Lenovo no longer offering 4:3 size LCD?

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exTPfan · #31 Post by **exTPfan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:17 pm

Are the laptops Lenovo selling 16:10 or 16:9? They were 16:10 a while ago, but here is what their website says when you click on "help me decide"

"Widescreen refers to a computer screen that has a 16:9 aspect ratio as opposed to 4:3 aspect ratio. The wider aspect ratio allows for more content to be displayed on the screen at one time, ideal for watching DVD movies or working on large spreadsheets. "

16:10 may just be useable for serious work, but 16:9 isn't. Incidentally, most of what Lenovo say is a lie, for example, that "the wider aspect ratio allows for more content to be displayed on the screen at one time" A 14.1 diagonal screen has an area of 95.4 (4:3), 89.4 (16:10), or 84.9 (16:9).

Fortunately, I have one 14.1in SXGA+ that I'm using plus three that I've mothballed (two T42s and a T61).

pianowizard · #32 Post by **pianowizard** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:34 pm

exTPfan wrote:most of what Lenovo say is a lie, for example, that "the wider aspect ratio allows for more content to be displayed on the screen at one time" A 14.1 diagonal screen has an area of 95.4 (4:3), 89.4 (16:10), or 84.9 (16:9).

No, they are comparing XGA with WXGA, SXGA+ with WSXGA+, UXGA with WUXGA, etc. In other words, in terms of the number of pixels, not surface area.

exTPfan · #33 Post by **exTPfan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:14 pm

pianowizard wrote:
exTPfan wrote:most of what Lenovo say is a lie, for example, that "the wider aspect ratio allows for more content to be displayed on the screen at one time" A 14.1 diagonal screen has an area of 95.4 (4:3), 89.4 (16:10), or 84.9 (16:9).
No, they are comparing XGA with WXGA, SXGA+ with WSXGA+, UXGA with WUXGA, etc. In other words, in terms of the number of pixels, not surface area.

Wrong! This is the "help me decide" for TPs with a 14.1 inch screen.

pianowizard · #34 Post by **pianowizard** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:47 pm

exTPfan wrote:Wrong! This is the "help me decide" for TPs with a 14.1 inch screen.

A 14.1" WXGA screen gives more real estate than a 14.1" XGA screen, even though the former has a smaller surface area.

exTPfan · #35 Post by **exTPfan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:53 pm

Read the full quote:

"Widescreen refers to a computer screen that has a 16:9 aspect ratio as opposed to 4:3 aspect ratio. The wider aspect ratio allows for more content to be displayed on the screen at one time, ... "

It's clear what it's saying, and it's clear that it's wrong. Hard to believe they can't count at Lenovo, so it must be intentional, i.e., a lie.

#36 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:08 pm

The confusion is the pixel density. While a 14.1" XGA will have more surface area than a 14.1" WXGA display, the number of pixels will be greater in the WXGA display.

For instance, a 14.1" XGA display shows the same amount of information as a 15" XGA display, although the 15" display has more surface area than the 14.1" display. The number of pixels is the same in the 14.1" and 15" XGA displays.

An XGA display of any size has 790,000 pixels. A WXGA display of any size has 1,040,000 pixels.

While you will be able to see more information on a 14.1 " WXGA display as opposed to a 14.1" XGA display, the fonts and images will be smaller on the 14.1" WXGA display.

exTPfan · #37 Post by **exTPfan** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:28 pm

There's no confusion: what Lenovo says is perfectly clear, and perfectly false.

However, if you want to argue that Lenovo meant to say "The wider aspect ratio allows for more pixels to be displayed..." (but didn't), it's still false.

The highest resolution I can find on the current 14.1in wide screens is WXGA+=1440x900=1296000.

On the 4:3 14.1 screens, they used to offer SXGA+=1400x1050=1470000.

I can understand that Lenovo would want to fudge this.

#38 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:26 pm

Considering that they used to offer 14.1" SXGA+ displays (this is what I have on my T42), and now the best they offer is 14.1" WXGA+, I can see where you are coming from.

In this light you are correct. Lenovo's current 14.1", WXGA+, 16:9 aspect ratio (1440x900) Widescreen, T-series Thinkpads are not allowing for 'more content to be displayed on the screen' than what could be displayed on the previous 14.1", SXGA+, 4:3 aspect ratio (1400x1050), T-series ThinkPads.

Hey, I don't like the Widescreens either.

bobdsmith · #39 Post by **bobdsmith** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:55 am

X series here:

Why does a subnotebook need to be extended a few pointless inches for a widescreen. I see no reason why there cant be a widescreen model (read: X300) but 1024x768 is god on the sub notebook. WHY?!?! (Crys while hugging X61s's display)

I think the only ting we can do is go on lenovo blogs and spam that we want 4:3s and try not to buy widescreen TPs unless we can't help it (IE: need one for work, current toy dies)

EBay and outlet ftw.

JML · #40 Post by **JML** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:33 am

Anyone working with text is going to miss the 4:3 display. You can see more of a "printed" normal-looking page than with a widescreen. I'm glad I got one last year, on my T60.

But try and find a desktop LCD in that ratio. I wanted a 20" 1400x1050 desktop monitor to match my T60's highest resolution, and there were three models available, then two, and now none.

anthean · #41 Post by **anthean** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:34 am

JML wrote:Anyone working with text is going to miss the 4:3 display. You can see more of a "printed" normal-looking page than with a widescreen. I'm glad I got one last year, on my T60.

This is true.

JML wrote:But try and find a desktop LCD in that ratio. I wanted a 20" 1400x1050 desktop monitor to match my T60's highest resolution, and there were three models available, then two, and now none.

Here, I can happily say that I bought one of the last 20 inch 4:3 monitors. It is wide enough.

#42 Post by **bill bolton** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:52 pm

JML wrote:Anyone working with text is going to miss the 4:3 display.

No, not anyone, just some who work with text.

Cheers,

Bill B.

pianowizard · #43 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:01 pm

JML wrote:Anyone working with text is going to miss the 4:3 display.

It's true that people who maximize the text document on the screen tend to prefer 4:3. But I like to either view two pages at once, or a text document and another window/document side by side, and both arrangements are usually more easily achieved on widescreens.

EDIT: I think this pictorial explanation is easier to understand.

bobdsmith · #44 Post by **bobdsmith** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 6:09 pm

I actually have been trying using a widescreen setup the past week. While t is useful for some things (side by sie, etc) it was fairly annoying for me...but at least the bezel wasn't 2 inches wide.

Lenovo no longer offering 4:3 size LCD?

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