UXGA Text-Size Readability

[BruceDickinson]

I'm thinking about getting a T42P with UXGA and Win XP Pro. I only do word-processing and web-surfing.

Some people here have expressed reservations about text-size readability on UXGA screens.

Personally, I don't see why it would be an issue given the various ways of addressing it (e.g. Win XP DPI setting, adjusting zoom w/ in documents).

I've never seen a UXGA/Flexview screen, so maybe I'm missing something. Can anyone shed some light?

Thanks very much.

[pianowizard]

What screen size and resolution are you used to?

I just received an R50p today with the exact same screen (15.0" UXGA with Flexview) as the T42p you're comtemplating. Because I am accustomed to 15.4" WUXGA (1920x1200), I find the 15.0" UXGA very comfortable to view. In fact, as soon as the parts arrive, I will replace the R50p's LCD with a 15.0" QXGA (2048 x 1536) LCD!

[syedj]

I have a work issued UXGA 15" T43p. Because I can see more information on the screen at the same time without having to scroll up and down or switch windows (I am halfway dyslexic) I find myself more productive using this machine if I am doing real work. At times I just have to get a little closer to the screen to for example differentiate between an i and 1 for small font (if need be) otherwise UXGA works great.

If I am just surfing web then I usually have the resolution at XGA (1024x768) and find it less straining on the eyes.


Although I don't do it myself but as you mentioned fonts sized can be modified both in word processing applications and browser windows so thats not a real problem for UXGA screens. I personally have seen people running their UXGA screens in XGA mode all the time as well.

[BruceDickinson]

pianowizard,

My current TP is a T30 14" XGA. My desktop (which I use most of the time) has a 20" 1600x1200 LCD set at 150% DPI in Win XP. I've tweaked OS setting and application-specific settings to produce sizes I'm comfortable with.

Although the 20" desktop LCD is much bigger than the 15" TP LCD, I'm guessing that I can use the same methods to make the text size on the UXGA TP as big as I want/need for comfort. But without any experience with 1600x1200 screens that are so small, I'm also afraid that there are some issues I'm unaware of.

Thanks for your help.

[pianowizard]

My desktop (which I use most of the time) has a 20" 1600x1200 LCD set at 150% DPI in Win XP.

I see. How far away is this 20" monitor from your eyes usually? Let's say it's 18 inches, and let's say you want to view the T42p with the exact same DPI settings also 18 inches away. To simulate how much smaller things will get, just view the 20" monitor at a distance of 24 inches (= 18 inches times 4/3) instead. In other words, a 20" LCD 24 inches away appears the same size as a 15" LCD 18 inches away.

[Puppy]

It is very individual. I found 20.1" 1600x1200 LCD monitor with standard 96 DPI perfect. My viewing distance is somewhere between 50 and 70 cm and I use Courier New 9 font most of the time. Have you tried the 96 DPI for a while (at least one week) ? On the other hand I can't stand XGA even on 12" notebook LCD, it is still too big.

As for pixels sizes of various resolutions and display sizes check this table http://www.prismo.ch/comparisons/notebook.php

[Johan]

@ BruceDickinson:

I suggest you do a search for UXGA (and) ClearType in the T4x forum, and select "Search for all terms". I am (almost completely!) confident that you'll find the answer you're looking for in the hits coming in that search!

Good luck with your upcoming T42p!

Best regards,

Johan

[SHoTTa35]

i love the hi-res but i hate the 15" models because they are just too heavy in my opinion. Surely they are only slightly heavier but my shoulder appreciates the 14" Thinkpads instead

AS for the UXGA i rather SXGA+ on a 14" as i find that size to be perfect. A 15" with UXGA is nice too but i think too small for my eyes (maybe i'm getting old) The UXGA Flexview screens tho are super nice tho so you'll enjoy it a lot.

[pianowizard]

A 15" with UXGA is nice too but i think too small for my eyes (maybe i'm getting old) The UXGA Flexview screens tho are super nice tho so you'll enjoy it a lot.

The great majority of Thinkpad UXGA screens are Flexview. The only exceptions are the really old ones, i.e. the A21p and A22p.

[syedj]

i love the hi-res but i hate the 15" models because they are just too heavy in my opinion. Surely they are only slightly heavier but my shoulder appreciates the 14" Thinkpads instead

AS for the UXGA i rather SXGA+ on a 14" as i find that size to be perfect. A 15" with UXGA is nice too but i think too small for my eyes (maybe i'm getting old) The UXGA Flexview screens tho are super nice tho so you'll enjoy it a lot.

Very well said, I couldn't agree more with this. Its been said on the forum before that 14" SXGA+ make a very desirable display option for portability as well as screen real estate.

[BruceDickinson]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Although there are some things that can't be easily resized via software, it does seem that software adjustments can substantially compensate for the little pixels on a UXGA.

[marvel]

Anyone of you experience any ghosting using the flexview tfts? How is the UXGA flexview when viewing film, etc?

[SHoTTa35]

i don't think that has been an issue for a while atleast on newer TFTs. Older ones had high rise and fall times (the pixel lights up in 2ms but takes 30ms to turn off,) that's what caused ghosting. New panels are better now at about 2 and 15 or even 10ms for fall times.