IBMT42: Should I get XGA SXGA or UXGA? 14" or 15"?

I've always used thinkpads from work which have 1024x768 XGA screen (currently I have a 14" XGA 1024x768). They're nice but I've always wished they had higher resolution so they displayed more... For example, my desktops have had a 17" CRT and 17" LCD set at 1280x1024

As I'm looking to buy my own thinkpad now, I can get the screen I want.

Question is: what resolution, size and card should I get? (I've never even seen any thinkpad other than XGA but I suspect 1600x1200 UXGA would render the text way too small for my preference)

What is the SXGA 1400x1050 display like?? Does it need 15" or is 14" readable? Which graphics card/memory should I get for it? (mainly for text, web and photos). Can you change the resolution or is it best kept at its native setting like for my desktop LCD?

Really appreciate any opionions/feedback especially from anyone who has used/seen different thinkpad display configurations. Thanks! [ ]

 

And with that post, my title change to "guru" ... as if ... LMAO [ ]

 

I have a 14" screen SXGA resolution ThinkPad T40 and it's perfect for my needs. I used an XGA 15" IBM ThinkPad T42 and saw less on the screen than I can with my SXGA T40. You're right, UXGA is kind of torturous with its small text size and since the resolution is always best kept in its native size, then you're kind of stuck with whatever res you configure the ThinkPad for.

I wouldn't blow a bunch of money on a good graphics card, even a 32MB or 64MB ATI 9XXX series would be fine for you. Make sure to get 512MB of RAM though.

The ThinkPad T series is a great one, you might want to see what the T43 offers when it is announced next week if you can hold on for a few days.

 

Isn't text on the 14.1" SXGA screen hard to read for the average jane?

The 14.1" SXGA crams almost as many pixels-per-sq-inch as the Dell's 700m XGA (ie., text displayed on the 700M would be just slightly smaller). And I've never seen the 700M, but I read a few users' complaints on CNET about "small fonts".

Has anyone seen & compared text/fonts on both the 14.1 SXGA and 15" SXGA screens [?]

(according to my arithmetic the 15" screen is 13% larger in area, and a half-inch higher and three-quarters inch wider ... wish I could SEE the two screens rather than just do the math!)

Thanks!

 

If I could get the SXGA, I would. It is the one thing I don't like about my Thinkpad. When I go from my desktop LCD also at 1280x1024 everything on my Thinkpad seems so big. For example, if I go into the Hardware forum, the last post I can see is the last sticky, so I always got to scroll down. On my desktop, I can see all but the last post. It is not horrible, but when I get a new notebook, when my warranty runs out in two years and nine months, I'm definetly looking into that. Good Luck.






I know things, things that could get me killed

 

Okay, but I'm wondering if you go with 1280x1024 you really need the 15" screen over the 14" screen else text/icons/fonts would be uncomfortably small?? (which is unfortunate because the 14" saves significantly on battery usage and especially initial cost).

 

My take is that with a 15" display you lose the real benefit of the machine, that is being light. The 1" adds a pound if I remember correctly.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

I have the 15" screen with the 128mb video card.
I have the resolution set on 1600x1200 and I am using the large capacity battery.
I have to say after adjusting the fonts and magnification on a few programs, this setting is quite visually pleasing.
As far as productivity, my screen had so much more room on it now, Excel for example, You can viw cells A-Z with out having to scroll on 100 percent magnification.
As far as the function,
W/o the a/c adapter i am at 5.8lbs.
Try and find another 15" book this weight that lasts almost 5 hours on a single charge.
When you buy a 15" book, you obviously know it will be heavier (although 1/2lb. is not a bog deal), and the advantages to the bigger screen for me outway the weight and sizer difference.

 

I have an 15" SXGA (nice, but not very clear even with 32MB ATI 7500 and clear type tuned) and would retrospectively opt for the 15" UXGA given the option...

IBM T42 2378-FZU
1024 MB Corsair System Select
High Capacity Li-Ion Battery
Hitachi Travelstar 7K60
Audigy 2 ZS Notebook

 

I hate cleartype, i think it makes stuff blurry. Have you tried cleartype off, isn't that better?

I don't like the SXGA on a 14" Dell 600m that I've seen. The text at its native 1400x1050 is just too small for me for comfort (I want to use this as a mobile desktop-replacement, as I cant afford multiple computers).

So how do you like text size on the 15" SXGA?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by RukRem

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>I hate cleartype, i think it makes stuff blurry. Have you tried cleartype off, isn't that better? <hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>
That is why you should tune your system with Microsoft's ClearType Tuner <http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx>.
See <http://grc.com/ctwhat.htm> for why sub-pixel font rendering is optically superior to aliasing/anti-aliasing.

