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You see one every day. You're looking at one right now. And it may be the primary component that determines how you feel about your computer. If you chose your monitor well, then it should by now have become almost invisible and certainly ignored. Like any computer component, monitors are immersed in a vast Sargasso Sea of jargon, making it difficult to determine exactly what you're getting. Their fragility and weight compound this, making you reluctant to return it if you're unsatisfied, especially since the bright lights and confusion of retail stores render side-by-side comparisons almost useless.
Terms of Endearment
Like most computer technology, monitors come with their own set of jargon that makes choosing difficult. Your choice is compounded by the fact that there's more than one type of tube used in computer monitors. The two main types of tubes are invar shadow mask and aperture grill. Shadow mask monitors are more common and typically cost less. These tubes are often referred to as "flat square" tubes, though they are often not flat at all. Aperture grill monitors were made famous by Sony, whose Trinitron tubes were the first aperture grill monitors.
You can usually tell an aperture grill monitor from a shadow mask monitor. Aperture grill tubes are often brighter, with one or two faint lines that run horizontally across the screen. These are the tension wires that hold the grill in place. Aperture grill tubes are also flatter, typically being curved along only one axis. Shadow mask tubes are less bright, but can also have a finer dot pitch - and they cost less. Which type you prefer partly depends on your eyes and your budget.
Dot, Trio, or Stripe Pitch
The distance between the phosphors on your screen is measured in millimeters. Manufacturers use various methods to create the display you see in a conventional CRT monitor. All involve aiming electron guns (one for each color: red, green, and blue) at phosphors. This gets them excited, and they show off by emitting light. A green phosphor emits green light, red emits red, and so on. Dots, stripes, and so on are terms used to describe the shape of the phosphors (and their positioning, in the case of trio). For example, Sony's famed Trinitron screens have alternating vertical stripes of each color. Their phosphors are square, hence "stripe pitch."
Next: What's a Phosphor?
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