What's my notebook's screen?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

ng_reader wrote:
> I know that most notebook computers (I actually don't own one) have a thin
> film resistor (TFT) screen. Used to be that you had to pay extra, or else
> you'd get the color LCD screen. (Often called *active* vs *passive" color
> screens).

TFT is the "active" LCD screen. I don't think even the cheapest
notebooks use the "passive" LCD screens anymore, but I could be wrong.

> Is that the same technology that are these HDTV Plasma displays? I want to
> say yes, but I don't know.
>
> And one side note. Does anyone remember the red color that were "Plasma"
> displays for notebooks? What was up with them? I guess that's going back
> over 10 years now. It was cutting edge, I believe.

Plasma is a totally different display technology from LCD. A google
search should turn up websites that explain the technologies. Yes, there
were notebooks with monochrome plasma displays - either orange or
sometimes a reddish-orange - back in the late 80s to early 90s. These
displays drew a lot of power, but were the best way at the time to have
a notebook display which was readable under a variety of lighting
conditions. Stuck around for a while in rugged field and militarized
notebooks.

Alan F