones or better said on portable devices that allow the users to surf the Internet. The aspect ratio of a mobile device does not provide a better performance in terms of navigating the Internet, nevertheless, the sites that are created taking into consideration this aspect ratio of the mobile devices are better seen by the exact mobile devices that have an aspect ratio of 4:3. I hope I have made myself clear with this.

But what does the aspect ratio mean? When you look at the dimensions of the tablet computer or the computer monitor that you want to buy, always look at the width and height. The proportion between those two create the aspect ratio, in other words the most common proportion between width and height is of 16:9. You have to divide these two numbers and see what is the result; at the same time divide the number of inches that represent the width by the number of inches that represent the height. You should be able to receive the same result. In the last years, there have been created many computer monitors that have an aspect ratio of 16:10. The 16:10 aspect ratio is encountered mostly on widescreen displays. The 16:9 aspect ratio is largely associated to the 1080 pixel resolution. The engineers desire to create the computer monitors similar to the TVs that can render images in high-definition.

A very good source of computer monitors is Amazon.com. You can order products from Amazon even if you live in Europe. But I am not here to talk about the Amazon site, but about the LCD computer monitors and the LCD technology.

I have recently read an article on CNET.com that amazed me. But why did it do this? Because it explained so clearly the differences between various types of LCD computer monitors.

I have mentioned some of the differences in my previous articles as well. You can browse our archives in order to read them. Today I would like to refer to the backlight feature of the LCD and LED monitors, with a focus on LCD. I have already mentioned that LCD is an improved version of a screen that has its basis in cathode ray tube monitors or screens. I don't know some of the people who use computers today still prefer the CRT monitors. The technologies are extremely different. The LCD technology uses liquid crystals in order to express what you actually see on the display. But what is the importance of the backlight? Well, those crystals that form the images and the colors that are seen on the display transmit information towards of the backlight of the computer as well, not only to the front of the computer screen.

The monitor has built in electrodes, which make the crystals to light up or to turn their light off, if I can express in this way. Thus, the pixels will receive their appropriate color, creating on the screen the images that you're supposed to see. The difference between LED and LCD is given by the fact that the LED monitors have a different type of backlight. The monitors that were released on market in the last years use cold cathode fluorescent tubes, other known as CCFL, instead of backlight. I mean not instead of backlight, but as backlight. The LED computer monitors use 3 types of technologies, the exact number of technologies used by the LCD monitors. It is written that you need to understand how these technologies work before understanding how the LED computer monitor actually works. Seems pretty logical right? The LED backlight versions are: EL-WLED, RGB LED, WLED. We will discuss about the LED backlights in a future article dedicated to the LED computer monitors. Now I would like to mention the LCD panels that are available on market right now, in case you haven't read my previous articles.

You can select what LCD panel is right for yourself, if you take into consideration several details. First of all the panels are: TN, VA and IPS. I will not mention what every technology does, because you can find all the information that you need on our site. I will only mention that if you want a cheap computer monitor, you should choose the TN version, if you want the deeper black, choose VA, if you are searching for the greatest color reproduction, definitely get an IPS computer monitor.

Those who want to buy white computer monitors should find out that the color of the electronic device that they buy is not in relation with the performance offered by that device. Nevertheless, if you want to buy white computer monitors that are created using the LCD or LED technology, you should enter Amazon or BestBuy.com.

There you can find plenty of computer monitors and if you don't find the computer monitor that you dream of, you can always buy a skin and change it every week or every month, depending on your mood.

I have started in one of my previous articles to talk about the LCD computer monitors and about their versions. I have discussed about the TN monitors, about the fact that they are the cheapest LCD monitors and at the same time about the VA monitors, which are a bit more expensive, but which have several advantages, that you cannot find on a TN monitor. Today, I would like to discuss about the IPS monitors. Obviously, because I have let them to the end, they are the most expensive ones. Nevertheless, the engineers try to reduce the price and it was reported that an IPS panel was recently released, costing only $300 for a 22 inch model. Now we are in August 2011 and the monitor of which I am talking about was recently released. We are not mentioned what is its manufacturer. The IPS monitors have the best viewing angles of all 3 categories that I have named until now. The accuracy of the colors provided by these computer monitors is amazing, but they have some problems: the VA monitors provide a blacker black, if I can say this and at the same time the VA monitors are better in terms of response time and input lag.

