Are 14.1 SXGA's really that bad?

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Guest · #1 Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:21 am

Some people say SXGA is too small for them no matter what screen. MANY people I have heard say that SXGAon a 14 inch screen is bad. What makes it so bad? Some people have been so vocal about it they make it sound like even if you have good eyes it still sucks. Anyone have one and happy or unhappy. I have the opportunity of getting a T41 23739FU for $1639 with educational dicsount. (60gig 7200rpm, 1.7mhx, a/b/g, etc SXGA. I think this price is too good to be true and I very eager to buy. But just wanted to know how bad can it be even if you have good eyes?

atlacatl · #2 Post by **atlacatl** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:55 am

I find the 1400x1050 resolution just perfect and I don't have 20/20 vision.

I don't quite understand why some people complain about the high resolution. Ok, it's a matter of choice here, and perhaps some people just can't read the monitor - Not trying to offend anyone here - However, most of what really needs to be read on the screen is configurable anyway, such that the font sizes can be increased at will.

I mean, if you are typing a word document: zoom the document to 150% or something.

If someone has problems reading the menus in the windows, increase the font size OR increase the dpi.

If browsing is so horrible, change the browser font.

Granted, that not everyone knows how to do this, but, it shouldn't stop you from getting the higher resolution machine...

I find the 1024x768 to limiting. I'm a developer and I really enjoy the real state. It even helps with my productivity. An example: In the middle of a past contract, the IS department decided to swap a 19" CRT monitor with a 15" flat panel. The flat panel's maximum resolution was 1024x768 - The older 19" inch had extremely high resolution (1600x1200 I think) - I'm guessing I lost 1 hour of work time during the day by swaping and minimizing and maximizing windows

There was nothing I could do: the flats looked better and was the standard...

Anyway, get the higher resolution and turn on ClearType fonts - You won't regret it...I for one, can't go back to anything with lower resolution...

spoon · #3 Post by **spoon** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 1:19 am

I've got a 2378fvu and I had the same concerns. The laptop (my first laptop) arrived 10 days ago, and I will not return it to IBM, I'm glad with it. I only think that the size of the screen is only 14" when I read posts like this. Anyway you must try out yourself to decide.

Regards

Roy_W · #4 Post by **Roy_W** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 1:32 am

I was very wary before buying the T41p with SXGA+. I have now been using it for several months and I could not possibly imagine returning to anything else.

The screens have a crystal clear resolution and lots of workspace. Your eyes do require 2 or three days to adapt to the new resolution but after this small period it just seems like second nature.

In any event, with IBM's 30 day return policy, you have nothing to lose if you initially order a TP with a SXGA+ screen and then decide that it's not for you.
Just dont make the mistake of judging the machine on anything less than one week of usage.

Daniel · #5 Post by **Daniel** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:02 am

I had headaches getting adjusted to it but only temporarily.

aabram · #6 Post by **aabram** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:56 am

I've had 1400x1050 T23 for about half a year now and it is great for general work and extra space is really nice for managing all the windows on desktop. However, I can't use it for writing. Well, I can, but not for long periods of time. I can't write over hour or two without getting eyestrain and headaches. Yes, I've adjusted fonts and dpi, but at least in Windows it doesn't help everything. Custom dpi (110% or 106 for me atm) makes some icons fuzzy (quicklaunch) and system dialogs still display text with default font. Cleartype makes it a bit better but still not perfect. For writing longer texts or for longer time I prefer to use my girlfriends 1024x768 T22.

I'd suggest really trying it out before buying. If you feel strain then it will proabably accumulate duoring long hours of use. OTOH, the resolution is really good for development work, working with Excel, general browsing etc. But if you write for a living then do try before buying.

Also, I found that under linux (FC1,2) fonts were much better and didn't strain my eyes as much.

admsteiner · #7 Post by **admsteiner** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:24 pm

I have a 2378-FVU (14.1" SXGA+) and I love the screen. I don't think it's too small.

--Adam

Guest · #8 Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 6:57 pm

Thanks for the thorough and quick replies.

Are 14.1 SXGA's really that bad?

Are 14.1 SXGA's really that bad?

Re: Are 14.1 SXGA's really that bad?

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