How may the screen resolution of the new T440s compare to the retina MacBook Pro?

I am replacing my T500 and one of my top criteria is screen resolution. After using PCs for over 25 years, I decided to switch to Apple, having been impressed with the quality and function of my iPhone and iPad. Because I really want as non-pixelated look as possible, I ordered a refurbished 15" retina MacBook Pro which should arrive today.

However, I'm having some second thoughts about making the jump and have 14 days to return the Mac. Do I really want the hassle of learning OS X, buying and installing Windows 7 or 8 along with perhaps VMWare Fusion? Maybe it would be a lot simpler to stay in the Windows environment.

I'm in front of my notebook for eight hours a day, and I want as fine a display as possible, with sharp and crisp fonts. I realize the resolutions are getting better, and the T440s will have a Full HD IPS display.

All of this leads up to my question: Does FHD in the T440s mean that fonts will be "normal" size, not really tiny but scaled in such a way that high resolution provides crisp but not-tiny fonts? Or, would enlarging to something like 125% make it readable without the letters becoming pixelated?

In other words, will scaling options available in Windows 8.1 coupled with the FHD of the T440s produce a "retina-like" screen?

Thanks.

 

I have a 1920x1080 FHD display in my 15.6" laptop and it's zoomed in at 125% for everything. The fonts and icons don't look completely as they do when it's at 100% zoom level but its close; however, 125% helps with better visibility. I think the fonts look slightly "skinny" compared to a native zoom level but still very readable and looks sharp. I would imagine on a 14" screen it may be even sharper though smaller. Really, 1920x1080 running at 125% might equal a 1600x900, more or less. Many T430 users have this resolution and are fine with readability. I think you shouldn't have much to worry about either laptop. Since your rMBP is coming, try it out and see how it goes. Remember that the T440s will be smaller so text might appear to be smaller.

I should mention I'm using Windows 7.

 

Thanks, Bluebird. I've read that scalability is much improved in Windows 8.1, but I have not hands-on knowledge of that.

(I realize, of course, that the T440s is 14" instead of the 15.4" of my T500 or the rMBP that I ordered. I think 14" is fine for my work, but I was concerned that a 13.3" rMBP (and it with only integrated graphics) may be a bit small.)

BTW, if anyone thinks of another computer to suggest, especially another ThinkPad, which would be comparable in screen resolution to the rMBA, please pass that along.

Edit: And I think the term I'm looking for is "pixel density" to describe attracts me to the rMBP and what I would like to find in a ThinkPad.

 

The coming ThinkPad T540p will be available with a 2880x1620 15.5" IPS screem.

I am using the T440s with 1920x1080 on 14" with 100 % (no scaling), and I am perfectly fine with the fonts.

The scaling in 8.1 should be mouch better in some ways.

 

Why don't you buy a Dell Precision?
The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

It has a 3200 x 1800 screen and 3 year NBD warranty standard.

I'm actually going to switch from ThinkPads to Dell Precisions or HP Zbooks when I get my next workstation.

 

I've been running 1680x1050 on my 13" MacBook Pro Retina for months and really like it. I hope Lenovo offers something competitive this year. I would really love to have a X1 Carbon or similar with a great screen.

 

What exactly is the point of getting a high resolution if you're then going to scale everything- doesnt that defeat the point of the high resolution? :s

 

Personally, I run my W520 at 100% DPI, my desktop at 100% DPI (both 1080p), and (I'm assuming) 100% DPI on my X61t (1050p), and bumping up the DPI to 125% on the 1080p displays look look that much pixelated to me, but they still look terrible imo (almost like 900p/768p).

I've seen a rMBP before (one of my professors has one), but to me it doesn't look all that much different to me since they're usually scaled to 1920x1200. So if you're thinking that you don't want to use OSX full-time nor convert to it, then you could look into returning the rMBP and picking up some 1080p (or better) Thinkpad/Precision/Latitude and set it to 100% DPI (if you don't want it to look pixelated).

 

It does in my book, at least on current Windows-based systems.

