Question about Ultra sharp screen on Dell 6000...

I am planning to buy a Dell 6000 notebook (my 1st laptop), and I have been reading that if you buy the WXGA+ (1440x900 screen) for the $100 extra , or the WSXGA+ (1680x 1050), $150 extra--that the icons and everything is smaller than if you get the normal WXGA (1280x 800) screen. My question is: If I go for one of these more expensive ultra sharp screens, can I make the icons & everything the same resolution/size as the normal 1280x 800 screen in the properties--if I think the ultra sharp screen makes everything too small ?? I do not plan to do any photo editing , or detailed work, but I do plan to be using this as a DVD player. Advice please.

 

You can change the resolution, but sometimes there is a blur effect when you take it out of native resolution. If you are looking for a resolution that is not too small I would suggest going with the 1440x900 I love it and it is not "too small" and it is great for watching DVD's or anything you want to do on your lappy.

 

Thank you for your reply. One more question... I am sorry to sound so clueless here. If you had your Dell 6000 with 1440 x 900 resolution right beside someone else who had the normal WXGA 1280 x 800 resolution---- would all your icons be the same size on the screen, or would YOURS be smaller?? For instance, I am using a 17 inch monitor at home here right now and I have my properties setting to 800x600 pixels-- this gives me the largest icons on my computer, I prefer that setting for surfing, etc. I only want to buy the Ultra Sharp screen IF ---when I change my resolutions to match the the sizes of the normal WXGA --if my screen is indeed SHARPER at those same settings. I am not interested in getting a larger viewing area with smaller icons/words, etc. I only want a sharper -Clearer viewing picture with larger icons --dvd playing etc. Please let me know if I am understanding this right, or not. ?? Thanks to all who reply

 

i could be wrong, but i don't think you can get wxga+ on a 15.4" lcd, i think that's only 17" lcds

you would be ill advised to run your LCD outside of its native resolution. if you're getting a 6000 and want the biggest icons, etc., you should get the wxga.

 

The icons would be smaller. You can always adjust the size of your text and icons is you want the higher rez. That is the only thing I can think of.

 

You know ,it is funny, I think you guys are right, but I called Dell about this and the lady swears up and down that you simply have higher quality viewing with the sharper screen, that if you change the Ultra sharp to the 1280x800 , that the Ultra sharp with be clearer than the WXGA at the same setting. No wonder i am confused!

 

Well, it depends on where you called in Dell...if it was sales...they don't know anything. I doubt that tech support would say that.

 

The lady either doesn't know what she's talking about or she's lying through her teeth.

The UltraSharp screens will be brighter and have better viewing angles but at non-native res of 1280x800 everything will be blurrier.

 

Ok, so for DVD watching, would you say the simple cheaper WXGA is good enough for someone like me? Who prefers the larger easily seen icons/words, etc. I plan to surf alot on the net with this notebook and watch DVD's. What would you choose?

 

Save the money, if you want to seriously game then go for the higher rez. Or if you are doing pics, etc.

 

go to a computer shop and look at the different resolutions yourself. take a dvd. the types of questions you are asking can only be answered by you and only after you see the different resolutions yourself.

 

I agree...head up to Best Buy and check out their computers. Ask the people to show you the different resolutions. You can make the comparisons. Personally, I would rather have the higher resolution because if I need/wanted to use it, it is there. If you can...settle on a happy medium.

 

Go to a nearby Dell kiosk to check out the i6000 screen for yourself if it's near your home & you live in the US. That way you can get a better idea.

 

No Dell places near me, I love the idea of getting the happy medium as some say, but then I hear that when set to other resolutions it is blurry---as quoted a little bit ago ...."but at non-native res of 1280x800 everything will be blurrier". I can only compare other computer screens since no Dell places are around. Even Best Buy is almost an hour drive for me. Best I got is a staples, chances are they wont even have any Ultra Sharp screens to look at.

 

Staples will have some HP's and they come with that kind of screen. Just go there, doesn't hurt. It is better do that than buy something you can don't like later.

 

http://www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/faqs/kb/21,50.html I guess this is what everyone is talking about . Found this on the net about LCD's and Native screens.

 

DVD's are not sett up for native res. they are recorded at 480 P, so a higher resolution screen will not put out any better looking image. 800x600 wow thats low...i would not suggest getting anything above wxga. 1280x800 will seem much smalller than 800x600, so be prepared. i can't belive people still use resolutions that low....

