Considering Dell Studio 15 laptop - two questions...

Hi. I'm from the UK and I need a laptop for university. I'm pretty set on getting a Studio 15 and I'm running through a few configurations and have a few questions.

1. Which screen size should I go for? The standard is "15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display with TrueLife" and the alternative is "15.4" Widescreen WXGA+ WLED (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLife". Whilst the extra resolution might be nice, it's also £90 (about $180) extra, so I'm not sure if I could justify that. I know nothing about displays though - does the WLED or TFT bit mean there are any other differences between the two? Will they both be as reflective as each other, or would one be less reflective? Is reflectiveness generally a problem with these type of screens.

2. One option is a "Biometric Fingerprint Reader." For £30 (about $60), is it worth it? I know little about this technology but is it a viable/secure authentication method? Would you log on to Windows with it or is it for storing web passwords etc?

Thanks!

 

The biometric fingerprint reader is just somthing for lazy people pretty much, it allows you to log into your windows system easier, but isnt the most secure system in the world.

The 1280 x 800 one should Look fine as that is the correct resolution for a screen of that size, and anything higher would mean tiny taskbars and icons e.t.c (i know because my 15.4" laptop is running at 1920 x 1080 and everything is tiny!)

 

There is a way to increase the size of icons using high resolutions, I don't know how though, someone mentioned it in a thread I read.

I'd personally go for the WLED if you can fit it into your budget. It is a great feature. It reduces glare(reflectiveness), does not use as much battery, and causes the screen to be more vibrant.

The fingerprint reader really isn't worth it.

 

But is it really worth an additional $200?? I wouldn't think so, but then again, if you have the budget then go for it. Ya the fingerprint is definitely not worth it for an additional $60.

And to increase the size of the icons, wouldn't you just have to right-click the desktop, then go to View, then select if you want Large, Medium, or small icons? Thats how I do it.

 

There's a huge difference between 1920x1200 and 1440x900 on a 15.4" screen. My Mac uses 1440x900 and (at for me, at least) it perfect.

@OP: If you've got the cash and can spare it, upgrading the resolution from 1280x800 to 1440x900 is well worth the investment, IMHO. If a store is available in your area where machines are sold with these options, take a look. I think you'll understand why I recommend the upgrade.

FWIW: I have machine with glossy screens and with matte. Rarely do reflections bother me, but I do NOT use them outdoors or in very bright rooms; I prefer glossy. Good luck.


@lotta: atm, I'm on a Mac, so this is from memory: Control Panel, Display, Appearance, Properties and I think this is the page with an "Appearance" tab where you can change Font and Icon size. Somewhere in that general vicinity is also a setting for DPI which might also help with the appearance of text.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'll definitely miss out the fingerprint reader.

I'm still indecisive about the display though. This is my first laptop so I've used a 1024x768 display ever since I've had a computer, so I'm wondering whether I'll need all those extra pixels for the 1440x900 display. But then again I'll never know, and the LED does sound like a better option. At £90/$180 it's just such a lot extra though. (hey, I'm a penniless student!)

Do LED displays have less glare than CCFLs?

 

No they don't have less glare, but they have more vibrant colors possibly off-setting the glare by just a little bit? Glossy screens have glare either way.

 

Save yr money dude , $ 180 is totallly not worth going for the WLED screen

 

would also drop the fingerprint and if you don't have the money: leave the led alone!

 

I don't know if it's still the same, but when I ordered mine (last week) they said if I didn't go for the fingerprint reader, I'd be subject to an extra 7 day delay. I don't know if that's something you're okay, but I need mine definatly by close to the end of this month, so I added it to the order because.

UK based, btw.

 

Thanks for the info. It's probably okay though as I have until mid-September until I absolutely need it.