Monitors: LCDs are the most popular, but CRT monitors may offer advantages.(Computers, Phones, and Peripherals: Portable and Versatile)(Buyers guide)

In computer monitors as in TVs, models using LCD technology are becoming bigger, cheaper, and more dominant in the marketplace. Industry watchers report that the vast majority of monitors sold in the past year were lightweight, flat-panel LCD displays. They're largely replacing heavy, tubby CRT displays, which take up much more desk space.

Along with the trend toward thin displays, there's a move to bigger screens. You'll find more LCD models with screens 19 inches and larger. Most of these larger LCD displays have the wide-screen shape that's increasingly familiar from high-definition TVs. A large, wide screen is handy for many uses, including watching DVD movies, viewing and editing photos, running multiple programs, surfing the Web, and playing video games.

Prices continue to fall, even on LCDs with bigger screens. If you're buying a monitor bundled with a new computer, as many consumers do, you can often upgrade from the standard display to a bigger one for a modest amount--$50 to $150 or so.

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