history of computer monitors

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  • 8/2/2019 History of Computer Monitors

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    HISTORY OF COMPUTER MONITORS

    Until the early 1980's most monitors were terminals. They were boxy video displayterminals (VDT's) combined with an attached keyboard. A terminal could beconfigured to work with just about any computer on the market. (Not that there was awide selection of personal computers for you to choose from.)

    Terminals were attached to computers by a serial interface. In those days, the VDTwas commonly referred to as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

    Before DOS, the dominant operating system (OS) for 8 bit computers was CP/M(Control Program for Microprocessors). Early CP/M machines were originallydesigned to use separate memory-mapped video display devices and discretekeyboards that plugged into the machines - not unlike video display cards used later.The most well known was the VDM-1. Terminal manufacturers recognized this "lostmarket "and began to market mainframe and mini-style terminals to the CP/Mcommunity. The sales pitch of "just like a real (mainframe at the time) computer" paidoff. CP/M computers soon used terminals almost exclusively.

    Apple II computers and the early game machines (such as those made by Atari,Coleco or Nintendo) hooked to a monitor not a terminal. (The Apple II was built witha keyboard as part of the system. All that was missing was a monitor once the AppleII was plugged in).

    These monitors - unlike terminals - looked like television sets without the tuner. Insome cases they actually were television sets. (Many early computers - such as theCommodores Vic 20, 64 and 128, could be used with any television set with a specialRF adapter that hooked to the antenna of the TV).

    Then IBM came out with PC-DOS computers, which were dubbed "three-piececomputers.' One explanation according to a prominent used car dealer MoonieBronstein was that many of the early marketers / hucksters advising the techies of theearly computer era ,had their start in the competitive world of auto sales where suchterms as " 3 piecers " and " 4 piecers" were popular marketing and sales terms. Otherexplanations for this marketing term was because the computers included three maincomponents i.e. - the monitor, the keyboard and the CPU "box".

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    Ironically, when the IBM PC-DOS computers arrived on the scene with separatemonitor and keyboard - the monitor connected directly to the computer. Just like theearliest personal computers) through a display device connection. These new monitorsused video cards that were either IBM monochrome (MDA), IBM color graphicscards9 CGA), or Hercules (the first third party ad on cards).