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    Best screen at 14, 13.3, 12.5, and 11"?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by kethnaab, May 28, 2011.

  1. kethnaab

    kethnaab Notebook Enthusiast

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    need a portable system, need it to have a great screen (among other things)

    I know the Lenovo x220 has a great screen (or so I've heard) but I want to know what my options are.

    thanks.
     
  2. niffcreature

    niffcreature ex computer dyke

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    Sony Z, hp Envy 14 radiance, probably some 14" thinkpads?
     
  3. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    I've seen some of the T4_0 series ThinkPads and they are not great. Terrible viewing angles (TN panels, duh). X220/i/t IPS screen is phenomenal to where 1368x768 doesn't matter. An IPS screen is always going to dominate TN panels.
     
  4. sgogeta4

    sgogeta4 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    How do you define a great screen and what will you be using your notebook for? Do you do photo editing on your laptop and need accurate color reproduction? Do you need wide viewing angles? Etc. I suggest filling the FAQ out.
     
  5. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    The 14" Thinkpads' displays aren't that great quality-wise. Resolution-wise, though, they have 1600x900, so if that's all you need, it will work.

    I'd say (although I have not seen all these displays in person):
    14.1": HP Envy 14 Radiance (1600x900)
    13.3": Sony Vaio Z (1600x900 or 1920x1080), MBP 13 (1280x800)
    12.5": Lenovo Thinkpad X220 with Premium IPS display (1366x768), Lenovo Thinkpad X220t with standard IPS display (1366x768)
    11.6": there aren't any real good options here--they're all pretty mediocre from what I've seen.
     
  6. soguxu

    soguxu Notebook Evangelist

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    Envy isn't a 14" screen it's a 14.5" screen, and trust me it shows. I had one before I returned due to a stuck pixel on the screen, and that laptop is closer to a 15" than a true 14", which has 13.9" actual screen size for the new 16:9 1600x900 screens. For 11.6", I'd say the Macbook Air has probably the best screen.
     
  7. Commander Wolf

    Commander Wolf can i haz broadwell?

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    I don't think it's IPS or anything, but the MBA 11 is supposed to have a pretty good screen, at least according to AnandTech.
     
  8. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Supposedly Apple is going to introduce the retina display on the next generation MacBook/MBP.
     
  9. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    The 13" Air I thought was fairly decent too and it's WXGA+ for you resolution junkies too, but it's glossy if that's an issue. The IPS on the X220 is the real deal.
     
  10. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

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    Don't forget that Lenovo has their ultrabase and docks for some of their smaller machines too.

    Part of the problem I've always had with small machines is that they had no decent office docking adapter. Lenovo and Dell seem to have figured that out lately.
     
  11. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Dang 1440x900 on the high end 13.3" MBA is like 1600 dollars. I could get a x220 tablet for that money >__>