CRT Monitor

CRT monitors used cathode ray tubes to blast images onto glass, which sounds dramatic because it was. In practice that meant giant screens, enormous backsides, lots of heat, and the exact look of early home computing.

For years, CRTs were just the screen. They handled motion well, worked across weird resolutions, and gave games and desktop graphics a chunky glow that retro fans still chase like a sacred artifact.

They were heavy, power-hungry, and had the spatial footprint of a microwave with opinions.

Once flat panels got good enough, people happily traded tube charm for thin screens, lighter desks, and fewer accidental hernias.