T61p UXGA(1600x1200) v WSXGA+(1680x1050) v WUXGA(1920x1200)

[tpribors]

I have a T60 at home with UXGA, and my T42p at work is also UXGA I like the 4:3 screen for programming work.

I'm now able to order a new one to replace my T42p as the display is getting weak and a red cast when powering up or coming out of standby. It's got a month left on warranty and I hope to get the display replaced before the warranty is out and then use the machine as a host for a logic analyzer.

Anyway, the T61p no longer has the UXGA display. Can anyone that has seen all of these displays comment on which of the other two (1680x1050 or 1920x1200) is the least culture shock when moving from the 1600x1200?

It comes down to pixel size - does anyone know the pixel size for these three displays? The 1600x1200 isn't to squinty (even though I am 55), but I'm afraid any smaller and I'll need new glasses sooner...

Thanks!

[cxls]

Even though you'd think WUXGA (1920x1200) would be the logical comparison to the 4:3 UXGA (1600x1200), I think WSXGA+ (1680x1050) is more comparable in terms of pixel size to UXGA.

[lithium726]

the 15.4" WUXGA has a PPI of 147.02, the 15.4' WSXGA+ is 128.65 and the 15" UXGA (the one you're using) is 133.33 PPI. I would personally go for the WUXGA, but I'm a resolution whore and think everything is a little too big on my 14.1" SXGA+ screen (124). I would love to have a 14.1" UXGA... 143PPI..

[lbraasch]

a common misconception is that if you go too high a res. on a smaller screen, you won't be able to read the words. You can easily adjust the dpi of both xp and vista, thus allowing you to have any font sizes you please.

Go with the highest resolution you can afford. There is nothing like gobs of screen realestate.

[Troels]

It sometimes really depends on getting used to the LCD, but i'm not sure how much this depends on the ability to focus at close which some say depend on age.

The WUXGAs i've seen where not very good LCDs when it came to readability, and it was not the fine dpi. I'm not sure why really, it's as if there's always a small amount of crosstalk on some of the current available LCDs which make them far from as sharp as the flexviews, even the QXGA i tested.
Maybe it has something to do about the way color filters must be aligned on TN screens, who knows.

Whatever you decide to get - see it in real life if you can, it's really subjectional.

The red cast is fixable with a new CCFL - if nothing else is wrong with the screen i'd rather have them replace the CCFL if possible, so you know what screen you are getting - in order to avoid one with dead/lit pixels, non-uniform backlight etc. Maybe it's just me

[tpribors]

Is the 175 nits vs 200 nits a big difference? The UXGA spec isn't available so I can't compare.

[tpribors]

It sometimes really depends on getting used to the LCD, but i'm not sure how much this depends on the ability to focus at close which some say depend on age.

The WUXGAs i've seen where not very good LCDs when it came to readability, and it was not the fine dpi. I'm not sure why really, it's as if there's always a small amount of crosstalk on some of the current available LCDs which make them far from as sharp as the flexviews, even the QXGA i tested.
Maybe it has something to do about the way color filters must be aligned on TN screens, who knows.

Whatever you decide to get - see it in real life if you can, it's really subjectional.

The red cast is fixable with a new CCFL - if nothing else is wrong with the screen i'd rather have them replace the CCFL if possible, so you know what screen you are getting - in order to avoid one with dead/lit pixels, non-uniform backlight etc. Maybe it's just me

The CCFL is the backlight, right? The screen I have on the T42p is perfect otherwise. If they can replace that I will ask them to leave the rest alone. They may not be able to do that though - depends on the FRU granularity.

Thanks!

[meekus]

Generally speaking, warranty replacement of the LCD's CCFL usually results in LCD replacement as replacing the CCFL itself requires more labor than just swapping out the entire LCD with a remanufactured one.

CCFL replacement requires disassembly of the LCD plus there's a chance of getting dust in the CCFL cavity which can show up as shadowy specks in the LCD image. The job is 100% doable by a qualified DIYer--so if one's got the time and skill, one can replace the CCFL oneself.

In other news...
15.4" WSXGA+ 1650x1050 = 129 pixels/inch
15" UXGA 1600x1200 = 133 pixels/inch
15.4" WUXGA 1920x1200 = 148 pixels/inch

[Johan]

Is the 175 nits vs 200 nits a big difference? The UXGA spec isn't available so I can't compare.

There is a list with specifications for e.g. FlexView/IPS/FFS panels at ThinkWiki's article TFT display (see the section "Flexview/FFS IPS TFT Display").

Some UXGA T60p's came with the N150U3 panel from IDTech (see IDTech Product list) specified as having brightness (ntis) = 200 [cd/m^2] whereas other T60p's came with the BOE Hydis HV150UX1 panel (see data for this panel at BOE Hydis HV150UX1 specifications), where the brightness is specified as: 170 < brightness < 200 [cd/m^2]... in other words the "typical" value is identical. Still, there are a number of users on this forum who have swapped their IDTech UXGA panel with a BOE Hydis - and have been very satisfied with the result! You will perhaps want to have a look in the thread Upgrade T43 SXGA to UXGA using T60p LCD on this very topic.

