Is the resolution of the x40 enough for programming?

[simonyau]

Hi everyone,

I'm a computer science student considering to buy an IBM x40. I've been carrying around my desktop replacement notebook for a long time and really want to use an ultraportable just like the x40.

There is one concern, I am worrying about the screen size and the resolution. Will it be too small to writing programs using the built-in LCD. I read the spec and I know that the screen only support 1024x768 resolution. I understand that a higher resolution does not make much sense for a 12 inch screen. Can anybody give me some comments about the resolution of the screen? Do you feel that it's too small for a programming session?

Thanks very much!

Simon

[snappy]

I use a X30 (native 1024X768) and do some development on it. Its fine really. That said, it depends on personal preferences. I used cgywin, VS.NET, VS6.0 etc for different projects, and IMHO, 1024X768 is good enough.

... if you do not want to lug around an external USB optical drive or a media slice, then you might as well get a T4x. Easier on the eyes.

[erik]

i'd say so.   i sometimes code xhtml and css on my s30 (10.4" 1024x768) using notepad with 8pt lucida console.   even on my R50p (uxga 16x12) i use notepad with the same font.   you should be fine with the X40 -- especially if you're young and still have good eyesight.

the only detriment i could see is if you use something with right- or left-side navigation like visual studio just because it eats up quite a bit of real estate on your screen.   but, if you use notepad then 1024x768 won't be a problem in full-screen.

-erik

[simonyau]

I mainly use VS .net for C++ programming and Eclipse for Java programming. I agree that most of the IDEs will include a lot of navigation panels on the side. I guess I can either close or autohide the navigation panels to make more space on the screen.

Thanks for the opinion, snappy and flatdraft! I think I know what to do.

Simon