T42p Flexview looks amazing!

[Uncletoad]

I've been using a 14.1 XGA T42 for the last 3 years and just bought a fantastic T42p 15" flexview UGXA from a thinkpad-dot-comer. It's a revalation. I thought for sure I'd hate the small print thing but the detail is so great that I don't miss the larger size stuff at all. In fact it XGA looks weird to me now.

Funny in that I had an SXGA+ 14.1 T42 at first and couldn't get used to it. I ended up swapping out for an XGA box. This guy is easy for me to read and having all that real estate is fantastic.

I should buy another one and put it on a shelf until I wear this one out.

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the UXGA addicts club...

These are fantastic machines, knowing (from pictures) the one that you've bought, and as I've stated many a times on this forum, NOTHING (in my eyes) beats a FlexView...

The only problem being, once you've had one of those and got hooked, there's no going back, and these babies are not made anymore in any shape or form...so yes, I understand where you're coming from when you state that you should've bought two...

I'm like Shakespeare's "Merchant Of Venice", secretly counting my FlexViews at night when no one can see me...

[gunston]

what is the real differences between SXGA and UXGA???
UXGA should have the even smaller font size compare to SXGA!!

[Uncletoad]

what is the real differences between SXGA and UXGA???
UXGA should have the even smaller font size compare to SXGA!!

You are right. The font on the UGXA 15 is smaller than the font on the SXGA+14 screen without scaling. However the 15" is so clear and precise that it's easier to read than the SXGA+ or the XGA with similar size fonts. Moreover there are only a few programs that I deal with (like Quickbooks) that aren't scalable without DPI changes--which look funny to me too.

[ajkula66]

That's why you paid premium for a FlexView LCD...to be able to see just about anything precisely on a 15" laptop screen...

[ulrich.von.lich]

Have you guys ever compared FlexView panels to LED panels? Such as the ones used in Apple MBPs.. I find those screens are also very comfortable to look at (although some of them have crappy resolutions).

Yes it's sad to hear FlexView LCDs are no longer made. They have had their glory days, but after all they are only CCFL panels, which will be eventually replaced by LED panels right? Maybe with the new LED technology and Lenovo, we will be able to see something better?

And then I'd no longer be bothered getting the light bulb replaced...

[ajkula66]

Newer is NOT always better...I have yet to test a car that handles better than Citroen DS in certain respects...but this is NOT the forum for analyzing that type of stuff...

Apples are nice...but I haven't seen a screen that is more vivid and precise than the last generation FlexView used on T60P...not on a laptop anyway.

[Troels]

Have you guys ever compared FlexView panels to LED panels? Such as the ones used in Apple MBPs.. I find those screens are also very comfortable to look at (although some of them have crappy resolutions).

A search didn't pull it up for me right now, but i will try again tomorrow. I think Hoya posted photos with a (i think) 15.4" LED MacBook Pro vs. a Flexview on either a T60/T43 series and a 15.4" LG screen on a T60/T60p.
As far as i remember he did prefer the Flexview.

IMO LED is nowhere near it's potential - and if it is, it's disappointing considering all the hype. They promised a much better contrast versus CCFL, but they are just about 20:1 more than flexviews on notebooks, and are not very good in transitions with pictures with higher contrasts because of it's "dynamic contrast".
Thus, they take advantage of how the contrast ratio is measured, but will still show the colors of the normal CCFL LCDs when a static color is displayed - which is why the color chromaticity is a more important measure.

Also, there are still problems with light uniformity. Some are pretty bad, some are pretty good, it's all about luck.

The LEDs are a plus for the current generation of TN panels in notebooks, if quality is kept consistent, which is not the case now. Thus, i think it was wise of Lenovo not to implement it yet, so they could avoid horror examples like the MBP review from notebookcheck.com showed.

[ulrich.von.lich]

Newer is NOT always better...

Agreed. I still miss the old pumpkins...

But I think for things like computers, newer is usually better. Because newer technologies are always better than old ones, and computers are combinations of different technologies. IPS technology itself is superior than TN technology however it's dropped on ThinkPad lines because of high manufacture costs and insufficient demands, which can only mean for most of people, they are not as important as having a faster CPU/more ram and at the same time, paying the same or even less. So it depends on how you understand the word "better".

Unfortunately the market is conducted by the demands of the majority. So all we can do is to educate them, to make them realize how wonderful FlewView screens really are and how they will change our lives and make our planet a better place for all. And maybe one day they will come back

[dr_st]

Comparing Flexview(IPS) to LED is comparing apples to oranges.

IPS is a TFT technology, currently one out of 3 on the market (along with TN and VA). All three technologies have many spin offs and improvements, but in the heart remain the same. Of the three, IPS is superior in almost everything, losing to VA only in the contrast department (which isn't too bad anyway).

LED vs CCFL is a backlighting method. LED is supposed to be superior in terms of brightness, power consumption and color range, but - if you take LED backlighting and install it behind a crappy TN panel with all its flaws, you're gonna lose all that you stood to gain. Unfortunately that's what many manufacturers seem to be doing.