30" TFT - too big?

RobinL · 13 Jan 2007 at 16:03

I'm thinking about getting a new TFT. I'm not really intending to use it a great deal for films and games, mainly windows. More specifically, Office, Photoshop, Illustrator, and audio applications.

I went to the Apple shop and tried a 30"er. Somehow it felt impractical and a bit cumbersome. Just to move the mouse across the screen took ages!

Also, for what I want to use it for, I don't really need widescreen. If you could maximise windows to half of the screen easily, that may be a bit better, then for some things you could treat it like having dual monitors. (e.g. Word and a web browser)

Anyone have any opinions on this? I thought possibly I might prefer it in windows (unfortunately I had to test on a Mac and I've never really used them so didn't know keyboard shortcuts etc).

ElDude · 13 Jan 2007 at 16:56

Actually, those screens are perfect for photoshop as you've got much more room for the image and other toolbars you wouldn't normally use. My next upgrade is going to be wider than this (currently have an Iiyama CRT), as I'll be doing a lot of photoshopping in the future. Trouble is when you go over 32" it's getting pricey!

Anyway, if it's editing you're planning on, I'd definately say get a widescreen.

RobinL · 13 Jan 2007 at 17:56

ElDude said:
Actually, those screens are perfect for photoshop as you've got much more room for the image and other toolbars you wouldn't normally use. My next upgrade is going to be wider than this (currently have an Iiyama CRT), as I'll be doing a lot of photoshopping in the future. Trouble is when you go over 32" it's getting pricey!

Anyway, if it's editing you're planning on, I'd definately say get a widescreen.

Thanks. I'd say I'd be using it for graphics maybe 30% of the time. I had a play in Photoshop in the Apple store, and it certainly was good for that. It's just everything else I'm a little concerned about.

tastyweat · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:39

Well... Apple's mice do seem to move a lot slower accross the screen than with pcs.

I can move my mouse from one side to the other with a flick of the wrist and it's still accurate enough for delicate photowork. Using logitech G5.

This screen is amazing for photoshop work etc.

I tend to have two firefox windows open at any one time, each filling half the screen. Most websites I go to don't use the entirety of the width, so it's the best way to do things.

I quite frequently am surfing the net with some video running next to it at a very good size.

I recommend a 30", bigger definitely is better!

RobinL · 13 Jan 2007 at 19:08

Thanks. How cumbersome do you find running two windows side by side (i.e. because you have to manually move them and resize them so they both take up half the screen)?

StevenG · 13 Jan 2007 at 19:18

Nvidia drivers have a setting so you can setup regions that when you maximise a window it will stick to that region. so you could half the screen and do it that way.. or other combinations..

i have a 30" 3007WFP and i tend to have one window on one side and littles ones on the other..

tastyweat · 13 Jan 2007 at 20:11

RobinL said:
Thanks. How cumbersome do you find running two windows side by side (i.e. because you have to manually move them and resize them so they both take up half the screen)?

I haven't found it a problem at all - once you se the windows size - they tend to stay the same size too.

StevenG said:
Nvidia drivers have a setting so you can setup regions that when you maximise a window it will stick to that region. so you could half the screen and do it that way.. or other combinations..

i have a 30" 3007WFP and i tend to have one window on one side and littles ones on the other..

Haven't seen that - will have to have a look for it.

RobinL · 13 Jan 2007 at 20:22

StevenG said:
Nvidia drivers have a setting so you can setup regions that when you maximise a window it will stick to that region. so you could half the screen and do it that way.. or other combinations..

i have a 30" 3007WFP and i tend to have one window on one side and littles ones on the other..

Interesting

that's certainly worth knowing

squiffy · 13 Jan 2007 at 20:25

I'm using a 42" 1920x1080 16:9 for windows, looks superb.

StevenG · 13 Jan 2007 at 20:33

squiffy said:
I'm using a 42" 1920x1080 16:9 for windows, looks superb.

for reference could you find out the dot pitch for that please

siscid · 13 Jan 2007 at 21:11

I wouldnt mind a 30" for ps

... thats not a bad idea actually

Mud · 13 Jan 2007 at 21:14

StevenG said:
for reference could you find out the dot pitch for that please

0.36mm, the 3007FPW has a 0.25mm dot pitch. Oh the powers of key stage 3 maths!

StevenG · 13 Jan 2007 at 21:54

Mud said:
0.36mm, the 3007FPW has a 0.25mm dot pitch. Oh the powers of key stage 3 maths!

im tired and i couldnt be bothered to work it out lol.. thanks though.. thats quite a difference.. wouldnt it make things less clear and more blocky?

ive never seen a decent LCD / Plasma with a decent signal...

siscid said:
I wouldnt mind a 30" for ps ... thats not a bad idea actually

Photoshop Space!

Will_3rd · 13 Jan 2007 at 22:03

RobinL said:
Somehow it felt impractical and a bit cumbersome. Just to move the mouse across the screen took ages!

Yeah the Apple Might Mouse isn't that great, optical mice have got nothing on high dpi laser mice

I've got a 20" ACD and its great

Mud · 13 Jan 2007 at 22:24

Agreed, on the subject of high dpi mice...I use a G5 & G7, both set to 2000dpi (no extrapolated cursor movement), no effort required (those Mac mice are godawful). People who use my system find the sensitivity really high, but I quickly got used to it.

I also use StrokeIt (mouse gesturing), gestures can be a lot more immediate than moving the cursor a few thousand pixels into a small pixel box (like the minimise/restore/close).

Dingleberry88 · 14 Jan 2007 at 01:16

RobinL said:
Thanks. How cumbersome do you find running two windows side by side (i.e. because you have to manually move them and resize them so they both take up half the screen)?

Just maximize the windows you want to use, then right-click on the taskbar and choose Tile Windows Vertically.

tastyweat · 14 Jan 2007 at 01:54

Mud said:
0.36mm, the 3007FPW has a 0.25mm dot pitch. Oh the powers of key stage 3 maths!

Hehe yeah - the image on that 42" screen must look terrible... I like sharp crisp images - not stretched images.

Worse than the difference between a 17" and 19" tfts... and that I couldn't stand.

RobinL · 14 Jan 2007 at 10:40

Dingleberry88 said:
Just maximize the windows you want to use, then right-click on the taskbar and choose Tile Windows Vertically.

awesome! Never knew you could do that

Adam_D200 · 14 Jan 2007 at 14:05

tastyweat said:
Hehe yeah - the image on that 42" screen must look terrible... I like sharp crisp images - not stretched images.

Worse than the difference between a 17" and 19" tfts... and that I couldn't stand.

Why would it? Surely you not going to sit so close to a 42" screen which will negate the higher dot pitch

Also the image should not be stretched if output at the native resolution of the panel.

tastyweat · 14 Jan 2007 at 14:10

Adam_D200 said:
Why would it? Surely you not going to sit so close to a 42" screen which will negate the higher dot pitch

Also the image should not be stretched if output at the native resolution of the panel.

He was talking about using it for windows and generally I assume for dekstop use, you sit quite close - I could be wrong though.

Also, if you're displaying an image @ 2560x1600 on a 30" and an image at 1920x1200 on a 42", then because the pixels are bigger on the bigger screen, the image will be larger and look streched and less crisp.