Thinkpad T400s vs. 15" MacBook Pro -- Screen

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the matte screen version of the 15" MacBook Pro versus the the Thinkpad T400s with regards to the displays.

The main thing that is going to affect my decision on which laptop to get is the quality of the screen and the ease of reading/working on the screen. Both the Thinkpad and the MacBook Pro have 1440 x 900 resolution screens, so I don't think that matters so much. However, from my past experience, it has often been difficult to read on high res screen laptops because everything shows up really small. I assume that would be a plus for the MacBook Pro since it's a bigger display. Am I right about that?

Also, which laptop has a better screen in terms of vibrancy and clarity? I don't know much about the technical aspects of displays, so I don't really know how to compare screens without looking at the two laptops side by side.

Thanks.

 

Then why get one? Supposedly the high nit LCD on the T400 offers the best screen quality. I've seen the MBP screen. While I would say it was above average in terms of image quality, the glare on the one I saw was terrible. They do offer a matte display on the MBP. I don't know if it's better or worse than the glossy display. If you want a good screen and don't need a ton of performance, I might suggest a SXGA+ T60 with the IPS FlexView. They're the best notebook screens ever, offering boatloads of contrast and wide viewing angles. Plus 4:3 screens since they're taller are generally easier to read. The text size on a SXGA+ T60 will be very similar to a 15.4" MBP.

 

Don't double post, as I said in your other thread, fill out the FAQ.

 

I've already taken into consideration the differences between the two operating systems, price, design (including keyboard, pointer, and multitouch), size (15" versus 14"), weight, build quality, battery life, and product support infrastructure. Weighing these considerations, I find both laptops to be equal in terms of which one I would prefer to have for the next couple of years. OS doesn't really matter to me as I use my laptop primarily for Internet, music, and document production.

The deciding factor then is going to come down to the displays and ease of reading/working on the laptop. I've had a 13" laptop for the last two years, and I really think I need a bigger screen to work/play on.

I've taken a look at the 15" MacBook Pro, and while I like the way the glossy display looks, it has way too much glare on it; the matte screen, on the other hand, looks a little washed out to me. The Thinkpad screens that I've worked on in the past have seemed washed out/off color, and the icons and text show up really small.

A high res 14" screen seems like a good idea to me, but if it's going to be the same as working on a 13" screen in terms of text size, I'd rather go with the bigger screen MacBook Pro, despite the washed out screen. On the other hand, if the Thinkpad screen has the same size text as a 15" MacBookPro and has a better screen in terms of color and contrast, I'll go with that.

I don't have the ability to make a side by side comparison of the MacBook matte screen display with the T400s display.

 

Well, hopefully I'll get some good answers from people who have specifically compared displays on the two laptops, but I will also fill out the FAQ as per your suggestion.

 

Please leave the moderating to the mods. If you want to use the report a post feature, feel free to do so. I'm not so sure the FAQ is warranted in a comparison of screens thread.

A 13" WXGA notebook will have about the same text size as a 15.4" WXGA+ or 15" SXGA+. I'm not sure what getting a larger screen would accomplish if the text size is roughly the same. If you want bigger text then maybe a bigger lower resolution screen is worth considering.

 

I wouldn't be suited to make a recommendation here, but just wanted to say I'm really glad this question was asked as I was thinking about the same issue!

@larkinite0 - Really glad you posted your anedoctal experience with the matte MBP screen. I nearly jumped on a mid-2009 15" Matte MBP purchase, assuming the display was still overall superior in terms of image quality, despite it being the non-glare type. Interested to hear that it looked washed out. Looks like the matte option in general makes a huge difference in color saturation and image quality when compared with an identical glossy display.

That being said, I think my mind personally has a 1 up for the t400s, but darn am I still itching for that IPS quality, bro!

 

You know what -- now I'm wondering whether the issue is more with the way that the two different OS's (OS X and Windows 7) render on a high res screen. I wish I could see what Windows 7 looks like on a T400s.

 

Yeah, it definitely seemed like the matte screen was washed out. However, I don't know whether it was because of the Apple store lighting or because I was comparing the matte screen and glossy screen side by side. I may have been imagining things.

My sister has an older 15" Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro, and the screen is really amazing on it. I wonder whether it would be possible that the newer version would have a worse screen than the older version?

 

Vista and Windows 7 aren't all that different. In this regard I think they are superior to XP as is Linux. The only Mac I've had recently was a desktop. I've seen a WUXGA MBP not too long ago. WUXGA is still 1920x1200, whether it's Mac, Windows or Linux. Text will be small.

 

Don't waste your time with the CCFL WXGA+ panel, it is dreadfully dull, and power hungry. If you do choose T400, make sure you opt for a LED backlit screen. Better yet, the high nit LED screen is pretty decent - it's the only one worth the money imo.

 

After all the research I've done on laptops, the one thing that Lenovo seems to be "known" for is the poor quality screens they use. Macbook Pro's tend to have the best. I have a Dell Latitude E6500 with the 1440 x 900 LED screen and I swear it looks just like my old matte Macbook Pro screen. Love it.

