Redefining The Common Computer Monitor – The Sgi 1600sw
Although best known for it’s powerful graphics desktops and massive servers, SGI regularly produces related items of high technology. Back in 1998, SGI gave the display industry a wake up call by launching the ground breaking 1600SW display.
The SGI 1600SW is a TFT display with a resolution of 1600×1024. It was, and remains, the only display to offer a full 16:10 aspect ratio, allowing detailed work for computer effects artists, as well as being able to show two A4 pages of text side by side. The 1600SW won several awards for it’s innovative design, and the display’s brightness and high resolution still places it at the top end of display design, over a decade later.
The display used the all digital OpenLDI interface, which required special graphics cards. Several models of SGI machine had the required connector either builtin, or available as an add-in card. Companies like 3D Labs also produced dedicated graphics cards with the special connector, allowing the 1600SW display to be used with standard PCs.
Since it’s introduction, many companies have also manufactured convertors, allowing DVI video cards to be used with the OpenLDI interface. Over a decade after it’s introduction, the SGI 1600SW remains a high quality display that is very desired after by graphics artists.
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