Everyone knows that upgrading your computer is great way to improve productivity. Upgrading your monitor can be just as advantageous to your ability to get work done more quickly.

Today's market features two types of computer displays: CRTs and LCDs. For years, bulky, television-like CRTs (cathode ray tubes) were ubiquitous on every desktop. Slowly edging them out are LCDs (liquid crystal displays), slim, light, desktop versions of the screens that notebook computers have sported for years. Just a few inches thick, an LCD's footprint is a fraction of that of a traditional CRT monitor.

Which style is right for you? If budget matters, CRT monitors are a bargain. Also, CRTs can display information equally well at a number of different resolutions, while LCDs will display best only at their native resolution. And CRTs are still the best choice for video; LCDs' slower response time, or the time it takes for a pixel's image to change, can cause a "ghosting" effect on moving images.

But for attractiveness and efficiency of both energy and space, sleek LCD monitors are impressive. They also reduce eye fatigue, since they refresh differently from CRTs and therefore are not vulnerable to that "flicker" effect. Newer displays even conveniently allow users to rotate them from landscape to portrait mode, though this requires software. And the inclusion of USB (universal serial bus) ports on the display itself makes peripherals easier than ever to connect.

LCDs do have limitations. Their viewing angles, expressed both horizontally and vertically, limit what can be seen onscreen from any angle but straight on. This is particularly noteworthy when rotating your display, since the horizontal viewing angle is traditionally wider than the vertical, thus compromising how well the rotated image can be seen.

Screen size is measured on the diagonal on both LCDs and CRTs, but the actual viewing area of a CRT display is always less than that of a similarly sized LCD. Therefore, the viewable area of both a 17-inch CRT and a 15-inch LCD will be roughly the same. We recommend this screen size as a minimum for typical office work.

If you opt for an LCD, make sure that the native resolution matches the one you use regularly. Also, look for models with a one-touch auto adjust feature which matches your screen display with your computer resolution. LCD shoppers will also find models that feature Digital Video Interface (DVI) connectors. Although LCDs perform best when used with a DVI, the current difference in quality is too negligible to affect your buying decision.

To minimize flickering, CRT shoppers should make sure their choice will support a refresh rate of 70 Hz (hertz) or higher for their intended resolution.

Pricewise, CRT monitors run from under $200-600 for 17-, 19-, or even some 21-inch sizes, depending on brand and style. LCDs of 15, 17, and 18 inches start at under $400, $500, and $600 respectively.

Make your next computer-related purchase a monitor upgrade and see for yourself how much more productive you can be.