Laptop monitor quality or lighting issue?

[LadyKathryn]

As a hobby, I like to tinker with graphics for websites. Nothing too fancy, as I'm not a professional. This is just for fun. And my problem is this. I have a desktop and a laptop. Sometimes, I do some image editing when I'm on campus, with my laptop. But when I transfer my files back to the desktop, the saturation/brightness/contrast/etc. doesn't look right. This is frustrating, as it means I have to go back and redo things.

I've tried configuring the two displays to match, but I haven't been able to get it to work. Do you think it's a display issue, or maybe a lighting one? My laptop is a basic old Acer, so the display isn't anything special. As for lighting, my desktop is under standard household lighting (incandescent?), whereas my laptop is often under what I assume is florescent lighting. I've heard that this can affect how the display looks. But I really don't know much about this sort of thing, I'm afraid.

I'm looking to buy a new laptop, and I basically want to know if it's worth the extra money to invest in a higher-end screen, like an IPS. If it's just that my current laptop has a poor display, then I'd be willing to pay a bit extra for a better one. But if it's the lighting that's causing me problems, then a better screen might not help any. (Also, if it is the lighting, is there anything I can do to mitigate that?)

I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me out a bit. Thanks!

 

[JeffDaemon]

Not sure what "tinkering with graphics for websites for fun" means but much like how you are limited when doing photography with a phone, so will you be when using a laptop screen not designed around color accuracy.

IPS displays are obviously a must have, most TN panels are 6bit dithered. After that I would invest in a color calibration device. This isn't asking much.

Check any laptops you are considering with notebook check, when possible they will offer up color accuracy test.