Best regards,

Johan

[awolfe63]

To answer the original question:

WUXGA will have smaller pixels - but if you get WSXGA+, I think that you will find that moving from 1200 vertical lines to fewer is a disappointment for coding. You simply see fewer lines of code - which I find impacts my productivity.

[dozer]

a common misconception is that if you go too high a res. on a smaller screen, you won't be able to read the words. You can easily adjust the dpi of both xp and vista, thus allowing you to have any font sizes you please.

Go with the highest resolution you can afford. There is nothing like gobs of screen realestate.

I'd be very grateful for any links that you or others could provide for detailed info, instructions, 'secrets', etc....on these settings/controls.

I've got a T60p UXGA coming next week, to replace my old 14" xga machine; and I'm pretty concerned about text-size on my aging eyes.

I understand that windoze has dpi settings, and of course the 'small, med, large' font size control; but I worry that some apps may have button-labeling or something hard-coded to X pixels.

btw, I'm running Win2000 and will not change to xp without kicking and screaming all the way...lol...

thanks much!

[Puppy]

To answer the original question:
WUXGA will have smaller pixels - but if you get WSXGA+, I think that you will find that moving from 1200 vertical lines to fewer is a disappointment for coding. You simply see fewer lines of code - which I find impacts my productivity.

But you can watch movies, everyone wants to watch movies on notebooks ! That's what companies says pushing all the stupid widescreen notebooks As for "culture shock" it won't be the resolution only but quality as well going from IPS to TN crap.

[Johan]

I'd be very grateful for any links that you or others could provide for detailed info, instructions, 'secrets', etc....on these settings/controls.

I've got a T60p UXGA coming next week, to replace my old 14" xga machine; and I'm pretty concerned about text-size on my aging eyes.

I understand that windoze has dpi settings, and of course the 'small, med, large' font size control; but I worry that some apps may have button-labeling or something hard-coded to X pixels.

In reply to dozer's questions: This topic has been discussed quite a bit on this forum (did you try search on your own, before asking?), and there are a number of useful threads on this, e.g.: Settings guide to improve SXGA+ readability -Pls Improve and Screen Size, Resolution, Readability & Eyestrain and New t42p owner with a few questions... just to name a few!

Best regards,

Johan

[dozer]

you know, I'm actually very good about searching first.

but I think I let my 12+ hours of searching on various topics already today, lead me into lack of thought..

Thanks much for the links...I'll start reading...

[dozer]

ps; I would like to point out that I mentioned that I run win2k...and virtually all the material in all the threads on lcd-resolution and font-size issues is about xp or other os's....not win2k.

sigh...

ps; but I did see a ref to something called 'liquid view'...which, if they have and older win2k version, may be just the ticket.

[Johan]

@ Dozer:

Please accept my apologies for "suggesting" that you had not seached before asking ... I admit that was a bit rude of me...

I did see that you want to stick to Windows 2000 (a fast, slim OS!), and that also used to my preferred OS for years and years... until I was one day forced (at work) to switch to XP, which I later have also switched to at home. Don't be afraid of running XP for a while on your new T60p (by the way: Congratulations - what a bargain!!), before wiping the HDD and switching to Win2k - why not just give XP a tiny try? What have you got to loose?

Now, as for the UXGA text readibility under Windows 2000, many of the suggestions in the threads referenced to above will also work for Win2k (although some may/will not, owing to being XP-specific). After being embarrassed for my behaviour (and let's kindly forget all about that issue, thank you!), I thought I had to do something in order not to loose my wonderful reputation in your eyes so I searched a bit, and just stumbled over yet another add-on which might be useful for you (?); see SeaMonkey 1.0.x vs 1.1.2. What is also interesting in that thread (I think!), in relation to UXGA text reability on Windows 2000 is the information by R.N. Folsom in this post - maybe that is worth trying for you?

Good luck with your new T60p soon-to arrive!

Best regards,

Johan

[dozer]

no no Johan, you had a perfect right to ask, especially as gently as you did, about the searching.

It was just ironic....in that I virtually -always- do. But the one time I didn't...I got caught!

Thanks for the kind words on the T60p coming. If it's as the seller said, I'll be extremely satisfied. I am hoping this will be a 10+ year machine for me.

I've not gotten around to checking into Seamonkey yet...but your ref to good screen-scaling in it might get me "off the fence"...because I've become quite disgusted with the obscene bloat, bugs, and mem-eating of Firefox. It ain't what it was back in the Firebird days, that's for sure!

In ref to the Cleartype tuner, I followed that link to the M$ site last night, and tried to run it; but it said the tuner was for XP only.

I'll have to do some googling and see if that's just MS being snarky....it's possible that it might work in 2000 if it were downloaded and installed local.

I suppose that, worst-case, I can get out of the T60p without a loss; and get a 15" SXGA T60. But I'd really really dislike doing that. This one has everything I want already in it (except for 320gb HD), and is supposed to be literally flawless. Seller said he always kept it under a dust-cover, never put a scratch or smudge on it, etc. etc..

Only driven on Sunday by a little old lady, right?

We'll know on Wednesday...