Prints are dying.

Almost five years ago I wrote of The photo gallery of the future, which would use a large screen display to show changing art work.

A while back, wanting to add a stock quote display to my office without using precious real estate on the three Dell displays attached to the HackPro, I pulled an old MSI Barebone computer out of storage and added an inexpensive (Hyundai!) 21.5″ LCD display. More of an art work thing than anything else – it’s not like I stare at a ticker all day. The MSI had proved too slow for its intended role as a movie server and had been replaced by a MacMini. But for streaming stock quotes, a low data volume application, it proves ideal. The display, which is 1920 x 1080 and includes a pair of (awful) speakers ran me all of $150. Adding a $15 VESA mounting plate and a few minutes with a stud finder and drill and the display was up on the wall.

On the sofaback, the cheap Hyundai display.

A few moments in iPhoto and I had my collection of Renaissance art pictures converted to a slide show and moved over to the Barebone. Now, at weekends, when it’s resting, it displays Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian. What could be nicer?

The 21.5″ display on the wall.

The next one will have to be 42″, just as I expected five years ago.