Returned my last Thinkpad...well maybe not !

[aleung]

Im in my late 20s and still have perfect 20/20 as my eye exam last week proved. Im in front of a computer 6 hours everyday but ONLY use XGA resolution. I dont think its a coincidence.

Even as someone with "perfect" vision I dislike anything above XGA on a 14" display.

well.. I am in my mid-30s. I been using high res CRT a lot (used to work over 10hrs facing the CRT running X for 1/2 yr). I had T30 1400x1050 and no problem at all.

[xtypestereotype]

It is a shame IBM doesnt do the Radeon 9600 on an XGA screen
I'm just about to buy a new Thinkpad and that's what I wanted too
But I'm finally settling for a 14 inch SXGA+
I use linux and things look too big on XGA under linux anyway

[Chatbox]

Hum...does andrew have bad eye sights?

I've been wearing glasses since I was 4 (it's the [censored] family genes)...guess I'm lucky that I can view my SXGA+ without issues.

[coolsilicon]

Andrew:
How about a Toshiba Qosmio? Sure it's not what you would call a plain business machine but the screen is supposed to be of superior quality. I've checked the specs and include them here:

TOSHIBA TruBrite™ 15” diagonal XGA TFT display

Resolution – 1024 x 768 internal LCD

Brightness Level – (Cd/m2)
When Plugged into AC – Up to 600 Cd/m2
When in Battery mode – Up to 379 Cd/m2

Contrast – 450:1

Viewing angle
Horizontal – 120 degrees
Vertical – 90 degrees

Graphics
64MB DDR NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX Go 5200

Physical Description
Dimensions (WxDxH): 13.31” x 11.22” x 1.70” without feet

Weight: starting at 8.17 lbs. (without AC Adapter)

Ok, it's everything but a "thin and light", but if the screen is the most important factor maybe worth a look. I saw a Qosmio live in a tv show on NBC and the screen was phantastic (at least as far as you can tell by looking at a tv screen...) Besides that it also has some nice features like the ability of burnign to DVD-RAM.

[califas]

Im in my late 20s and still have perfect 20/20 as my eye exam last week proved. Im in front of a computer 6 hours everyday but ONLY use XGA resolution. I dont think its a coincidence.

Even as someone with "perfect" vision I dislike anything above XGA on a 14" display.

well.. I am in my mid-30s. I been using high res CRT a lot (used to work over 10hrs facing the CRT running X for 1/2 yr). I had T30 1400x1050 and no problem at all.

So are u 20/20? Do u wear reading/computer glasses?

[aleung]

i don't know if I am 20/20. but i am wearing regular(not those bi-focial or whatever) glasses for drive...etc.

[aamsel]

Update:

However... the X31 screen was far better than the T42 XGA screen.
The T42 XGA was totally unacceptable, no way I would use it.
I am still considering keeping the X31, even as I have it boxed up for return.
Even though the screen on it falls below my expectations, I am still weighing the many positives of the X31 against the negative of the display.


Andrew
Austin, TX

[Ghostrider]

We have several ThinkPads in our company. R30, R31, T41, T41p, R51...

The brand new R51s have (15"?) XGA displays and I don't like the quality of the displays We never had any problems with the other displays - they were evenly bright and clear. The new displays have lower brightness on the left and right borders than in the middle of the screen. (You can't correct this effect by moving your head or tilting the screen) I am really disappointed about the quality of these displays inside the new notebooks. Nevertheless I don't know if XGA screens in new T-series notebooks look the same.
I have to wear glasses but I prefer 1400*1050.
For me it is not just the size of the fonts that is important. It's also the available useable space. 1024*768 is the minimum you should use today. Even many webpages are already designed for 1024*768 _OR_ higher resolutions. I am used to sit about 10hours per day infront of 21" and 22" CRTs with high resolutions. Maybe that's the reason why I do not like lower resolutions than 1280*1024.

Well, for you it's 1024*768 and this resolution should be still ok for some time. I just wanted to tell you that 15" XGA displays (you are not interested in, though) do not seem to have an acceptable image quality.
As long as you don't intend to play games the graphics card should be not important. A Radeon 7500 will be more than fast enough to display Excel-charts, Word documents, source code while developing software and to surf the web.

[aamsel]

ghostrider:

I was aware of most of that, but not the stuff about the 15" screens.
However, I did see a Flexview in a 15" T42. It is much, much better than the XGA T42 displays, better contrast and viewing angles. However I did find the colors "subdued". I may be the only person who found them this way, but, it doesn't really matter. I only spent about 3 hours with the T42 15" Flexview because, as I said, I don't want a 15" model

xtypestereotype:

I don't think it is the quality of the video chip, it is the quality of the LCD panel. Even integrated graphics can look great for 2D and light 3D stuff.

coolsilicon:

I don't like the glossy screens like that unit, or the SONY XBrite have. The Fujitsu's are a little less glossy, and are the only ones of that type that I would probably consider. However, nothing feels as solid as a Thinkpad to me.

Chatbox:

Had cataract surgery (new lenses) both eyes a year ago. My vision is about 20/30 uncorrected. Even with computer/reading glasses I get a headache and eyestrain looking at 1400X1050 and higher resolution screens. Can't explain it, just have to go with what is comfortable, and that is XGA on a 12" or larger screen.


Thanks again,

Andrew
Austin, TX

[aleung]

ahh.. ok..