Components
Display Technology
Often referred to as a monitor when packaged in a separate case, the display is the most-used output device on a computer. The display provides instant feedback by showing you text and graphic images as you work or play.
Most desktop displays use liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube (CRT) technology, while nearly all portable computing devices such as laptops incorporate LCD technology. Because of their slimmer design and lower energy consumption, monitors using LCD technology (also called flat panel or flat screen displays) are replacing the venerable CRT on most desktops.
A new technology LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)
LCoS devices are tiny -- most are less than one inch square. Both technologies are also reflective -- the devices reflect light from a source to a lens or prism that collects the light and displays the image. But instead of tiny mirrors that turn on and off, LCoS uses liquid crystals to control the amount of reflected light. A liquid crystal is a substance that is in metamorphic state -- it's not exactly a liquid or a solid. Its molecules usually hold their shape, like a solid, but they can also move around, like a liquid. Pneumatic liquid crystals, for example, arrange themselves in loose parallel lines. Most LCD's use twisted pneumatic (TN) crystals -- with the application of an electrical charge, the twisted crystals straighten o
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Organic Light-Emitting Diode
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED's) are thin-film LED (Light-Emitting Diode) displays that don't require a back light to function. The material emits light when stimulated by an electrical current, which is known as electro luminescence. OLED's consist of red, green and blue elements, which combine to create the desired colors. Advantages of OLED's include lower power requirements, a less-expensive manufacturing process, improvements in contrast and color, and the ability to bend.