<blockquote id='quote'>quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>So how do you like text size on the 15" SXGA?<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>
Excellent @ 1024 x 768. The screen fonts nearly mirror that of my workstation set at the same resolution.

IBM T42 2378-FZU
Intel Pentium M 755 2.0 GHz
2048 MB Corsair System Select
High Capacity Li-Ion Battery
Hitachi Travelstar 7K60
Audigy 2 ZS Notebook

 

Quite interesting, but I still think the ClearType often looks fuzzier. Just like all the science behind Bose speakers still makes for a worse sounding speaker.

Are you saying you're not using the native resolution for your laptop? If so, doesn't it look bad?

 

Native resolution is 1024 x 768. Since my workstation is also set to 1024 x 768, the transition between laptop to workstation and vice-versa is relatively seamless.

IBM T42 2378-FZU
Intel Pentium M 755 2.0 GHz
2048 MB Corsair System Select
High Capacity Li-Ion Battery
Hitachi Travelstar 7K60
Audigy 2 ZS Notebook

 

I am dumb,.. I mean isn't the resolution for an SXGA like yours supposed to be 1400x1050 not 1024x768?? Why would you want UXGA then? (because isn't uxga 1600x1200?)

Thanks in advance for setting me clear.

 

I'd bought the T40 that ended up going to my Dad, with 1400x1050 on 14.1".

It did not work out perfectly for him either, as all text looked too small for his eyes. I had to increase the Windows DPI setting (which many people call "large fonts" but I always thought that was inaccurate as there is a separate setting to increase Windows font size that is independent of the Windows DPI size).

As a point of comparison, on my home 21" *CRT* monitors running at 1600x1200 I usually like to set Windows to 120 DPI large setting (vs. the default 96 DPI), but I keep the Windows font size at the default size (not Large Fonts).

For the abovementioned T40's LCD I had to go to extremes though -- as I recall I had to set both 120 DPI setting *and* set Windows to Large Fonts. Or maybe I had to set the DPI to a custom setting even larger than 120 DPI, I don't remember exactly. It turns out that my Dad prefers really large text (way too large for my own taste). In the end I think a normal 1024x768 screen at standard DPI/font sizes would've fit more text on screen (for most applications) than this T40's 1400x1050 screen the way it's configured [ ] As such for this particular user, I don't think choosing a 1024x768 screen would've been worse off... Well, I guess you can fit more bitmap image pixels onscreen by default with 1400x1050...

Now I also need to buy a new T42/T43 that could end up with my Dad too. If so I'm considering 1024x768 on 14.1" or perhaps still go for 1400x1050 on 15"... I myself might want to go for an X41 with 1024x778 on 12"?


P.S. BTW I don't remember anymore, is 1400x1050 called "SXGA" or "SXGA+"?

 

I have the T42 with a 15" sxga+ and love it. I do mainly text, spreadsheets, web and photos. I just started playing half life 2. My graphics card is a 64 mb ATI 9600 (adequate for my needs). Love the display real estate especially when I compare it to my son's T42 xga screen.

 

Gee wish I could see it. What resolution is yours set to? Are you using display with small fonts (96 dpi) or large (120 dpi) ?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by SkiBunny

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by beq
I wonder why people refer to the 120 dpi setting as large fonts. Windows has a separate setting to set normal/large fonts, which is independent of the dpi setting...
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>
Because when you pick large/normal fonts, it changes & specifies the dpi (in brackets). I'm talking about the pulldown on the General tab accessed by desktop-right-click -> Properties -> Settings -> Advanced.
What's the other setting to which you're referring?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by SkiBunny<blockquote id='quote'>quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by beqI wonder why people refer to the 120 dpi setting as large fonts. Windows has a separate setting to set normal/large fonts, which is independent of the dpi setting...
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>Because when you pick large/normal fonts, it changes & specifies the dpi (in brackets). I'm talking about the pulldown on the General tab accessed by desktop-right-click -> Properties -> Settings -> Advanced.
What's the other setting to which you're referring?<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>Yeah, that's what I mean too. But for me that DPI setting mentions "Normal size (96 DPI)" and "Large size (120 DPI)" -- it does not mention the word "font" anywhere I could see.

Whereas there is a separate "Font size" setting accessed by desktop-right-click -> Properties -> Appearance. This font size settings lists "Normal", "Large Fonts", and "Extra Large Fonts".

That's why I was confused, because in my view font size and dpi size are two separate and independent settings. I can use large dpi and normal font size, or vice-versa, or both large dpi and large fonts, or both normal dpi and normal fonts...

 

I just bought a T42 with 14.1" SXGA+, and I am loving it. I love the form factor...it really does make a difference. The small text really doesn't bother me, either, honestly.
Anyways, thats my two cents. I agonized over this issue for days, myself, and I am happy with my choice.