15" T42p screen impressions after 1 month

[NotANitWit]

The most common thread on this board is probably about which screen, the 14.1 screen or the 15" flexview is best.

I worried and worried but ended up getting the 15" flexview.
After a month of use, I now know that it's the right decision, and I wanted to share my impressions.
I have an old T20 and it's smaller, lower res non-flexview. To be honest Flexview is nice, but not revolutionary. But what surprised me was that my favorate part of the 15" screen was NOT flexview NOR the extra screen size. It was the higher resolution. Smaller pixels really helps make text sharper and cleaner, and it's simply nicer to read text. And that's what we all do all day, is read. I thought that small pixels meant small text and hard to read, but no, it really means CLEAR text and it's a joy.

It's funny because in the forums many people worried about the high DPI and groused about everything "becoming too small". Nope, I disagree, smaller pixels make things BETTER. You do want to move to a larger font and icon size, and when you do you'll be smiling.

I actually prefer my 15" T42 display to working over my (expensive) 22" desktop display at the same resolution..


Anyway, I just wanted to give a push to anyone teetering on the edge.
The 15" rocks. The biggest downside is that the machine is physically larger, but the readability is just worth it!

[benz]

What resolution screen are you talking about here?

[Kenn]

What resolution screen are you talking about here?

Considering he's talking about a 15" t42p and a resolution higher than available on the 14.1", I'd assume the 1600x1200 UXGA display.

In this, I totally agree. The higher resolution may look a bit small at first, but you get used to it quickly and the extra real estate is a joy to use.

[Greg Gebhardt]

I love my 15" Flexview. I am not worried about the size, I wanted BIG. I have used no better.

[ian]

I have to agree - however the native resolution on my 15" SXGA+ is 1400 x 1050 - it's amazingly clear, and I'm very happy with my choice - in terms of the extra physical size to lug around, can't say it's really that much.

I'd love to see a 15" 1600x1200 to compare, but based on the fact I've recently been 'fitted' with glasses, I'd probably have trouble at that small small size...

[mrbjr]

Ian, I'm older than dirt, wear tri-focals and have no problems reading depositions on my KXU. True the text is smaller but, it's really clear.

[NotANitWit]

What resolution screen are you talking about here?

Sorry I forgot there was a lower res 15". Kenn was right. I have the higher res 1600x1200 UXGA.

I guess my main contribution to the "which screen" thread is that the higher DPI screen is the BIGGEST advantage to me, more so than the extra panel size, more so than Flexview, and more so than the ability to show more pages/lines on the screen.

I like sharing this with everyone because I kind of expected high DPI to be annoying, everything too small. So I'm really glad to find that the disadvantage that I expected turns out to be so wonderful.

It may seem tiresome to hear me gush about this, but I guess my discovery is that my eyes are just SO HAPPY reading clearer higher DPI text, I never had complaints about reading on my desktop or old laptops before, but after the UXGA 15", it's now kind of painful to use my (big, expensive) desktop monitor!

I want to shop for an ultra-hires desktop LCD now.. But are there desktop LCDs with a DPI as high as my T42p's 15" UXGA? There can't be many!

[NotANitWit]

I'd love to see a 15" 1600x1200 to compare, but based on the fact I've recently been 'fitted' with glasses, I'd probably have trouble at that small small size...

I guess this is my interesting discovery. I really worried about "that small small size" too. So I kind of expected the high DPI to be a NEGATIVE for reading text. This is why I'm so happy to find the opposite. My (non-perfect, aging) eyes can read the wonderfully sharp higher DPI fonts with a LOT less effort. So I'd recommend the higher resolutions/DPI for us guys who don't have the eagle eyes of a 20 year old fighter pilot.. we need all the sharpness we can get!

OF course remember if you're running XP to turn on ClearType. I was surprised it wasn't on by default! But I do this on all my LCD systems, so I'm really talking about DPI here and not ClearType.

[Kenn]

I'd love to see a 15" 1600x1200 to compare, but based on the fact I've recently been 'fitted' with glasses, I'd probably have trouble at that small small size...

Sorry for the small size, but here's my only pic of two 15" t42s - the one on the right is 1440x1050, on the left is 1600x1200. Note that the 16x12 screen fits 4 8x6 tiled windows wallpaper images perfectly.

It's a sizable difference, but nothing like the gain you get by going from 1024x768 to 14x10.

[Hangfire]

Yeah, I love my Flexview, could not go back to a 14"...

[Nabeel]

I kinda wish I got the 15", but I need the smaller size of the 14
Maybe next time...

[ian]

Thanks for the pictures Kenn - however, they raise a question in my mind - how do you use 2 at once? Are you Buddha or something??

[Biggie2]

"I kinda wish I got the 15", but I need the smaller size of the 14"

Im with ya on that...

[eliu]

I love my 15" flexview It's really great...very clear, and the viewing angle is huge.

Though it still comes in 2nd place to my Dell 2001FP...that thing is *really* amazing...but the flexview is definitely the best laptop screen I've come across (in my opinion at least)--this meaning some Dell panels (D600, 600m), panels in b&m stores, and the t41 screens.

[nesen]

NotANitWit, you mentioned the sharpness on the UXGA display is very good, and sharpness makes things easier to read.

No problem with that, but doesn't make ClearType everything blurry? For me, it does, and therefore I have problems reading ClearTyped Text for a while on my 14" SXGA+ screen, no problems without ClearType though.

Well, I'm happy with my SXGA+ 14" screen, but would like to compare it with the UXGA 15". For that matter, I'd be happy if IBM released a X series with an SXGA+ screen, or shrinking down the T series to 13", I find my 14" thinkpad already too large...

[hausman]

The A21p has a 15" 1600x1200 display, albeit without FlexView. Having used it daily for nearly 4 years now, I'd never go back to lower resolutions.

But it all depends on your eyesight and what you do with it as you age. I started developing presbyopia a year after I bought the A21p. Without reading glasses or (in my case) trifocals, UXGA would be unreadable.

ClearType is a tremendous bonus. It was the only reason I upgraded from Win2k to WinXP. And it's the only reason why I'm glad I did.

[Kenn]

Thanks for the pictures Kenn - however, they raise a question in my mind - how do you use 2 at once? Are you Buddha or something??

You've got two hands, don't you?

I actually ordered the wrong one first but it shipped out before I could cancel it, and it turned out to be a good opportunity to test the different screens before making a decision. I lucked out in being able to try both before deciding. Too bad IBM doesn't have stores like Apple. IMO EVERYONE should be able to test out a machine before plunking down $2k+ on it.

[ian]

I couldn't agree more - particulalrly here in France where Thinkpads are a bit thin on the ground - I hate buying without 'touching' first. In the end I bit the bullet, ordered thru Bill and I'm naturally pleased as punch!

So what are you going to do? Send one back? Which one????