It's true.  But you can also achieve the same effect by turning your monitor
upside down or sideways.  CRT's direct a stream of electrons from the
emitter to the screen with magnetic fields.  Now, the magnetic fields in use
are really strong...stronger than the earth's magnetic field, but the work
they do is pretty precise, so a change in the external magnetic field can
have an effect on the electron stream and cause a small change in the
appearance of your monitor.  But there are plenty of adjustments on your
monitor to take care of that.

Incidentally, the magnetic field changes within hemispheres.  Potentially
you could move your monitor around on the desk and change the effect that
the earth's magnetic field has on it.  But the change is small.  Very small.

The URL of the USA Today article is
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/bonus/qa/qa938.htm.

Strange, but true.

Drew Dunn
The NOSPIN Group


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Dean Kukral" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [PCBUILD] Monitors in different hemispheres


A while back a question appeared in the technical section
of USA Today.  It asked whether PC monitors worked
differently in the North and South hemispheres.

The reply included, "Yes, images on a monitor
designed to work in one hemisphere will look
slightly different when viewed in the other."
It went on to attribute this to the Earth's magnetic
field and cited John Hall of Acer Peripherals.

I couldn't believe my eyes, as this strikes me
as complete nonsense.  However, I have been
wrong before.

Does any monitor expert out there know enough
to cast some light on this claim?

            Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to
                    Digest mode - visit our web site:
                    http://nospin.com/pc/pcbuild.html