The worst VGA monitor ever made - Tandy VGM-225
VWestlife・2 minutes read
The Tandy 1000 RLX was the first Tandy 1000 with VGA graphics, marketed as a powerful home office machine with a hard drive that came with the VGM-220 monitor known for its grainy image quality. Despite Radio Shack's claims of superior graphics, the monitor's low resolution and poor text legibility led to its criticism, potentially contributing to Tandy's decline in the computer market and eventual sale of their computer business.
Insights
- The Tandy 1000 RLX, released in 1991, marked the debut of VGA graphics in the Tandy 1000 series, offering enhanced visual capabilities.
- Pairing the RLX with the VGM-220 monitor, known for its grainy display and limited resolution, may have played a role in Tandy's market decline, as poor image quality impacted user experience and led buyers to opt for competitors' offerings with superior monitors.
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Recent questions
What was the Tandy 1000 RLX marketed as?
Home office machine with VGA graphics.
What determines image detail in a color CRT monitor?
Dot pitch value.
What impact did the VGM-225 monitor have on Tandy's computer business?
Contributed to Tandy's decline in the computer market.
What resolution could the VGM-220 monitor display?
484x425 resolution.
What led potential buyers to opt for computers with better monitors?
Poor quality of Tandy's VGM-225 monitor.
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Summary
00:00
Tandy 1000 RLX: VGA Graphics, Grainy Display
- The Tandy 1000 RLX, introduced in June 1991, was the first Tandy 1000 with VGA graphics.
- Priced at $1199.95, the RLX was marketed as a powerful home office machine with a hard drive.
- The VGM-220 monitor, equipped with the RLX, had a 0.52 mm dot pitch, leading to a grainy image.
- Despite Radio Shack's claims of "super clear 640x480 graphics," the monitor could only display 484x425 resolution.
- The dot pitch of a color CRT monitor determines image detail, with lower values providing clearer images.
- Many VGA monitors in the early 1990s had higher dot pitches to cut costs, reducing image quality.
- InfoWorld magazine noted the issue of monitors with inadequate dot pitch causing poor image quality.
- The VGM-225 monitor, manufactured by Samsung, was criticized for its grainy display and low resolution.
- The monitor's poor image quality affected text legibility, especially in higher resolution applications like Windows 3.1.
- Tandy's choice to pair the RLX with the VGM-220 monitor may have contributed to the company's decline in the computer market.
14:59
Tandy's monitor quality led to business sale.
- Tandy's VGM-225 monitor had poor quality, leading potential buyers to opt for computers with better monitors, despite a higher cost, ultimately resulting in Tandy selling their computer business to AST in the mid-1990s.
