Where screen size is specified in metric (i.e., in most of the world), it's always in centimeters.
If asked, I give the size of my Dell HDTV as 107 cm. Notwithstanding what Pat Naughtin says about standardizing on millimeters (something I heartily endorse for situations where people must actually design stuff or measure and work with materials), I think specifying screen diagonals in meters is somewhat ponderous and that specifying them in millimeters feeds the objections of those who believe that the use of SI units imposes an unnecessary degree of precision. They're wrong, as we know, but we still have to contend with that. Bill ________________________________ Bill Potts Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of STANLEY DOORE Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 02:18 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:40774] Re: BMI, Metric at Costco Another good way to promote metric is to specify new TV screens in metric. For example, a 40-inch TV screen equals one metre. Isn't this stealth metric? Stan Doore ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ziser, Jesse" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 3:41 PM Subject: [USMA:40772] Re: BMI, Metric at Costco > > --- Jim Elwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>> The question is whether companies with employees and leadership not >>> particularly >>> friendly toward metric will change without putting up a fight. That's >>> the area where I think leadership at the government level could smooth >>> things over. >> >> We generally agree, but the nature of the government "leadership" has a >> big effect: if it is >> mandates, there will be a lot of resistance. However, as I've said many >> times in the past on >> this forum, if the US Federal Government is the single largest purchaser >> of goods and services >> in the country, and if it simply said "we buy metric," it would have a >> huge positive effect on >> metrication, without passing laws on private institutions. > > I wasn't advocating legally forcing anyone to use metric (though that's an > interesting subject for > debate). I was suggesting that a presidential administration should use > its voice to tell people > that metric is coming and they better be prepared for it. The presidency > could be used as the > proverbial "bully pulpit" to help persuade people that these changes are > here to stay, and not > something that will go away eventually. That was what I meant by > "leadership". > > Needless to say, I strongly agree that the US government should buy > metric. As to legislatively > forcing people to use metric, I don't think I have an opinion right now > whether that would have a > more positive or negative effect. > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com >