 

When I said the 800 x 600 resolution, I was referring to my Regular old Big Bulky (CRT) monitor on my Dell computer, not an LCD screen...like when you right click on your properties on your desktop & go into settings, I can change my reslution to many things higher but every one of them shrinks everything on the screen and it all looks too small. (I do not know anyone who has a Laptop to see theirs) . You mean most people prefer the smaller text/words on their computers--- or is it just that LCD monitors and CTR montiors are a completely different thing to compare when talking about this? I do not have any eye problems, I just prefer the bigger words, I have my "View"-Text size at Medium. FOr those who Prefer these High resolution screens, DO you change the TEXT SIZE under "VIEW"- to large then?

 

iam saying that 800x600 is a really large resolution on any monitor bigger than like 12". so if you got a I6000 with the wxga res you would be fitting many more pixles on a screen size smaller than a 17" desktop CRT. this will give you smaller everything, but you could lower resolution out of native (wouldn't suggest), change DPI, and font sizes. either way you most likely woln't be able to get your laptop scree to look like your desktop, so adapt to it. i would recommend getting used to the wxga res, because the standards for resolution are continually being pushed higher.

 

First you have to ask yourself why do you need a higher res monitor. Photo editing, Gaming, AutoCAD may be the reasons.
DVD runs at 640x480, so even the lowest res monitors would be fine to watch movies.
If you go with the higher res LCD screen, I'd suggest to run it on the native resolution and increase DPI setting to compensate for smaller icons/text. DPI can be changed in Desktop Properties --> Settings --> Advanced --> General tab. Changing DPI is generally better then running the monitor on non-native resolutions since sharpenss would not decrease - only increase for both fonts and images.
There are also programs available where you can scale icons to any size you want (the one I use is called TuneUp Utilities 2006). Beware though that most of the isons were not developed with scaling in mind, so enlarged image would not look sharp.

 

I did not order Ultra sharp screen, when surfing on internet, there is no problem at all, but I am a little annoyed by my new dell 6000's relative poor view angle and relative poor view color. From one review here it says:

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http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2376

Color on the 6000 and any Dell Samsung screen is warm and dull without adjustment. You'll want to immediately jump into your video properties and adjust your contrast, brightness, and others. I like a contrast of about 111%, brightness of 98%, and a gamma of 89%.
-------------

But I could not figure out how/where to adjust it.

I dont know if Ultra sharp screen would solve this problem or not.

So far, other than playing videos (especially DVD), I am still pretty happy with Dell 6000, nice and solid. And I have run several test softwares, comes out all pretty good.

 

Yep, they're all options on the higher-end starting configurations:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=i6000S4&s=dhs

I would definitely advise against the WUXGA. Higher resolution does translate to smaller everything. A friend of mine once (five years ago maybe) compared higher resolution to more real estate. I then said that it was more like having smaller stuff on your real estate. I then thought of a better way to put it: Imagine being in a helicopter and having, and being able to use, all of the real estate you survey. You get more real estate, but it's a lot tougher to see what is going on with it.

Two suggestions:
1) If you want portable DVD player, buy a portable DVD player and save yourself about 1.5 grand. (If that sounds nasty, it is just ribbing - no malintent)

2) If you really do want a laptop, but DVD playback is really important to you, get the WSXGA (not WUXGA). You can use the properties function on the desktop, then go to "Advanced," and change just the size of the text (to me, even more important than the icons). The icon size can be changed, but I don't know how. I'm sure someone else can tell you, though. Since the WSXGA is available in all of the configurations, start with the cheapest and build up. You'll come out saving serious cash.

One warning to the above: It MIGHT make some Web sites' layouts come out a bit funny, so you'll have to play around with it. For what it's worth, I currently have a WXGA and find the text and icon sizes perfect and the image quality to be very nice. If you're really into action movies, though, go with the WSXGA and do the above.

Best,
Howie

 

Is there anyway you can change the screen after u bought the computer..?

 

Thanks for all your help everyone, but I am still a bit confused.... one answer said all DVD's run at 640x480, so even the lowest res monitors would be fine to watch movies.--- is this true? Then the guy who has a WXGA screen says surfing is good, happy with his screen except for DVD movies/videos. So for those who have the Ultra sharp screen, do the DVD's play Excellently-Clear--compared to friends who have cheaper screen? I would LOVE the Ultra sharp screen IF and ONLY IF I can go in & change my words/reading to bigger than what that normal native resolution results are--like HMLintz's answer. If this is what I can do, I think I will be sold on the WSXGA screen. I can live with small icons, it is just the readigng and surfing, I don't want to squint and feel Like I am in "that helicopter"--good example!

 

You can, but it's very difficult and expensive - not reccommended. Before you buy, look around at different screen resolutions at local electronic stores so you can get the feel for them.