T420 - HD or HD+ ??

Hi,

I am just about to order a T420 for work and really struggling at deciding to go HD or HD+.

My current machine is a Dell D620 1280x800 which is ~ 107 PPI versus 111 for the HD and 130 for the HD+.

Given that, logic says just go for the HD. But I keep getting drawn to the attraction of 'space' with the higher res. I also really like to rationalize my workspaces by getting rid of menu bars and the other fluff and have small icons, thin title bars etc.

Most of my work is text based with some browsing and a little office stuff. I dont (yet) wear glasses but my eyes are on the wrong side of 40...

One post here recommended to compare the 15 & 17" Macbooks as they have a comparable PPI count which I did and the higher res seemed fine though hard to tell what it would be like after a full day.

Keep going back and forth with my thoughts and it is driving me crazy...

Anyone have any thoughts to help me out ?

 

Are you happy with the current 1280x800?

 

Generally yea..

generally means taking into consideration what I have done to maximise vertical work space.

 

If you can deal with the higher pixel density, you'll probably be fine with the 1600x900. The extra screen space is really nice to have.

If you feel eyestrain while trying to use the 17" Macbook pro's pixel density, you mgiht want to think about it a bit. Keep in mind you can always turn up the DPI settings, which will increase the size of Windows UI text and elements to make them easier to see.

I for one use 1920x1200 in 15.4" (147 PPI), and have used 2048x1536 in 15" (171 PPI) and never really felt a need to go lower, but everyone's different.

The 11" Macbook Air has a higher pixel density by the way, so it might be a better way to test if you want the 1600x900.

 

The Dell Latitude D620 is/was a great notebook marred by only one flaw --a dark LCD panel. While the D630 after it had a lot of minor improvements, the biggest one was having a display that was 30 nits brighter.

With that in mind (having used D620 and D630 systems), I think the T420's 1600x900 display will be so much brighter that you won't find the higher resolution an issue. You may very well need to turn the fonts up to the Medium (125%) step in Windows (I did), but it is worth it.

My eyes aren't past 40, but they are nearing it, and I log a lot of time every day in front of a display. The HD+ still works fine for my needs.

P.S. If you're still really concerned, go up one step in size and go with the T520 with the HD+ display. That 1600x900 resolution will be spread across a bit more area that way.

 

Well won't it depend on which panel you get? LG Phillips panels are usually considered the best panels overall. AUO and Samsung is left to be desired.

 

I agree with Lonewolf15 on getting the T520 if portability is not your main concern. The HD+ screen is actually alot better than the T420. If portability is a concern, the HD+ screen is a very good if you you turn up the DPI, keep in mind sometime the picture does not seem to increase it's size along with the text. The HD screen is workable if you auto hide the taskbar or place the taskbar on the side.

 

If you get the T520, you probably don't want to get the regular HD screen. It will have even lower pixel density (around 100 PPI/DPI). The T520's HD+ screen has around 118 PPI/DPI, which although is more than your Dell, isn't as much as the T420 with HD+, and is somewhat near the ballpark of 111 for the T420 HD.

1600x900 in 15.6" is a good balance. Keep in mind it will be brighter than your current screen, and I think brightness and screen quality also play a huge role in eyestrain. Extremely high density displays never strain my eyes, but I've noticed that low-contrast displays sometimes do.

 

Thanks guys for your comments.

I was tossing the idea of the T520 but didnt really want that form factor even though portability is not critical...it's just important when I am moving it LOL...

I might take a look at some 15" to see if the size does not irritate me too much, otherwise I will go the 14" HD+.

Thanks again for all your comments, much appreciated.