New IBM 15-Inch Flat Panel Monitor Breaks $1,000 Barrier
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (August 31, 1998) – IBM today announced the industry’s first sub-$1,000 15.0-inch(1) active matrix Thin Film Transistor (TFT) flat panel monitor. Featuring enhanced front-of-screen viewing among other new capabilities, the new T55 flat panel monitor joins IBM’s line of 14.1-inch and 16.1-inch TFT models now available.
Recently ranked #1 in flat panel sales in the U.S. by Stanford Resources(2), IBM is aggressively pursuing this market with high performance flat panels at competitive prices.
“This razor-sharp 15-inch flat panel monitor with enhanced features is competitively priced, paving the way for even broader acceptance by both consumer and commercial customers,” said Alan Petersburg, worldwide brand manager, IBM Visual Products, Personal Systems Group.
Exceptional Quality and Space/Cost-Saving Features
Available in Pearl White and Black, the new T55 15-inch flat panel monitor is designed to complement IBM commercial desktop PCs, professional workstations, and the new Aptiva SE7 — IBM’s most powerful home PC — also announced today. The Aptiva SE7 is designed to meet the needs of progressive, technologically-savvy consumers.
Like other IBM flat panel displays, the T55 offers several advantages over Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs). The new unit consumes approximately 25% less space, and about one third the power, while generating significantly less heat. The new flat panel boasts a sleek, industrial design and expansive viewing angle. It provides display modes in VGA, SVGA or XGA and delivers a maximum image resolution of 1024 x 768 with up to 16.7 million color combinations. Its multimode operation, with a range of settings, will automatically synch into whichever mode is sent from the system’s compatible graphics subsystem (within the addressability bandwidth of the monitor, and not requiring it be done manually). The panel also supports enhanced expansion algorithms that greatly improve the monitor’s performance while operating in resolutions other than the optimum resolution, effectively solving a problem common with TFT technology.
The T55 also offers customers another first in their choice of either an analog (T55A) or digital (T55D) interface model, enabling them to attach the connection that best matches the capabilities of their PC system and graphics card. Users desiring a flat panel monitor with their current analog graphics card or system would most likely choose the analog T55A. For users desiring improved imaging through crisper images (i.e.without digital artifacts or color shifting) the T55D digital model would be appropriate. The T55D digital model features the new Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) standard Plug and Display (P&D) digital graphic interface. Additionally, IBM will provide users with the option of purchasing an AGP Plug and Display graphics card bundle with the T55D model to upgrade their analog graphics card or system with the new P&D technology. The all-digital T55D will be especially popular with customers who are buying a new desktop PC or a new graphics card due to the T55D’s higher performance and lower cost.
IBM, a leading member of the VESA standards committee, continues to participate in helping bring to market the new Plug and Display digital technology which is anticipated to be widely available later this year.
Featuring lockable controls for ease of use while preventing accidental changes, the T55A model has digital controls for power, brightness, contrast, image position, size and color, and on-screen display (OSD) controls for horizontal/vertical position, setup, language selection available in five languages, menu position, and information. The T55D model has digital controls for power and brightness. It does not offer contrast and OSD functions, since these controls are unnecessary for a completely digital system. Both models also feature a detachable, tilting base allowing for a range of alternate mounting solutions such as wall or swing-arm mounting solutions available from third party companies.
The T55A/T55D 15-inch models are well suited for most home or business applications. Due to their space-saving, low-heat and low-emissions features, IBM’s TFT monitors are ideal for the financial, medical, manufacturing and call center markets. They meet major worldwide regulatory agency approvals for health, safety and ergonomics, which is especially beneficial in the healthcare industry and other environmentally sensitive areas. The T55A/T55D will also be offered as touchscreen monitors by MicroTouch Systems, an IBM Business Partner.
The sleek T55A/T55D 15-inch monitors measure(3) 15.0-inches x 16.3-inches x 8.1-inches (with stand; less than 3-inches without stand) and weigh only 14.3 lbs.
Pricing and Availability
The estimated reseller price(4) of the new T55A/T55D flat panel monitors range from $949 for the T55D digital model to $1,099 for the T55A analog model. The T55D digital model is available with a bundled Matrox AGP graphics card for an estimated reseller price of $1,099; a bundle with a PCI graphics card will be available at a later date. Worldwide availability of the IBM T55A analog model is anticipated in early October through IBM consumer and reseller channels; the T55D digital model is anticipated to be available in mid-late October through reseller channels. These new models are protected with a three-year limited parts and labor warranty(5) — which includes the monitor’s backlight — with outstanding service and support available via a toll-free call, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week(6).
Source: IBM