I don't know what Apple did, but MBPr looks a lot better "scaled down" than any Windows system I've ever seen, and I'm not a Mac guy by any stretch of imagination.

To OP: with a T440s - or any non-Mac system for that fact - you'll be relying on W8/W8.1's scaling ability unless you can tolerate the DPI count at its full figure. Personally, I'm skeptical.

If you can run the T440s' display at 100%, then by all means go for it. If not, I'd stick with a Mac.

Yes, I did write that. Amazing, isn't it...

 

I should be buying Macs if all Lenovo is going to do is try to copy Apple.

Lenovo can't even copy them properly so most people keep buying Macs instead.

 

Personally, I'd just keep the rMBP and call it a day.

 

Again your number is off the mark unless you are still in college.

ps. Sorry could not help it.

 

I really don't think that any of the above touches the main issue in this thread...

The key question remains whether Windows 8/8.1 will scale as well as OSX, presuming that the OP decides that he can't run T440s at its native FHD resolution...

 

Well , the reason I said that is partially because of this:

Apple Overtakes Coca-Cola as World

Also I can't find many people who use heavy duty laptops (e.g. workstations) like I do.

Lots of people seem to buy laptops that are meant for light work.

How many people do you know that have a mobile workstation vs some MacBook?

 

Windows 8.1 does NOT scale the same way as OS X.

Although, if there is really a choice between OS X or Windows, i.e. user is not going to use specific (and particularly older) applications, and stuck to content consumption/browser/recent MS Office, Windows 7/8/8.1 scale just fine.

 

It does. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft added the option for 200 % scaling, and thats just the same thing OSX does. The only big difference now is that OSX has the option to go even futher beyond 200 %, but I don´t think many people use that.

The only thing thats now in the way: The software developers, who are not improving their software for scaling.

 

It does not, it's using the same virtual DPI system available since Vista. OS tells the older applications that they are running on normal dpi screen, and scale up the resulting image. Together with rendered fonts and all their subpixel smoothing enlarged = text output is not getting sharper, and in fact gets worse. Depending on the app you'll see one behavior or the other, as shown on the screenshot attached = either good large fonts not fitting into some areas and tiny toolbar buttons, or all scaled up with ugly fonts.

200% was always there btw, just took one extra mouse click.

As to software developers, the majority of Windows users are using normal dpi screens. Pretty much all desktop monitors are sub-120 ppi, and so is the majority of the laptops in the field. And newer apps, developed with technologies available for almost a decade now, scale fine. Just Windows is great with compatibility, and there are many other applications, some of which are old, not supported yet business critical. Yet, if such applications are used, there isn't any choice OS X or Windows really

 

For what it's worth, I found this from a few weeks ago: Windows 8.1 scaling: why you shouldn't bother getting excited.

My iPad and iPhone have spoiled me on crisp fonts. The new Dell XPS 15 looks like a great computer, and I'd love to see how it handles scaling of fonts. Another thing, too, is what are third-party developers doing to address the high resolution machines. I wonder whether it will take a year or two for the applications to catch up with the technology.

That's probably what I'll do.

Plus, when I double-checked the RAM that is in my rMBP, the 8GB that it is supposed to have turned out to be 16GB. I had read where a few people had received 16GB in their refurbished rMBP's (that were the same configuration as mine), so it was a pleasant discovery to find mine had the extra RAM, too.

I appreciate all the input. Unfortunately, it looks like the new ThinkPads and the XPS will be released too late for me to compare before my 14-day window closes.

 

Now I remember one reason why I was going to buy a Retina MacBook Pro before. OSX does have much better scaling than Windows 8 and probably better than 8.1.

 

I was at Best Buy recently and played a little bit with the Macbook Pro 15" along with the Retina ones. Absolutely excellent in all the ways. The aluminum finish will help keep the dust off as well. I see no reason not to get one other than the price

 

Some days I regret buying an X230t when I could have put the money towards a Retina MacBook Pro.

My W530 is definitely worth the money so I can't say I'd give that up for a Retina MacBook Pro though.

I'm surprised that Apple has grown so much.

I learned some valuable lessons...

