AUGUST 2004 MAXIMUMPC 13
Quick Start
ALT.OPINION.RANTS BY JON PHILLIPS
In with the
Dream, out
with the Dream
Jon Phillips was formerly editor-in-chief of Maximum PC ,
and now serves as the magazine’s editorial director.The end of an era: Discontinuing
the top-notch F520 leaves just a
single CRT—a high-end reference
model—in Sony’s catalog. Will other
manufacturers rush in to fill the gap,
or will CRTs go the way of the dodo?Sony’s F520 21-inch flat
screen CRT was a vision
to behold, boasting
the visual clarity that
comes from an unparalleled
0.22mm aperture-grille pitch.
The F520 reigned supreme
as a Maximum PC favorite
in its category for an
unprecedented three years.
Unfortunately, early this
summer, Sony announced it
was discontinuing our most
beloved monitor, which
made us wonder about
the company’s future
plans in this category.
After all, Sony’s patented
Trinitron technology is quite literally
synonymous with CRTs. So what
gives? Here’s what Sony IT product
manager Robert Stevens had to say.
Sony is keeping only one CRT model in
its IT-display product line, the GDM-
C520. Will Sony continue to make
other CRTs for branding by other com-
panies? And if so, will Sony continue
to develop new Trinitron technology
for its partners?
The growing trend in the display
environment is to replace CRTs
with LCD displays. With advance-
ments in technology and the bot-
tom-line savings for consumers,
we have shifted our focus to the
production of LCD displays.
We will continue to support
and offer the Artisan CRS, model
GDM-C520 [reviewed in Maximum
PC , July 2004]. Sony will remain
involved in this segment because
the Artisan Color Reference System
is critical for color-focused graphics
users. We are no longer manufacturing
OEM products.
The GDM-F520 boasted the finest
aperture-grille pitch (0.22mm) of any
consumer CRT, yet Sony opted for a
0.24mm grille pitch for its GDM-C520.
What motivated that decision?
Sony invested considerably in the
color market and as a result devel-
oped a product that meets
the needs of this market
at an appropriate and
affordable price point.
While the GDM-F520 has
fabulous “front of screen per-
formance,” making this model
into an Artisan type product
would have put the street price
beyond the market threshold
for our target market.In respect to raw hardware
capabilities, did consumer
CRT technology reach its
pinnacle with the F520?
Sony spent the past 30
years developing and fine-
tuning CRT technology, especially for
the critical IT user. Sony’s CRT tech-
nology continued to advance even
beyond that of the GDM-F520 [and
continues in earnest in the area of
CRT televisions]. The GFM-F520 was
the best technology Sony could offer
at the appropriate price/performance
ratio for our IT display customers. We
are now focused on LCDs for com-
puter display technology.Ask the Expert: CRT Monitors
What does the demise of Sony’s legendary F520 monitor say
about the future of CRTs?
Bob Stevens,
Sony IT Product
ManagerN
ext month, Maximum PC will begin its ninth
year of publishing. I’ve been with the magazine
from jump street—holding stints as a monthly col-
umnist, executive editor, and editor-in-chief—and
the hardware I’ve seen has delighted, surprised,
and even disgusted me. But it hasn’t left me jaded.
For this, I can thank the forward march of tech-
nological progress, which has kept the PC scene
fascinating throughout the years.
Consider that the Dream Machine we showcased
in our very first issue (September 1996) was spec’d to
include a 200MHz Pentium CPU and 32MB of memory.
Today, a Dream Machine-caliber rig might include a
3.4GHz CPU (about 17 times faster from a pure clock-
frequency perspective), and 2GB of memory (that’s 64
times the size of an old-fangled 32MB module).
But these number comparisons are just simple
abstractions. The important thing to remember is that
Dream Machine 1996 wouldn’t even be able to run
most of the software we take for granted today. That
rig didn’t even have MMX support. Never heard of
MMX? My point exactly.
And how’s this for quaint: Our inaugural issue
included the cover line, “First Look! 200MHz Monster
Systems with Onboard 3D.” What innocent times we
once lived in. Legitimate 3D acceleration wasn’t yet
on our radar, and it would be a few more issues before
we championed 3dfx’s Voodoo card as the must-have
3D accelerator. Actually, to say we “championed” 3dfx
vastly understates what really happened: Our editors
fought over Voodoo boards like cockney schoolchil-
dren squabbling over golden Wonka tickets. We even
took turns bringing cards home for the weekend. That’s
how rare and coveted the Voodoo boards became.
As for 3dfx, the company became a fallen giant
in due time, a development that seemed impos-
sible in 1997 and 1998. Ironically, Matrox—whose
4MB Millenium board appeared in Dream Machine
1996—still lives today, though only because its 2D
video still kicks ass.
And so, on this eve of the launch of another
Dream Machine project, it’s time to reflect, and also
say goodbye. This column marks my last regular,
monthly writing contribution to Maximum PC , break-
ing a chain that has spanned all 95 issues we’ve
published to date. FWIW, having access to the cool-
est, neatest, most cutting-edge PC hardware hasn’t
been the best part of being a monthly contributor.
No, when I look back on my nine-year stint, I expect
my fondest memories will be of co-workers and die-
hard readers. PC enthusiasm is, after all, a human
passion, all the silicon and PCB notwithstanding.