Flexview SXGA+ for watching DVDs... help!

[beeblebrox]

I have been offered to potentially upgrade my 6 months old T40p to a 6 months old T42 (15" Flexview). Both are SXGA+

I usually work up to 14h/day on the Thinkpad and have more or less gotten into some eye problems due to the tiny text sizes sometimes (Lotus Notes and some company stuff can not be resized).
Therefore the 15" SXGA+ would be absolutely perfect.

BUT: is it possible to watch DVDs?
(I do not play, but like watching DVDs on long plane trips).
I have searched the forum up and down and there have been widely contradicting statements about ghosting, now I even believe, that there must different fleviews series out there. I do not play any games.
Can anyone give me some adivce?

Further, I intend to keep the 9cell battery, how long would that last on the current sucking Flexview?
I could not find that out in the forum.

Any good advice is highly appreciated!!!
Thanks.

[csv96]

Yes, there is ghosting on the FlexView screens as the response time is on the low end of LCD's in general. Bottom line is everyone is different. You should try to see one of these screens in person and then judge for yourself.

As for battery times, the TABOOK provides estimates and the FlexView models definitely have shorter battery times than their 14.1" non-FlexView equivalents.

[Conmee]

You might also want to consider that the 15" is somewhat larger, and during my last flight back to San Francisco, when I was still using the 15" SXGA+, when the person in front of me reclined their seat, I basically having to pull the screen closer to me, not being able to open it all the way, with the keyboard hanging off the tray table and resting on my stomach. lol

Despite being a tad bigger than the 14" T42p, you'll probably lose about 10-15 degrees of vertical adjustment if you're my size (5'11") or bigger, and you happen to be in coach. First-class and business class on long flights won't be a problem.

As for ghosting, if you primarily watch movies on long plane flights, that should be the least of your worries. First, even with the 9-cell, you will barely make it through an entire movie unless you bring the brightness down considerably (actually, TP battery life is quite good... and I can easily get 4 hours on my T42p with a 9-cell, running full power, and movie), and given the space constraints and acoustics/engine noise, you'll have many other distractions besides occasional ghosting.

Having said all that, I didn't find the ghosting to be very distracting. If you are looking for the ghosting, you'll see more of it. If you just focus on watching the movie and being entertained, only now and then will the ghosting catch your attention.

Daniel.

[Marc_G]

Hi folks-

I'm posting in reply specifically to the comment that Lotus Notes text can't be resized. This isn't the case. I do it on my T30 with 14" SXGA+ screen. The process is as follows:

1. Shut down Notes all the way. Maybe reboot to be safe. Certain Notes objects remain live after the main application is down.

2. Find your notes.ini file. Usually this will be in the same folder as the program is installed in.

3. Stick a line like this in at the top right after the [Notes] header:
Display_font_adjustment=2

Experiment with different numbers. Most people on my team use a number between 2 and 4. Larger numbers mean more expansion.

Have fun.

[beeblebrox]

Excellent, I changed Lotus Notes.
at least I do not get sore eyes after a couple of hours anymore.

I saw the Flexview today, a really great display. However the Thinkpad guy also mentioned, that IPS technology is more desktop oriented (the large EIZO and ThinkVision displays from IDTech), and sucks current as if there were no tomorrow.
I gues IBM stucks to its own technology, while other companies use PVA/MVA displays or even TN+ displays (Sony Xbrite) with compensation foils , without crashing the battery.

It is too bad that there are no Thinkpads with 15" SXGA in conventional technology anymore.

Thanks for your replies,
Zaphod

[Marc_G]

Glad your Notes is no longer causing eyestrain!

Few people know of this fix; be sure to pass it on.