Now let's speak about the backlight that is present in the computer monitors today. You know that if you work at night, if you do not have a backlight computer monitor or a backlight laptop, you will have to turn on the light in the room, otherwise you will not be able to work. Luckily for you, the engineers create more and more backlight products; the difference is made by their prices. You can tell if a computer monitor uses a backlight or not, only by looking at its price. If you think that LCD is very far away from LED or vice versa, you are wrong. They are not mutually exclusive. You know that LCD stands for liquid crystal display. These displays have their roots in the CRT monitors. CRT stands for cathode ray tube. But LED monitors are in fact LCD monitors, because they are based on liquid crystals. I do not want to start a new discussion about LED and LCD, because I have plenty of time to do this in a future article. Until then, I invite you to browse our archives and stay connected to this site, for more interesting information is about to come.

You know that in the past, the computer monitors used the technology that was named CRT. Well, right now they use many other types of technologies that help the engineers to reduce the amount of energy consumed by these computer monitors and at the same time to provide better images.

One of these technologies, which at the same time is one of the most popular at this hour (we are in August 2011) is the LCD technology

The difference between the CRT monitors and the LCD monitors is the fact that the second version of monitors are much thinner and brighter. Not only brighter in terms of light but also in terms of intelligence. They actually "know" when to reduce the hue, the saturation are the brightness of the monitor in order to consume less power. According to CNET.com, there are 3 main panel technologies used by the LCD monitors, and here we are talking about the twisted nematic panel technology, vertical alignment and in plane switching. Most likely you have heard of IPS. Now you know what IPS stands for: in plane switching. But the most popular computer monitors use of the twisted nematic technology. They use this technology not because this is the best, but because this is the cheapest. With a bit of luck, the engineers manage to create a computer monitor that uses this type of technology, monitor that will be sold for $300. So now you have found out another interesting thing: that the computer monitors that cost $300 or less are based on the TN technology. Nevertheless, this technology has many advantages and we can name the fastness in use and the price. When I said fastness, I referred to the fact that the response time is usually of 2 ms. But like any other thing that has advantages, the TN technology have disadvantages as well: the narrow viewing angles are a major shortcoming for those who are used to move from one location to another in the room and expect to see the same image (well, you will not get this from a TM computer monitor), the brightness which is not that bright and the color reproduction, which according to CNET.com is "inaccurate".

The next models that I have named are the VA monitors. The a stands for vertical alignment. I am sure that you have heard of S-PVA panels most than you have heard the VA monitors. This is why the VA monitors are better known as S-PVA monitors. The good thing about these once is the viewing angle, which is much improved, when compared to the TN monitors. If we compare the two technologies, that they say that this VA technology is also better at rendering colors on the screen and at the same time the VA monitors have a much higher brightness than the previous computer monitors. But they have disadvantages as well. Let's name them. When compared to the same previous computer monitors, they provide a black that is not that black, plus the response time and the input lag are not very fast. And the same time, they cost more: from $400-$800 usually, the price being dependent on the screen size.

Where else can you find an LCD monitor than on the largest site with a great amount of products, Amazon? I don’t know if you can buy from a niddle to an airplane, but I know that on Amazon, you can find almost anything that you want. The Toshiba 14 inch USB portable monitor is a product that received 5 stars on the Amazon site and this says something.

You know that usually the people, when they are satisfied with something, they tend to forget they are satisfied and they do not present their satisfaction to the rest of the potential buyers who are on Amazon, looking for bargains. But when it comes to presenting a negative aspect of a product, we are the first that present the problem. How to let this to pass without us to discuss about the problem? No, under any circumstances. We have to discuss and make a fool out of the company that sells the product.

If you happen to create a product, let’s say, a computer monitor that is not that excellent in terms of the quality of the images, the people who will buy the monitor will make sure that all of those who will have the intention of buying the same product, will not do this step, simply because he was unsatisfied. But if he is satisfied, he usually “forgets” to say something good about the product. If you will ever buy from Amazon, please make a review of the product. It does not matter if the product is good or bad. After you solve the possible problem, you have to say on Amazon that the problem was solved and you are now satisfied with your new product. Regarding the Toshiba 14 inch LCD monitor, I don’t have much too say. You can imagine for yourself that being a Toshiba product, is among the best LCD monitors ever created. Nevertheless, I will present certain technical characteristics of the product, and I appologize from those who are not that used to these details, but I have to present the specs as well.

Let’s get started: only 2.8 lbs for a sleek and durable monitor, the HD resolution provided by the monitor is of 1366x768 pixels, it is powered via an USB, the monitor can be powered as well by an AC adapter, but this is sold separately, there is no HDMI video cable connection, because you use only the USB. At the screen size had by this monitor, you can travel with it anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, if you want true portability, you will get a notebook or better, a tablet.