Is 15" Flexview really worth it?

[dr_st]

OK, here is how I adjusted my settings on my 15" SXGA+ T42:

First of all, the DPI (in Display Properties -> Settings -> Advanced) is set to 120 (125% of normal size)

Next, in Display Properties -> Appearance -> Advanced I have the following (I don't remember which settings are default and which are adjusted, so I'll post all of them):

Font size: 8 (for all items that have font size)

Icon: Size = 35, Font = Tahoma, Size 8
Icon Spacing (Horizontal/Vertical): 50/50

Window borders are size 1, scrollbar is size 16, everything else that has size (menu, title, etc) is size 24. I think these are the default values.

Finally, in Display Properties -> Appearance -> Effects I have "Use large icons" disabled and Cleartype enabled.

That's as far as Windows general settings go.

Now, in Firefox (version 1.5.0.2, previous versions have menus rearranged somewhat differently) I have the following:

Options -> Content:

Fonts&Colors: Default Font = Arial, 18
Fonts&Colors,Advanced: Allow pages to choose their own fonts is enabled. Proportional font for all languages is Serif, 18, while monospace font for all languages is Courier New, 15 (except some languages that don't support Courier New, but I don't need them anyway).

With these settings I have the following looks (the images are fullsize, 1400x1050, so naturally I'm not posting them here, but linking to them):

Desktop: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... NukeBg.jpg

Windows Explorer: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... plorer.jpg

Thinkpad Forum: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... PForum.jpg

Photobucket Start Page: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/d ... bucket.jpg

How does it look?

Do notice that the images are JPEG, so you'll see artifacts around text, especially in the forum pic, where I had to tone down the quality to prevent Photobucket from automatically shrinking it.

[Army Chief]

I'm wary of offering too simplistic a response, but my take on the matter is this: if you intend to use the machine as a stand-alone work station (i.e. without external monitors, docks, etc.), and visual refinement is a relevant concern, FlexView offers a decisive advantage.

I migrated from a 15" (SXGA+) FlexView A31 to a 14.1" (SXGA+) T41 a couple of years ago, and while the latter is a fine machine in a very convenient form factor, when the time came to pull the trigger on a T60, I opted to return to the 15" (SXGA+) FlexView.

When viewing the two machines side-by-side, the inherent limitations of the 14.1" panel are drawn into painfully sharp relief ... so much so that the smaller display looks downright unsatisfactory by way of comparison. It isn't merely a question of size, viewing angles or brightness, but as others have reported, those are among the most obvious differences.

Forgetting about the technological differences for a moment, I do think that it is time for IBM/Lenovo to admit that a 150 nit display just isn't competitive in today's premier notebook market. It has served me well, but the 14.1" LCD is just totally outclassed by even many contemporary entry-level machines.

In my view, the FlexView's luminescence, color depth, clarity and expanded workspace (due to size) are significant enough to offset any loss of useful overall portability -- if indeed there is one. I would say that the functional distinction between the two size-wise is actually pretty negligible, as the 15" T60 is still a very streamlined piece of equipment.

We all have different priorities and preferences, but when you consider that your primary means of interaction with a computer is visual, it is hard to argue against the FlexView advantage. I'm not quite as enamored with the UXGA resolution offered on the top-tier 15" T60p, so for me a high-spec SXGA+ variant turned out to be precisely what I was looking for. The NMB keyboard was merely icing on the cake.

Chief

[dxben]

In my view, the FlexView's luminescence, color depth, clarity and expanded workspace (due to size) are significant enough to offset any loss of useful overall portability -- if indeed there is one. Chief

Well let's be honest here, there is one. Size, weight and battery life. Everything else you said is reasonable, but let's not pretend that the issue of portability with the 15" screen is not a real one.

I agree though, horses for courses. Both have their use. I am getting another 14" Thinkpad in my T60p. I simply don't care about the nicer screen, I place more premium on the weight and battery life of the laptop as well as the smaller footprint.

Either way they both have their uses. If IBM wants to jack up the brightness on the 14" screen, I certainly wouldn't complain though.

[Army Chief]

Not a bad point, really. The size and weight differences that I am discounting here seem awfully insignificant until you see the two models side by side. The same thing really holds true when you're looking at the different displays. On their own merits, both configurations are pretty ideal; it isn't until you look very, very closely that you're faced to prioritize a bit.

Given the pricepoint at which Lenovo was letting the T60p go on the sale that just ended (on the 24th), anyone that was sitting on the fence about the 14.1" should have taken the plunge without a moment's hesitation!

Chief

[dcouzin]

"Luminance" not "luminescence".

[Dodge DeBoulet]

"Luminance" not "luminescence".

Wow, you dug up a year-old thread to play dictionary police?