Struggling with resolution (WXGA/WSXGA+) and DPI

After searching and reading lots of posts I'm not much closer on knowing what resolution I should select for the T61 15.4 display with discrete graphics I'm spec'ing out for my first laptop.

It's going to be either WXGA (1280×800) or WSXGA+ (1680×1050). I'm concerned about the size being too small for comfortable viewing as I've gotten older.

I currently run 1280x1024 with large fonts (120DPI) on my home 19" and work 20" desktop monitors and only occasionaly need to increase browser text size when surfing the web. I also use a co-workers TP60 14.1 at 1024x768 with normal fonts (96DPI) with no issues.

Will it really matter which size I select as long as I can modify the Windows font settings? Is one resolution going to be a closer fit to my current viewing settings?

I plan on ordering VistaBusiness and downgrade to XPPro. I'm not a heavy gamer, but an occasional Doom or COD4 type might be played along with using business apps, web browsing and dabbling in some web development tools.

If WXGA is a better fit, it will at least take away my other dilemma of considering the T61P with the better graphics card

Thanks for any help!

 

Seeing as you use an 1280x1024 resolution on a 19"/20" monitor, I would recommend the WXGA display for your T61.

 

I'm usually a big fan of higher resolutions but I hear you on your point. I want to suggest just using the bigger fonts with the higher resolution (WSXGA+) just so you have more flexibility. I think you'll find that 120 dpi on 1680x1050 on a 15.4" screen is similarish to that 1024x768 @ 96 dpi.

Is there any way you can go out to a brick and mortar store and test these kinds of configurations out? You might be better off with WXGA but who knows... 1280x800 on 15.4" is too big for my tastes but might fit yours better.

 

1280x800 on a 15.4" screen is almost identical size to 1280x1024 on a 19" screen

 

Having had to go through the decision you're going through more than once, and having gotten it wrong once some years ago, I'd go with WXGA (1280x800), which is what I did on my T61, even though I have fairly good vision. I had WXGA+ (1680x1050) on a 20" Dell desktop LCD a year ago, and turned it back in for a 1920x1200 24" because the resolution was a little too high to be completely comfortable on a 20" display. Knowing that, and also knowing what 1600x1200 looks like on a 15" laptop LCD, I think that 1680x1050 would be a little high in your case. While you can make fonts/icons larger on a hi-res display, not every Windows program runs well with nonstandard font sizes.

I use a computer probably 4-8 hours a day. Avoiding eyestrain and headaches is a big deal for me. Staying with the lower resolution will likely help you avoid the same. Good luck!

P.S. Anyone want to do a petition with me on making a 1440x900 15.4" display available on the ThinkPad R & T series?

 

If you're talking about petitions, I'd want the very weird resolution of 1360x850 on a 14.1" . It'd be JUST RIGHT, kind of like 1280x1024 on a 17".

 

In other news, since the viewable display area of the T6x 15.4" widescreen LCD is 13" wide, the actual physical pixels per inch (i.e. dots per inch) measurement of the wide-aspect LCD resolutions are:

WXGA = 98 ppi
WSXGA+ = 129 ppi
WUXGA = 148 ppi

These measurements are based on the actual display--not whatever Window's display properties says--and as such can't be changed without replacing the LCD itself.

That said, one can calculate the physical ppi of any external LCD by simply dividing the maximum horizontal resolution of said LCD by the physical viewable width of the LCD. There's no need to take the vertical measurement into consideration as the vertical resolution is always a fixed constant based on the aspect ratio of the LCD.

Just for grins, a 4:3 standard aspect 15" UXGA LCD = 133 ppi which is identical to a 16:10 wide aspect 17" WUXGA LCD (i.e. 133 ppi) and both are just slightly higher resolution (by just a measly 3%) than a 15.4" WSXGA+ LCD (i.e. 129 ppi).

 

I went to stores tonight (I should have thought of that first!). WXGA seemed just a bit bigger than what I am used to, but it wasn't that bothersome. I did see a WUXGA and know that's not for me. Saw a few WXGA+ which looked really good on both the 14.1 and 15.4 screens.

I couldn't find any WSXGA+ machines, but have 2 more places I can try, although looking at their online inventory doesn't give me hope they will have any either.

Thanks for the comments

 

My experience: I've been using CRT monitors (19" and 22") at 1280x1024 resolution at home and work for a number of years very comfortably. For my T61 I wanted a resolution that was at least the same in Height (>= 1024) as what I was used to on my home and work CRT monitors. So I was a little concerned at first when I bought my pre-configured 15.4" T61 with WSXGA+ (1600x1050) resolution. But in over 6 weeks of using my T61 I've had no issues with the higher resolution on my T61 and love it! Besides if the higher resolution starts to bother me I can always increase the font (DPI) size.

Just my $0.02... YMMV.

 

I'll admit I'm quite tempted by the WSXGA+, but I've got a couple more days left before making a final decision and don't think I can convince myself if I don't see one first. I went to two more retail stores today and nary a WSXGA+ machine to be found.

 

Here is a nice chart : Pixels per inch calculation

 

I personally would go with WSXGA+.

 

same problem , choosing between a 15.4" WXGA (1280×800) or WSXGA+ (1680×1050).

right know Im using 1280x960 on a 16". so I guess it will be WXGA.

I support the WXGA+ for a 15.4" petition

 

15.4" WSXGA+ the screen real estate is awesome and its crisper. It's not as small as everyone says it is remember laptop screens are closer than a desktop LCD.

 

This weekend I found 1 place that had the T61 14" version(1440x900) and a Z61M 15.4" Widscreen(1680x1050). I can say that my confusion about getting 1280x800 is over. The 1680x1050 looked awesome and was not too small(with either text or icons). I opened up a text document and began typing to see how big the characters would be. They were fine, I had no trouble seeing them and I wasn't even at an optimal viewing position(Standing looking down at the screen). I have terrible eyesight, but I found the WSXGA+ to be awesome. I would not want anything less than WSXGA+ on a 15.4" now. Just my opinion....