The color monitor is by far the most popular. The monochrome monitor displays one color (green, amber, or white) on a black background. Companies still use monochrome where color is not important. However, they are becoming rare.

The monitor comes in two flavors: the CRT and the flat panel display. The CRT or cathode ray tube is the more common and uses the same technology as your television set.

The flat panel display is much more expensive to produce than the CRT. They come in two types: active matrix or TFT, and passive matrix, or dual scan, Active matrix provides the best picture, but is the most expensive. Flat panel displays are generally used for laptops although they are becoming more wide spread with desktop PCs.

Much like televisions, monitors come in different sizes and are measured diagonally. More common sizes of CRTs include 13, 14, 15, 17, and 21 inch monitors. The larger the monitor, the more picture it can display. However, the larger it is, the more expensive it is. The more common sizes sold today include 14-17 inch.