A31p External Monitor Options

[FrankK-F]

The A31p supports up to 2048x1536 resolution on an external monitor. A monitor with this resolution or better is the appropriate size for CAD and Digital Image work IMHO. A 22" or better CRT is a monster on the desk .. and a TFT monitor is hard to find -- IBM has discontinued their T220 model.

So the question is -- are any fellow A31p users looking at this same issue? What is your experience or consideration? Do you have any recommendations? Would appreciate hearing from you.

Frank K-F

[G-Man]

Nice to see you Frank. Well, you can still buy a T221 for $8400. Has 3840x2400 max resolution. Or you can try Liebermann's Cinerama displays.

Regards,
G-Man

[FrankK-F]

Hello, Gergely...

I am well aware of the T221 .. a fantastic monitor but too much for my budget at the price you cite ... besides it calls for a MATROX video card, thus I am not sure it is compatible with the A31p directly. Considering the pixel count on the T221 with the color depth and refresh rates .. I don't see how the A31p can drive this monitor. But then I am only a user .. NOT a hardware expert.

BTW E-Bay has the T221 at around $3900 .. which is still a bundle .. compared to a high-end 22" CRT around $550-650.

One of the riddles in this is that the pixel ratings for these high end displays and the recommended resolutoin are different. For eample, a 2048x1536 screen is recommended for 1600x1200 use. Why?

Regards,

Frank K-F

[G-Man]

I found some "good" prices for the T220 here. But I'm still not sure if the T220 works with ThinkPads. According to IBM's overview site, the monitor comes with a Matrox card, so this might be the only video card the T220 works with. I don't know. It has a DVI input, so I assume other video cards with DVI output should also work.

Regards,
G-Man