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#11
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How big a laptop screen?
timeOday wrote:
: Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a : 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. All the ads show the laptop computer playing a wide screen DVD movie. Sure it might be nice if I could play a DVD on my laptop from time to time, but that is definately NOT the prime reason I personally buy a laptop computer. If all I want it for is to watch movies on, I could save a boat load of money by just getting a portable DVD. I've also noticed that the same people seem to think that there are only two uses for a desktop computer. Running a small business (or not so small), or game playing that involves lots of shooting, explosions and hyper realistic body parts virtually falling into your lap. Once again I must be in the minority because I actually use my computer for several computationaly intense projects such as photo editing (suprize suprize). Randy ========== Randy Berbaum Champaign, IL |
#12
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How big a laptop screen?
Randy Berbaum wrote:
timeOday wrote: Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. All the ads show the laptop computer playing a wide screen DVD movie. Sure it might be nice if I could play a DVD on my laptop from time to time, but that is definately NOT the prime reason I personally buy a laptop computer. If all I want it for is to watch movies on, I could save a boat load of money by just getting a portable DVD. I've also noticed that the same people seem to think that there are only two uses for a desktop computer. Running a small business (or not so small), or game playing that involves lots of shooting, explosions and hyper realistic body parts virtually falling into your lap. Once again I must be in the minority because I actually use my computer for several computationaly intense projects such as photo editing (suprize suprize). Randy Exactly. It's funny to see so many here who seem to think only about sitting on a plane...forgetting that you also use your computer in the many days that tend to follow those hours on the aircraft. The laptop screens that really bug me are the wide-screen units that CLEARLY had screen housing space to spare...that COULD have fit another inch or two, both above and below. It's the ultimate "gotcha" by screen makers...pawning off fewer pixels and production costs under the mask of "wide-screen." Hasn't anyone noticed that wide-screen movies play quite well with black space above and below? Oh well... -- Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by MarkČ at: www.pbase.com/markuson |
#13
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How big a laptop screen?
timeOday wrote:
MarkČ wrote: Don't necessarily buy into the scam that is "wide-screen" laptop, etc. All "wide-screen" really means is that you've got a LOT LESS vertical area to work with...meaning documents are a pain, and so are portrait mode pictures. I think the wide-screen thing was economic genius on the part of manufacturers...because they got people to believe that slicing off the top and bottom of their screens was a good thing(!?). It isn't...except to save a bit of battery life, perhaps. MarkČ Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. Haven't measured, but would suspect that the square inch measurement for a 17 inch widescreen would be about the same as a 15.4 4:3 screen. Perhaps someone with a widescreen could answer this. |
#14
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How big a laptop screen?
Randy Berbaum wrote:
timeOday wrote: : Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a : 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. All the ads show the laptop computer playing a wide screen DVD movie. Sure it might be nice if I could play a DVD on my laptop from time to time, but that is definately NOT the prime reason I personally buy a laptop computer. If all I want it for is to watch movies on, I could save a boat load of money by just getting a portable DVD. I've also noticed that the same people seem to think that there are only two uses for a desktop computer. Running a small business (or not so small), or game playing that involves lots of shooting, explosions and hyper realistic body parts virtually falling into your lap. Once again I must be in the minority because I actually use my computer for several computationaly intense projects such as photo editing (suprize suprize). Randy ========== Randy Berbaum Champaign, IL I'm with you, Randy. I play a game of Solitaire now and then, and work jigsaw puzzles as well, but me computer spends most of its time on the internet, or doing photo related stuff, or reading fanfiction, or whatever else I can find to do with it. Gaming and watching DVDs rate way low on my priority scale here. |
#15
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How big a laptop screen?
MarkČ wrote:
Randy Berbaum wrote: timeOday wrote: Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. All the ads show the laptop computer playing a wide screen DVD movie. Sure it might be nice if I could play a DVD on my laptop from time to time, but that is definately NOT the prime reason I personally buy a laptop computer. If all I want it for is to watch movies on, I could save a boat load of money by just getting a portable DVD. I've also noticed that the same people seem to think that there are only two uses for a desktop computer. Running a small business (or not so small), or game playing that involves lots of shooting, explosions and hyper realistic body parts virtually falling into your lap. Once again I must be in the minority because I actually use my computer for several computationaly intense projects such as photo editing (suprize suprize). Randy Exactly. It's funny to see so many here who seem to think only about sitting on a plane...forgetting that you also use your computer in the many days that tend to follow those hours on the aircraft. The laptop screens that really bug me are the wide-screen units that CLEARLY had screen housing space to spare...that COULD have fit another inch or two, both above and below. It's the ultimate "gotcha" by screen makers...pawning off fewer pixels and production costs under the mask of "wide-screen." Hasn't anyone noticed that wide-screen movies play quite well with black space above and below? Oh well... I suspect that a fairly large percentage of laptop owners find travel takes up a lot of their time. While it isn't a large component of my computer use, flying is something I do several times a year for pleasure, and the aforementioned problem with a laptop in coach seating certainly is a consideration. Mostly, I fly first class, but one finds it necessary to go on 'regional carriers' now and then, and those aircraft aren't particularly 'roomy', to say the least. I suspect one of the widescreens would fare better in that environment. Otherwise, unless one often works with spreadsheets that are much wider than they are long, the screen width isn't all that useful. As for looking at a widescreen movie on a 4:3 laptop, BAAAAAHHHH. |
#16
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How big a laptop screen?
Ron Hunter wrote:
MarkČ wrote: Randy Berbaum wrote: timeOday wrote: Yes, "wide screen" really means "short screen." I say that because a 15" widescreen has less surface area than a 15" 4:3. I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. All the ads show the laptop computer playing a wide screen DVD movie. Sure it might be nice if I could play a DVD on my laptop from time to time, but that is definately NOT the prime reason I personally buy a laptop computer. If all I want it for is to watch movies on, I could save a boat load of money by just getting a portable DVD. I've also noticed that the same people seem to think that there are only two uses for a desktop computer. Running a small business (or not so small), or game playing that involves lots of shooting, explosions and hyper realistic body parts virtually falling into your lap. Once again I must be in the minority because I actually use my computer for several computationaly intense projects such as photo editing (suprize suprize). Randy Exactly. It's funny to see so many here who seem to think only about sitting on a plane...forgetting that you also use your computer in the many days that tend to follow those hours on the aircraft. The laptop screens that really bug me are the wide-screen units that CLEARLY had screen housing space to spare...that COULD have fit another inch or two, both above and below. It's the ultimate "gotcha" by screen makers...pawning off fewer pixels and production costs under the mask of "wide-screen." Hasn't anyone noticed that wide-screen movies play quite well with black space above and below? Oh well... I suspect that a fairly large percentage of laptop owners find travel takes up a lot of their time. Perhaps frequent business travelers, ya. But millions of folks buy laptops who never even fly at all....and millions more fly only occasionally. For me, a laptop means high quality review of a day's shots...and also the simple use of having all other computer functions while away. I'll spend about 18 hours flying each way to and from Ukraine this summer...but that will only constitute a small fraction of the time I'll spend on the computer during my 6 week stay. I'm using a wide screen machine, but the housing doesn't waste space above and below the screen. It's actually the size of the ratio, and a very small unit over all. The ones that feel like a rip-off to me are the units that look like they could have easily fit a 4:3, but chopped it short anyway... While it isn't a large component of my computer use, flying is something I do several times a year for pleasure, and the aforementioned problem with a laptop in coach seating certainly is a consideration. Mostly, I fly first class, but one finds it necessary to go on 'regional carriers' now and then, and those aircraft aren't particularly 'roomy', to say the least. I suspect one of the widescreens would fare better in that environment. Otherwise, unless one often works with spreadsheets that are much wider than they are long, the screen width isn't all that useful. As for looking at a widescreen movie on a 4:3 laptop, BAAAAAHHHH. Wide screen units fail to match many movie aspect ratios anyway... -- Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by MarkČ at: www.pbase.com/markuson |
#18
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How big a laptop screen?
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#19
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How big a laptop screen?
Randy Berbaum wrote:
I've noticed that laptop manufacturers seem to be convinced that what we really want is a portable DVD player. Again, I've thought exactly the same thing. It's vaguely insulting, like I have nothing better to do than watch DVDs. |
#20
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How big a laptop screen?
Having owned a half dozen laptops over the years, and worked on more, here's my two cents: About 15" seems to be the best compromise between portability and usability; and do NOT look for a "widescreen" display. The conventional, approximate 4:3 is better for general use. ALSO, displays wary widely in their apparent clarity and color rendition, despite having ostensibly identical specifications. If at all possible, view some known images on the different units you're considering. |
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