Why are monitors square (or 4:3)?

[fs5]

Wouldn't taller monitors (higher than wider) make more sense? You can see more of a webpage/code/document/letter without scrolling.

 

[NiKeFiDO]

you can turn most LCDs and do just that if you were so inclined (sp?) (they arent really square after all)

works best on widescreen LCDs of course... (depending on the clearence of the LCD stand)

 

[pray4mojo]

but i read left to right

 

[TitanDiddly]

When monitors originally came out, they were worried about getting a full line of text on the monitor. You could scroll indefinately vertically, so they went for width.

Also, it's good for movies and pictures.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Because CRT monitors were developed using 4:3 TV tubes.

 

[darkxshade]

and games

 

[Fenixgoon]

not to mention 4:3 isn't square 🙂

 

[Bootprint]

Get one of these and be happy.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

In the '70s, Wang and others made proprietary word-processing machines oriented like this. The thing is, since your eyes are oriented horizontally, I don't think it would be MORE ergonomic to have a tall, narrow monitor - in fact I think widescreen monitors are better ergonomically.

 

[Aquila76]

Originally posted by: DonVito
In the '70s, Wang and others made proprietary word-processing machines oriented like this. The thing is, since your eyes are oriented horizontally, I don't think it would be MORE ergonomic to have a tall, narrow monitor - in fact I think widescreen monitors are better ergonomically.

My Dad had one of those Full Page monitors on some ancient Xerox WP system. He kept using it when he bought a WANG later on, and when I built him a custom PC in the 90's. The monitor died, but he still uses the PC and refuses to upgrade (Pentium MMX 233, I think it has 128MB of RAM). :shocked:

 

Do you remember thoes monitors that were out in the 90s that you could turn 90 degrees so you would have more vertical viewing space?
Apparently they didn't go to far in the market.

 

[spidey07]

Original monitors were circular.

But that doesn't frame TV very well, so they went with square.

 

[Howard]

Our eyes have wider horizontal vision than vertical, I guess.

 

[FleshLight]

My monitor is twice as wide as it is tall I think. I think it's a Dell.

 

[fs5]

Originally posted by: pray4mojo
but i read left to right

yes but it's much harder to concentrae on one line of text if it spans your entire screen (20" wide screen).

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: fs5

Originally posted by: pray4mojo
but i read left to right

yes but it's much harder to concentrae on one line of text if it spans your entire screen (20" wide screen).

This is why you get a 24" one and read 2 webpages side by side 😛

Koing

 

[aiex]

Originally posted by: fs5

Originally posted by: pray4mojo
but i read left to right

yes but it's much harder to concentrae on one line of text if it spans your entire screen (20" wide screen).

I get the feeling that as monitors grow winder and wider we're going to start having to use colums like in newspapers. It is really difficult to read a very long line of text otherwise.