 

Huh? You can still get dust on an aluminum laptop.

 

Indeed.........

 

LOL, yes but it is easier to just brush it away than a rubberized laptop. Plus the lighter colors hide dust particles well. It was a poorly written post.

 

I've had no difficulty dusting my W520 or X61t. Dusting a MBP should be just as easy.

 

The outside rubberized lid is not quite as easy since the dust can actually settle. If you use a dry rag it sometimes spreads it from place to place. It takes a damp towel to properly clean the rubberized body. It's also more visible due to the black color. This is very minor stuff. I was just commenting on some things I like about the Apple Macbooks.

 

Nothing wrong with that man, I was just confused with the original comment, like MBPs are anti-dust or something .

 

Unfortunately/ fortunately for you, they seem to have dropped the rubber coating on the latest Thinkpads.

 

I thought that the rubber coating was a premium feature.

I actually liked the rubber coating on my X230t and W530 even though it's a pain to clean.

Since most things don't clean the rubber part well , I use Mr.Clean Erasers (with some distilled water) to clean top of my W530 and X230t.

 

Haha that would be nice. Thanks for the swiffer duster tip

vinuneuro,

That's interesting. I wonder how the new ones feel. The rubber coating is has it's pros and cons. It makes the laptop feel high end and makes gripping them easier. However, I am overprotective of the rubber coating compared to if it was a metallic type of surface. I wouldn't mind if the plastic material used on the bottom of some of the Thinkpads was also used on the top lid as well. Thanks.

 

The tops of both my 1 year old ThinkPads look like new so I would say that the rubber coating is better than a metal like aluminum since I'm quite sure the aluminum would have been scratched up by now.

 

Rubber coating scratches as well, lol. It's rubber, not some a scratch resistant material (e.g. carbon ceramic).

 

I know , but so far it has no scratches after 1 year of use.

 

I found the price difference less than I had imagined when comparing machines with similar specs. I read that the new Dell XPS 15 starts at $700 less than the entry-level rMBP and that was a big selling point. One thing the columnist failed to mention is that the rMBP starts with a 256GB SSD, while the entry XPS 15, according to the article, starts with a larger HDD and a 32GB SSD and the lower resolution 1080p screen.

It will be interesting to compare prices of the new XPS 15, the rumored-soon-to-be-released refreshed rMBP 15", and the T440s. No doubt that all three will be fine machines.

Buying refurbished helps me buy Apple products at more affordable prices.

 

It's also interesting to know that the first generation of rMBP 15" was on clearance before. The 512 GB SSD one with 8GB of DDR3 was $1899 and the base model was on clearance for $1,259.99 before as well.

 

Those would be incredible prices, Zero. When was the mid-2012, 2.3GHz retina MBP on sale for $1259.99 (U.S. dollars?)? That's almost 43% off. Was that new or refurb? I wasn't in the market then, but I could have been at that price!

Thanks.

 

It was brand new and a store called Best Buy had them. Best Buy is kind of sneaky when it comes to clearance so most people would miss things like that.

I think July was the last time I saw the Retina on clearance.

I should have bought one but by the time I found out about it , all my local stores were out of them. Some people hunt Apple laptop deals like crazy so I'm not surprised. Sometimes employees buy clearance things out so most people will never know.

Example:
Apple® - MacBook® Pro with 15.4" Retina Display - MC975LL/A - clearance $1,259.99 - not open box - YMMV 07-25-2013 - Slickdeals.net

Quite a few stores had them.

 

That was an incredible deal for some fortunate people.

I got the same computer refurbished with the full warranty for $1599 and thought that was a pretty good deal, especially when I discovered 16GB memory in it instead of the expected 8GB.

But $1260--that makes my frugal soul ache.

 

Hi, ibmthink. I think I came across a youtube video where you were showing off the screen viewing angles, running linux. How is the native resolution in linux, is it comfortable enough to work in? Any chance you could share a screenshot of desktop with a window open so we can see how readable the text is? I plan on purchasing the T440s to run linux only, so I'm curious about this aspect of the laptop. Thanks.