 

Well most business users for non graphical related professions don't care about screen quality aside from being to read whats on the screen. For work related computing I care about resolution the most since I am in excel.

The x200 screen is pretty not amazing and serves me fine for my regular personal use. I have an external high quality panel for when I am not on the go.

 

Larkinite, I will give you a definitive answer. The LED screen on the T400s is not good compared to the MBP screen. I have the matte screen and have had the T400s before. It's just not a good screen with regard to viewing angle. I never thought that I'd care, but when watching videos, you can't ever find a sweet spot. If you're never going to do that, then the screen on the T400 is fine for word processing and cnn.com surfing, etc. But more and more video is being consumed online, so in my mind it makes sense to place even more emphasis on screen quality.

But if your question is, which screen is better, the MBP screen (matte screen) is superior in every single way. I saw the T400s screenshots and I can already tell that the vertical viewing angle is not any good.

I assume that you're bothering to ask about the screen b/c you spend most of your time interacting with it, so you might as well get a good one. Well I agree with you. The MBP has one of the best screens on the market, and I would only get the matte screen.

The day the T or X series gets a decent screen, I'm there. The X200 tablet has an excellent screen, and is better than the MBP screen, but it's only 12". The Dell latitude e6500 has an identical screen to the MBP screen (1 generation ago), and it's matte. And I got my unit for $650. The screen is every bit the equal (b/c it's the same panel) as the MBP. Unfortunately, the experience for me is ruined by the trackpad/trackpoint issues. It's maddening and it ruins the ergonomics of an otherwise great laptop. It's borderline unusable to me. Your other option is to get a Sony Vaio Z, again only 13.1" but a very good screen as well.

 

Thanks everyone for your responses.

 

A bit of a question mark, I would think... I have a W500 15.4" matt CCFL WUXGA and it is just a wonderful screen - a little dimmer than a couple of previously Dell screens with similar specs, but still quite bright enough for normal interior work; in every other way at least as good - i.e. awesome - and much better IMHO than any glossy screen I have seen - and any lower resolution.

 

The Dell Latitude uses the same panel as the MBP.

 

Umm, the CCFL WXGA+ panel was my only option if I wanted the WXGA+ resolution, and while it isn't perfect, it's a reasonable panel. Uniformity is great, it is plenty bright unless you're outdoors, and battery life is not a problem. AFAIK, the LED WXGA+ panel isn't available for order in the US (It is in Canada, but the Canadians lose out on a bunch of other features).

I'd like a little more display contrast, but contrast ratios aren't measured by whether your panel is CCFL or LED-backlit. I'm glad I chose higher-resolution over LED; considering that it was a one-or-the-other choice, I know I made the right decision.

 

i think it would be a safe bet to say that the MBP has got better screen, especially the newer one. apple recently upgraded the screen to high color gamut type. not that the previous one is bad or anything.

plus, i finds that matte screen tends to have a texture feel to them, i founds that glossy screen have more clarity, providing you don't have glare-source of course.

 

Without having any experience with MBP (gotta visit Apple store in the mall one of these days), and with having first hand experience using T400s - go for MBP if screen is a deciding factor for you After using my T400s for a couple of months, I still love it and think its the best laptop (for me ). But the hunt for the sweet spot with non-washed out colors is a major PITA of TN screen. As I mentioned in numerous posts, if you are planning to work on your laptop at the desk sitting on the chair, you set the screen angle and forget it. But when you are sitting on the couch, in the bed, or on the go - adjusting screen due to poor vertical viewing angle will become a second nature. 'Nough said.

 

I would suggest the T400 w/ high nit LED screen if one want's the best of both worlds (screen and laptop )

I've been in the mac store probably twice....just to see WHY there were so many people in there...doing something.

I developed software for Macs for about 1/2 year during University...and I really became fond of the OS/hardware. But always, I never could understand what the attraction is about the company...that draws sooo many people to flock to their stores to just stand there infront of Mac computers and apparantly just surf .... LOL

I consider myself an artsy fartsy and a prime target for Mac products, but still don't get it with their price inflated nonsense...great commercials though, very ammusing.

 

if screen quality is important to you, I would not recommend any of lenovo's laptops other than the tablet.

screens is macbook pros are much superior in quality

 

I think you should check the Macbook Pro screen hinging mechansim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pQQWB3uZIs

 

Lenovo T400s

 

The screen in the T400s has about a 100:1 contrast ratio on notebook check. It's absolutely atrocious, while the macbook pro's is something like 500:1. More importantly, this is blatantly obvious when you look at video.

For programming and web surfing, I wouldn't worry about the screen quality. But if you are going to do any form of multimedia, including hulu, you're going to be disappointed.

 

I realize this thread began over a month ago and the OP may have already bought a computer, but I found this thread helpful in considering a T500 or an MBP 15".