Which screen is better?

MacBook Air 13.3" which is 1440x900
or
Thinkpad T420s which is 1600x900

I had a Thinkpad X220 IPS and that was better than the MBA, but it was just too small for my uses. Since I cannot find the Thinkpad to look at locally, could someone give me some comparison? I use it mostly for documents, e-mail, web, and photography work (Lightroom).

 

I've hear the T420s has an exceptionally bad screen. I'd go with the Air.

 

There isn't a single 14" screen on the market with decent vertical viewing angles. There are some with decent brightness, some are better than others in terms of color gamut, but there isn't a single all-around good 14" notebook screen.

Go with the Macbook Air if you're concerned about screen quality.

 

Yes there is, the HP Envy 14 with radiance display:

HP Envy 14

Or you could swap a radiance display into the latest Envy 14.

 

Too bad about the T402s. The Envy is too heavy for my uses. The T420s at 3.8 pounds was about the limit.

 

I have both an X220 IPS and a T420S. It's pretty easy to tell the difference - you would be disappointed with the screen of T420S if you do Photoshop/Lightroom.

 

The pixel density on the Air at 1440x900 and the T420 at 1600x900 is higher than the X220, which means text will be smaller on the Air and T420 perhaps making harder to read, though not as much will fit on the screen with the X220.

I'm typing this on a HD+ HP dm4t. It's a matte screen. It's actually pretty decent. It's got a slight bluish cast to it, but that can probably reduced with calibration. It's got a decent sweet spot for the angles, though it's not an IPS.

 

Well, he did say "on the market," and the Envy 14 is not only no longer sold by HP, but the Radiance Display option had been discontinued for some time--and would now only be available on used machines sold for a bit of a price premium.

I would recommend looking at the X220 (with its IPS display option) if you're okay with losing out on some screen resolution in exchange for a very nice display, light weight and small form factor, and very long battery life.

 

If you care about the screen, avoid the T420s at all costs!!!

Trust me. I own one of those. I'm not very picky on this subject and I still hate that screen.

...not to mention the bright spots that have appear out of nowhere....

 

So is there a decent screen -- of the quality of the MacBook Air or X220 -- in a 13.3" or 14" laptop that also has a decent keyboard? (The Thinkpad keyboards are just so much better than the chiclet on others.)

 

Oh dear.

Anyway, that segment is such an odd one to begin with. Try not to lock yourself into it, and be more flexible when it comes to notebook size. The 15" notebook would be the sweet spot.




PS I know, you absolute, positively must have that size...right?

 

Not the size, it is the weight. The T420s is a bit under 4 pounds, and I do not want anything heavier.

 

I ultimately purchased a T420s that should be here in a week. The weight, screen size, SSD, and Thinkpad keyboard all were critical factors in the decision.