Choosing a Vintage Computer Monitor
A computer monitor is a visual interface which displays information coming from the central processing unit. A cable typically connects the monitor to a video card, a device responsible for the graphics. Before the adoption of LCD and the present LED digital displays, monitors from the past used Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) technology. The analog monitors are still valuable to date because of their high build quality, old video game consoles, and just the nostalgic feeling they bring. You can get one from the collection of Commodore vintage monitors available on eBay.
What are the available Commodore monitor models?
Commodore, a personal computer manufacturer, produced many classic computers that are still treasured to date. Among the models, the most common ones you'll find are the Amiga, C-64, and VIC-20.
- Commodore 64 - The third in line for the Commodore computers series was the C64 which was one of the most successful in its time. There are monochrome (black and white) composite monitors and composite color monitors available for the C-64. They feature a special type of composite signal which separates intensity and color. A member of this family is the C128 which can also produce a digital RGB output through the use of a special video chip.
- Commodore Amiga - The most common monitor developed in this category is the Commodore 1084. It produces a sharp color and features many ports that are used to connect to personal computers. All Amiga monitors come with RGB output and they support S-video. You can connect to picture record players, TV tuners, and video recorders. The monitors are also good with C64s.
- Commodore VIC-20 - This came in 1981 after the first model, the PET. The monitor has color graphics that make it suitable for video games.
What should you consider when getting a vintage monitor?
- Function - What you intend to use the vintage computer for determines what type of monitor you should get. If you intend to play video games or work with graphics, a colored monitor will be ideal. The less sharp monochrome monitors are great if your interest lies in word processing, spreadsheet or other tasks that involve texts. It also wouldn't matter much if you intend to have the monitor just sit on your desk for old time's sake.
- Power supply - How you are going to power the monitor is key if you intend to have it powered on and functioning. Most of them will not come together with their cables but you can get them separately to start running.
What accessories are available for the monitor?
To go along with your monitor, you will find some few accessories which include the following:
- Adapters
- Manuals
- Knobs
- Controller cards