If you're going to buy a new screen for your computer, you'll probably buy a flat LCD screen, the big CRT screens are vanishing from the world and a few manufacturers have already ceased to market them, selling only flat screens. Even in this field there still is the possibility to choose – between wide and rectangular screens (a ratio of 16:10), and the 4:3 screens with which we're used to working with.
4:3 screens were first used in the 40s of the previous century. This ratio was identical to the ratio of the movie theatre screen and enabled the display of films on the television set as well. Afterwards, the movie theatre screen's ratio changed and became rectangular – wider. But, the television screen kept the 4:3 ratios and only in the past few years following the entry of the HDTV standard it too became wide.
The 4:3 standard ruled the computer screen world as well, but CRT screens are vanishing, opening up lots of room on the desk. While upgrading, many have doubts regarding the size they'll pick for their new LCD screen.
First of all, you should know that in the world of CRT screens, the specified size of the screen that you owned didn't necessarily match the true viewing area. Because of the CRT screen's structure and the form of measurement which also included part of the screen's frame, the viewing field was 1-2 inches smaller than the overall screen's field.
For instance 17 inch CRT screens display a viewing field which is closer to 15 inches, which is why the first buyers of LCD screens, which arrived at first in 15 inch sizes, enjoyed an almost identical viewing field to the old 17 inch CRT screen which they owned. In the field of LCD screens, the screen's size, which appears in the manufacturer's data, indeed matches the true viewing field.
Wide vs. Square
If we'll take two LCD screens of identical sizes, one square and one wider we'll see that the viewing field of both is divided in a little different way. The viewing field of the widescreen will be a little short (vertical) compared to the square one, but wider than it (horizontally).
Resolution
Because of the different screen ratios, there are differences in the types of different screens. The resolution of a 19 inch screen with a ratio of 4:3 is 1280x1024 (meaning 1,310,720 pixels) and the resolution of the rectangular one (ratio of 16:9) will be 900x1440 meaning 1,296000 pixels), a negligible difference in favor of the 4:3 screen.
Regarding 20 inch size screens, a square qualitative screen will reach the resolution of 1600x1200 compared to 1680x1050 in a widescreen. Here the gap in resolution is bigger in favor of the square 4:3 screen, but in my opinion, for most of the uses and applications, this difference won't be significant. Regarding a 22 inch screen, the assortment of screen models decreases and the market is dominated by widescreens.
Why a Widescreen?
Let's get clued in on why widescreen's time has finally come.
Browsing the Internet: a few friends have complained that the when the browser is spread across a full screen, it causes wide margins to remain empty on both sides of the viewed site. I say yes, that's true, but learn how to open the browser in a way that isn't spread across the whole screen. You should adjust the window to the wanted size so that from then on the browser will open in that size. This way, the window will be opened on the screen in a way that will leave free space the desktop's sides, which will enable opening of other applications.
Working on a widescreen enables a variety of new options: two Word documents in A4 size can be opened and worked on at the same time. An internet page and word document can be opened, for example if you're working on a document that requires gathering of information from the internet, full display of both applications side by side will immensely facilitate the work. Photographers and graphics professionals, who work with pictures in a wide format, have jumped on the widescreen wagon a long time ago.
Computer games: Games in a wide format increase the game's experience, but keep in mind that as of today, not all the games support the unique resolutions of widescreens (although game developers are gradually matching themselves to the new standard).
Movies: a widescreen is ideal for watching wide format movies.
As mentioned, computer screens arrive at a ratio of 16:10, which still leaves a black line (although thin) in the upper and lower margins of the picture. Sometimes you'll come across a movie with relatively big black margins; this is a movie with an even wider format: "anamorphic 2.35:1". Before complaining, remember that in a square screen the margin phenomenon is even worse. Wide computer screens come in a ratio of 16:10 (which is taken from resolution standards for computers). On the other hand, thin television screens (plasma and LCD) come in an even more rectangular ratio of 16:9.
Switching to a Widescreen
The tendency in the world of screens today has clearly turned to the widescreens. The widescreen enables greater flexibility when working with many applications at the same time and also enables us to enjoy the advantages of modern multimedia.
The prices continue to decrease and today screens in decent sizes (for example 22" screens) are at a price we could've only dreamed about a year or two ago.
Right now, there's every reason to go wide.
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