I've just purchased a second hand LifebookT3010, and will be receiving
a spare LCD at in January that I thought i might hook up to it.
However, when looking up the max external res its graphics card
supports (which is fine btw), it says on every spec table i've seen on
the web that the max external resolution is 'CRT only'. I haven't seen
this for any other laptop.

Such as here:

http://facts.fujitsu-siemens.com/dsp_pl.cfm?lid=84

(midway down, left column, 'graphics' section).

My 2 questions are:

* What does it mean by CRT only? Does this mean I can't use an external
LCD at all with the T3010, or just won't be able to get the max
resolution?
* Why does it only work on a CRT, not an LCD?

(I don't currently have access to an LCD of any sort to test it on
currently).

Thanks

Steve

steve@stevehayter.co.uk wrote:

> supports (which is fine btw), it says on every spec table i've seen on
> the web that the max external resolution is 'CRT only'. I haven't seen

It means on the external monitor port only. You can attach whatever
type of external monitor you want.

This terminology is kind of like the way new release albums are still
called "records" despite the fact that practically none of them are
ever translated into grooves on vinyl disks.

I think that "CRT" is being used generically to mean external monitor.
To the computer, there is no difference between an external CRT and an
external LCD connected via 15-pin VGA analog connection.


steve@stevehayter.co.uk wrote:
> I've just purchased a second hand LifebookT3010, and will be receiving
> a spare LCD at in January that I thought i might hook up to it.
> However, when looking up the max external res its graphics card
> supports (which is fine btw), it says on every spec table i've seen on
> the web that the max external resolution is 'CRT only'. I haven't seen
> this for any other laptop.
>
> Such as here:
>
> http://facts.fujitsu-siemens.com/dsp_pl.cfm?lid=84
>
> (midway down, left column, 'graphics' section).
>
> My 2 questions are:
>
> * What does it mean by CRT only? Does this mean I can't use an external
> LCD at all with the T3010, or just won't be able to get the max
> resolution?
> * Why does it only work on a CRT, not an LCD?
>
> (I don't currently have access to an LCD of any sort to test it on
> currently).
>
> Thanks
>
> Steve
>

<steve@stevehayter.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1167136980.223881.238280@79g2000cws.googlegro ups.com...
> * Why does it only work on a CRT, not an LCD?

As others have mentioned, what they're really telling you is what resolutions
you can get through the "CRT connector" (the regular old 15 pin VGA connector)
on the laptop; you can connect this to a CRT, a projector, an LCD, a plasma
display -- whatever you want.

The reason there's a difference at all is because the video chipsets used in
the laptop almost always support *higher* display resolution than the laptop
built-in LCD can display. I.e., most laptops today are 1280x1024 or 1440x900
(or so), yet almost all video chipsets can run up to at least 1600x1200 or
1920x1200 or higher, which obvioulsy can't be displayed on the internal LCD
(without scrolling).

There are a few high-end laptops out there that do have 1600x1200 or 1920x1200
LCDs internally... quite spendy machines, though!