Laptops with high resolution screens - good choice?

#Chri5#

#Chri5#

#Chri5#

Soldato
Joined
27 Feb 2003
Posts
7,303
Location
Shropshire
Confession - I'm a desktop junkie - you can never have enough screen real estate. :D

I'm due to replace my FSC Lifebook E Series after over 5 years of use. I'll probably wait another month or two for the new Arrandale based models to become properly available.

Anyway, my E Series has a 1400 x 1050 display (15.4" display IIRC). It's hard work to find models that aren't the naff (IMHO) 1280 x 800 WXGA resolution but 1900 x 1200 in 15.x" seems to be a forthcoming option with Dell and HP (amongst others). 1600 x 900 seems to be another possible choice (and better than 1366 x 768).

Has anyone got a laptop that squeezes a high resolution like 1900 x 1200 in a 15" screen? I'm wondering if it's lovely or too much?

Cheers,
Chris.
 
I have a Dell Latitude D810 that has a 1920x1200 15.4" screen.

It's nice and sharp, but the colour is washed in comparison to todays screens. However, I won't replace it for anything less than 1920x1080.

I love the amount of space you get on the desktop and it turns it into a nice HD media pc at the same time when you hunker down for some movies on your own.

There is a website that collects all the info on current Dell configs, and looking at it you want a Studio XPS 16" if you want a decent spec + price (but it starts at £800).
 
Last edited:
Tomsk said:
Well there's the one in this thread - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18104258
13.1" - 1920x1080
Click to expand...

I was just reading that. I suspect I'd struggle to twist my boss's arm on the budget front for that.

Gzero said:
I have a Dell Latitude D810 that has a 1920x1200 15.4" screen.

It's nice and sharp, but the colour is washed in comparison to todays screens. However, I won't replace it for anything less that 1920x1080.

I love the amount of space you get on the desktop and it turns it into a nice HD media pc at the same time when you hunker down for some movies on your own.

There is a website that collects all the info on current Dell configs, and looking at it you want a Studio XPS 16" if you want a decent spec + price (but it starts at £800).
Click to expand...

Cheers Gzero.

My Lifebook was £1100+VAT (ish) when new, so should have a decent budget. Also needs to be reasonably business orientated, though discrete graphics for gaming sessions on the train would be good! :D
 
I have a Studio XPS 16 with the 1920 x 1080 16" display. I find the small text a real struggle.

I agree that 1280 x 800 is naff, a lot of current machines have 1366 x 768 (?) screens, which loose even more height, so that was a no no for me.
 
malcolm said:
I have a Studio XPS 16 with the 1920 x 1080 16" display. I find the small text a real struggle.

I agree that 1280 x 800 is naff, a lot of current machines have 1366 x 768 (?) screens, which loose even more height, so that was a no no for me.
Click to expand...

Switch your DPI in Windows to 120.

http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/video/articles/2249.aspx

Yes some programs with fixed dimensions will look a bit odd, but that's their fault for bad design.
 
Typing this on my 16.4" 1920 x 1080 X-Black Vaio, the text is small but perfectly fine (for me) for the distance I use it at. Blu-Rays look superb, so if movies on the laptop are a possibility, then 1920x1080 is the way to go.
 
I had the 15.4" display on my Dell D820 at 1920 * 1200, with the DPI set to 120. I did use it at the default DPI for a period of a week or so, but I found that I'd get eye strain after a couple of hours. In retrospect, 1680 x 1050 would have been a much better choice, sadly nobody seems to make laptops with this resolution anymore.
 
#Chri5# said:
models that aren't the naff (IMHO) 1280 x 800 WXGA resolution
Click to expand...

What's wrong with 1280x800? My X200 has one and it's perfectly sufficient. Sure, i'd love a higher res but it's already at 125DPI and any more would just be uncomfortble I think.

I mean, my phone's got a 267DPI display but all the android elements are resolution independant, and windows just isn't there yet :(
 
IMO you need ~16.5" minimum to really use 1920x res, on my 15.4" Laptop 1680x1050 works a treat but I certainly wouldn't want to try and cram more pixels into the same space.
 
Aod said:
What's wrong with 1280x800? My X200 has one and it's perfectly sufficient. Sure, i'd love a higher res but it's already at 125DPI and any more would just be uncomfortble I think.

I mean, my phone's got a 267DPI display but all the android elements are resolution independant, and windows just isn't there yet :(
Click to expand...

What's the panel size on an X200? 12 or 13 inches? Okay on that but I'm looking at 14 or 15.4/15.6" laptops.
 
#Chri5# said:
What's the panel size on an X200? 12 or 13 inches? Okay on that but I'm looking at 14 or 15.4/15.6" laptops.
Click to expand...

twelve on the nose. i take my laptop everywhere i go (for work) so i'll never own a laptop bigger than 12" :D
 
#Chri5# said:
Will be more work than play. I might have to take a trip to a big shop to see some screens in person.
Click to expand...
I definitely would, when I bought my Vaio over Christmas, I did a side-by-side comparison and the x-black LCD really stood out as a major plus point, I think the quality of a laptop's screen is a very important factor (as it is on desktops, you can change those though).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom