Solved! 1080p in 15in laptops

[ramkal]

Hi,
Is the 1920x1080 resolution in 15 inch laptops practical? Dell Latitude EE5520 offers it for additional $50 (For ThinkPad T520 is $200 extra). I have a 1080p 21.5 inch desktop monitor that seems "just right". Isn't 15.4 screen too small for such a resolution?

Could anybody here who owns a 15 in 1080p laptop post their feedback? How do the fonts look by default? T520 has a 1600x900 option which seems better but Latitude EE5520 seems very attractively priced.

I couldn't find any high resolution 15in laptops in any stores here - I checked staples and best buy ...

Thanks

 

[jaguarskx]

The 1920x1080 option for the ThinkPad T520 may be an IPS panel instead of a TN panel that is normally used in a laptop. IPS offers better viewing angles than TN and more accurate colors, however they are more expensive to manufacture. However, this is just pure speculation on my part.

1920x1080 on a 15.6" screen will be a little too tiny for my taste. However, people tend to be pretty close to the screen when using a laptop; my head is about 14" - 15" away from the screen when using a laptop.

 

[hpfreak]

Most 15" laptops don't come with 1080p by default. But many manufacturers offer customization for full 1080p... Try Sager Notebooks, iBuyPower, Newegg.com, Frys.com ....

 

[cadder]

I think a 15" screen is too small for 1080. I would not want to go less than 19" personally, but some people with real good eyes might go to 17". It also depends a little on how close you get your face to the screen. I have a 22" monitor on my desk and I'm generally about 20" from my eye to the screen.

 

[Zenthar]

Yes it can be a bit "small", but you get used to it. Moreover, it usually beats the alternative which is usually a crappy 1024x768 resolution ...

 

[hpfreak]

Well, if you are looking for laptops that are 5 years old...

Most 15" today would probably have 1366x768p, or 1600x900. Both are good.
The smaller the screen, the less obvious a pixel is, because it is smaller... everything else will appear slightly smalller too, except for those programs, videos pictures... that are disaplaying in that resolution.
I wouldn't fret about not getting full HD with a 15" screen, I have a 17.3" laptop, with 1600x900... and I compared the quality on a similar machine with 1080p... there isn't much difference, everything is just a bit smaller, like icons and start menu... it's because Microsoft set those things up to fit a certain amount of pixels, and since there are more pixels on the screen, each pixel takes up less space on the screen then monitors with lower resolutions.. but it really isn't worth the extra money, you won't benifit from it, unless you want to do graphics work, which would benifit you with the "extra screen space".

 

[cadder]

I'm at home now and I happen to be using my 15" Dell Inspiron. It is 1440x900 and works great for me.

 

[hpfreak]

We had a 1440x900 (16:10) 17.3" laptop for 2 years, and it worked great also.

 

[Zenthar]

900 vertical pixel start to be sufficient. Most text-based media is vertical so not having a high vertical resolution makes you scroll all the time.

 

[RetiredChief]

To get a list of 15" laptops - go to newegg they have a large selection - not all that are available as above post have pointed out. Don't have to buy there but it will show you a list.
ie 15.6 in, then widescreen, then 1920 x 1080: bingo
11 models: http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%20600004344%20600004378%20600030165%20600004420&IsNodeId=1&name=1920%20x%201080

and 3 sony's 15.5": http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%20600004344%20600004382%20600004420&IsNodeId=1&name=1920%20x%201080

Then there is 2 panasonics that are 15.4" 1920 x 1200 BUT price is like $2,500+
http/www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740%20600004344%20600004356%20600004412&IsNodeId=1&name=1920%20x%201200

 

[quark4]

Hi,
Is the 1920x1080 resolution in 15 inch laptops practical?

Could anybody here who owns a 15 in 1080p laptop post their feedback?

Thanks

My Dell Latitude 820 has a 15.6 inch screen and 1920x1200 resolution. My previous Dell and IBM had 1280x960 pixel screens each. Having used the Latitude's screen res, I will never go back to the pathetic 1366x768 (or even 1600x900) available in laptops nowadays.

1920x1200 is a totally different ballgame. Movies play beautifully without being downscaled. Images fit in the screen, as opposed to having to scroll up and down to see any decent-sized photo. Big worksheets are a snap to handle.

I highly recommend getting a 1080 or 1200-line screen.

 

[RetiredChief]

Note thread is 30 days old.
1920 x 1080 = 16::9 = widescreen resolution
1920 x 1200 = 16::10= widescreen vertical stretch. Had that on my 24 in samsung - loved it. Also more sq inches for viewable image than 16::9. And grenerally cost more.