The end of the VGA socket

Getting rid of standard sockets on the backs of computers is not a regular thing. I still remember the attention given to the first motherboard with no PS/2 sockets (Asus I think). So here we have Intel and AMD annoucing the end of the blue VGA socket on graphics cards and motherboards.

It's tempting to suggest that the significance is in the fact that Intel and AMD have made a joint announcement (something akin to North and South Korea making a joint statement) but it is probably time for the VGA socket to pass on the baton.

Apart from the better quality offered by DisplayPort and HDMI, they also are much easier to set up. I've given up trying to tweak my analogue monitor at home to make the picture sharper. I just wait for Windows to finish loading and then turn the monitor off and then on again. Digital connections just work.

2013 appears to be the cut off date so it's not going to happen very soon, and it's not unusual for significant changes like these to be deferred if it looks like being a big problem.

The good news is that it is only likely to be a problem when upgrading monitors or graphics cards. My monitor, being at the budget end of the range, is VGA only. As I generally expect monitors to outlive computers I may be in for some disappointment, or perhaps I might start stockpiling VGA equipped graphics cards now.