Monitor Performance:
LCD monitors technology has improved since they were first used in early laptop computers and the performance is now becoming comparable with CRT monitors. LCD monitors are becoming cheaper as more people buy them. This is good news for CRT monitor prices too, as they have to be cheap to compete.

LCD monitors can have slow pixel response times. The response time is how long it takes the screen to update, and a slow response time will give a blurred look to any movement on the screen. Cheap LCD monitors generally have a slow pixel response.

This is not going to be a problem for wordprocessing, but gamers and anyone working with graphics or watching DVD movies may be disappointed with the performance. Always ‘try before you buy’.

Cheap flat panel monitors have a narrower viewing angle than CRT monitors. This won’t be a problem if you are sat in front of the screen yourself, but if a few people are watching a DVD movie, or you are giving, for example, a powerpoint presentation, then you might prefer a CRT screen.

LCD monitors cant reproduce full 32-bit color accurately. Not that many people would notice (myself included), but graphics professionals might. This problem is likely to be more noticeable at the cheaper end of the monitor range, budget LCD monitors showing the inherent faults of the technology.

Cheap LCD or TFT monitors cannot show black effectively due to the technology they employ. In day-to-day use you might not notice.

Using a LCD monitor at a resolution other than its native resolution can be a big problem. If the monitor specifies a native resolution of 1600x1200 pixels, then it will display well at that resolution, but not at 1024x768. Most cheap 15” LCD monitors will have a native resolution of 800x600 pixels, which may not be enough for your applications.

LCD monitors can suffer ‘dead pixels’. Budget LCD monitors may suffer more than more expensive, higher quality screens. Check the monitor warranty as cheap monitors may not be replaced until there are a certain number of dead pixels on the screen.

Is that enough to put you off buying a cheap LCD monitor? Don’t decide yet as there are some good points to LCD monitors that CRT screens just can’t match.

For a wide range of monitors try Cheap Monitors - there are some great deals to be had.

Footprint - if the size of the monitor is important to you, if you are restricted for desk space, then LCD screens main selling point is the reduced footprint in comparison with CRT screens. You can even hang one on your wall. All LCD monitors have this advantage over CRT screens, even cheap ones!

Power consumption - the power consumption of a LCD monitor is around half that of a CRT screen. Most of the power a CRT sucks seems to get turned into heat, so there is a considerable saving to be made on air-con too in an office environment - great for the budget conscious, and a great justification to your boss for buying one.

Brightness & Clarity - Even cheap LCD screens give an excellent crisp and fresh picture in their native resolution. Remember the response times though.

Conclusion:
Until cheap LCD monitors can match CRT size for size in cost, I will not be buying one. Unless you guys have a specific reason for wanting one, I suggest you invest your money on a good quality CRT screen.