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is flat square technology the same thing as flat screen?

Flat square is not the same thing as a truely flat screen. One sometimes sees flat square monitors advertised as flat, but this was more common five years or so ago when truely flat monitors were less common. A flat square monitor is slanted slightly to the sides.
 
The flat square with 0.28mm dot pitch used on the XE21 (19.8" viewable) monitor is about 6-7 year old CRT technology. Flat square is used to say that it is more flat than non-flat/square monitors, but that it is not truely flat.

[Edit: O.K., I was being conservative. I have an old Sony monitor on one of my systems that was advertised as 0.25 dot pitch flat square when I bought it (and I can tell from looking at it), and the sticker on the back is 1994.

BTW, the max resolution on that monitor is 1280x1024 @ 64Hz (Meaning 60). The highest usable resolution is 1024 x 768 @ 85Hz. 1024 x 768 on a 21" monitor just looks huge and not very nice.

One rarely gets more than one pays for, and less if one is not careful.
]

I guess $80 is not unreasonable for that monitor as it is a 21" monitor, but I wouldn't pay it. I would not want it as my main monitor. I would be happier with a 17" monitor with a good display.
 
These monitors are fine for 85Hz at 1024x768 and its excellent for older people who don't like to strain their eyes. I'd snatch it up in a heart beat. For $80 its a steal.
 
I'd grab one of those for $80 if they were local.
Then I'd get a tv-tuner card and use it to replace my tv! 😀
 
Flat, square is an industry standard term used since 1997 indicating minimal curvature of the monitor tube. This does not mean that the monitor is completely flat. Prior 1997 conventional CRTs had a large radius curvature to them. Modern Flat Square CRTs have a very slight curvature.

The only real advantage to pure flat CRT?s is some glare reduction.
 
Originally posted by: Gosharkss
Flat, square is an industry standard term used since 1997 indicating minimal curvature of the monitor tube. This does not mean that the monitor is completely flat. Prior 1997 conventional CRTs had a large radius curvature to them. Modern Flat Square CRTs have a very slight curvature.

Flat square as illustrated by my 1994 monitor that uses the technology was around long before 1997. Let me guess, you have been reading Hitachi marketing?

Hitachi marketing was misinformed.

Here are a few newsgroup postings made in 1994 using the term "flat square":

RE: a good 15" monitor?

Re: *** Q: SONY 15SF 15" Monitor

Re: Faults with numerous monitors...

[Edit: Thank God for Google's group searching. I could swear that I used the term at least as far back as 1994, but I couldn't find anything with normal Web searches to back up my claim. I had to think of a way to prove what people were saying back in 1994.]

What is very amusing is that the first mention of the term being used on Google was about a Hitachi monitor in 1991:

From: visual!mjb@uunet.uu.net (Mike Braca)
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 91 20:32:56 EST
Organization: Visual Technology Inc.

Our Xbase/12 has:

1. 1280x1024 pixels, refreshed at 72 Hz.

2. Hitachi 21" monitor with INVAR shadowmask, .28 mm dot pitch,
flat/square profile. [You really have to see it to appreciate it.]

3. Motorola 68020 processor, TI 34020 graphics coprocessor.

4. List price $6,055.

5. 8 planes. Bonus: hardware cursor.

I can't figure out why Hitachi would say that the term has only been around since 1997.
 
Does it really matter when the term started being used, point is that Flat Square indicates a slight curvature of the screen.

As I remember it there where a few generations of CRT?s. Prior to 1994 where the Fishbowl design. The 1994 (cant remember the exact dates) the curvature was reduced and again in 1997 (or there about) the curvature was reduced even further.
 
Regardless of the technology used, I would be very wary about buying a monitor from the classified ads. Ever hear the term buyer beware. At least test it before you give them the cash.

 
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