IFL90 - WXGA vs. WSXGA+?

After looking at the Dell Inspiron 1520, the Dell Vostro 1500, the Asus G1, and the IFL90, I've decided the IFL90 is the way to go. However, which screen to choose? I'd like some thoughts and opinions, particularly from those who have worked with both.

A little background: I'm used to low-resolution, matte screens. My current notebook runs at 1024x768 native resolution. The screen could be a little bigger for my taste, but not by much. Given that I have no experience with screens larger than 1280x1024, I really don't know how I feel about the extra real estate of 1680x1050. I'm sure it would come in handy while working on digital art, but I do as much reading and writing as I do artwork, and I wonder if that would be a strain on such a large screen. That's my biggest reservation with the matte screens.

My big reservation with the glossy screens is, well, they're glossy. I don't have much experience with them, but if the screens are super reflective, I'm not sure I could tolerate it. If they only have a semi glossy finish, that might be okay.

One other consideration that might be the deciding factor here. I want to be able to play the latest games on this system. Certainly not a problem now, but I'd also like this to last me for three or four years. I've heard that lower native resolutions are better in the long run, since running in lower resolutions is less intensive for the GPU, thereby giving it extended life as the games get bigger and badder. Is there any truth to this, or is this an exaggeration? Does playing at lower-than-native resolution really show on these screens?

I realize there are big shipping delays on the matte screens. It's going to be a little while before I can order one anyway, so this isn't a factor for me as of yet.

What do you think?

Thanks everyone!

 

It all comes down to preference
I personally ordered the wsxga because it included the matte screen and a package deal (2090-V). I havent specifically seen the 2090's screen since it has not yet arrived, but ive dealt with both matte and glossy screens and find the reflections annoying.
Ive also heard good feedback about the 2090s matte screen in particular
Some say glossy is generally more vivid; others say it strains their eyes. your best bet is to probably compare your current laptop's matte screen to one in a store, which are almost now ALL glossy. You can also compare screen resolutions this way.
also take note that you can always play games on lower than native resolution-I would not think decrease in picture quality, if any, would be noticeable
good luck

 

i have wsxga + and it is really sweet, writing is not too small and you can fit a lot of stuff on it. i'd definently reccommend the 1680 x 1050

 

I owned a WSXGA+ 2090 with a Matte screen. It was the best laptop screen I've worked with to date. Also, regarding your concern about not being able to read due to high resolution...you can increase the DPI for font to increase the size without losing any quality. The 1680x1050 screens actually shines when used with 120DPI font size. I suggest you give it a try at a local computer store.

This is personal preference, but I didn't like the games when I played them in lower resolution on my 2090 due to 1680 being too high for certain games. I felt like I was losing Image quality even if I had the AA/AF on to make up for the lower resolution. I think the games give much clearer graphics when played on native resolution.

 

I personally have a WXGA 1280x800 on my laptop, which is glossy. The only time I personally notice it is glossy is with heavy amounts of sunlight, and I've always had matte screens.

The reason I went with a smaller resolution, is because my desktop uses 1680x1050 on a much larger(22" vs 15.4") and I couldn't handle the difference. You also have the advantage of the smaller resolution being the native resolution and therefore giving you a higher chance of running games well at that resolution. LCD screens are very sensitive when it comes to native resolution, and they really like running in them so you have that.

The best thing I could advise would be to go to the store, and physically find two laptops with the two resolutions and look at some writing/art and just mess around.

 

Compal's wsxga+ (1680x1050) matte screen is awesome. I was a little worried about fonts and images being too small, but I'm very pleased with it. And games look fine at lower resolutions to me (1280x1024 or 1024x768) to my eyes.

 

I have the WXGA 1280x800 "glare" type and am very very happy.

In all honesty, I've hardly ever notice reflections when working or playing, and the way the colors pop off the screen is fantastic.

Everyone appears to love their higher res matte versions, but for me this set up is perfect.

 

I have a WXGA 1280x800 glossy on my EL80, but I must say, matte is far far superior. Even indoors, with little light (my drapes/shades are usually down), I get nasty reflections and often see my face in the screen.

That said, it's not a bad 'budget' screen, it does the job well, well, it's just not matte, and to be honest, with the not-too-big price difference between the two, I'd definetly go with the matte, and I'll be trying to obtain one as my next machine.

The less-clear fonts etc is hardly a bother for me as Xorg+KDE has had proper DPI handling for a long time now. Don't know how Window$ fades into that, but perhaphs they finally fixed it in vista so it's nearly as bearable as in my Linux (perhaphs better? no idea, and doubt you can make it better since it's at tops already). XP had definite issues with higher DPI and fonts etc looked differently with higher (120) settings than with lower ones, and I don't just mean bigger, I mean different. Also few programs would not scale their windows correctly.

 

I have the matte screen. My last matte screen was a Sony screen which had amazing color and vibrance and so I didn't know what to expect from the Compal screen, but this screen is great. The resolution is perfect. Tons of desktop space and the screen just looks good. The only problem is a white background appears slightly grainy. Its not noticeable unless you look for it. But overall it is a great screen.

 

I really Like my WXGA screen, It has plenty of Detail for gaming or regular usage. Im not a real big fan of the glossy screens, as its a pain to keep clean but other then that its great.

 

I also have wsxga+ screen and loving it. As stated of above the screen is matte and no glare at all yet the color is vibrant pit it against glossy screen used in my friend's gateway laptop. i do not regret getting wsxga+ screen at all.

 

The IFL90's matte WSXGA+ screen is by far the most beautiful screen on any laptop I have ever seen.

My roommate in college has a Dell 17" Glossy screen, my mom has a ASUS 15.4" Glossy screen, and my dad has a 14" IBM Thinkpad with matte screen.

My screen is light years beyond all of the competition.

The viewing angles are superb, my screen is more vibrant than my roommates glossy screen. ( I use his as more of an example as they are next to each other 24/7.

The text size is perfect for me.

very crisp.

and most important of all.

Dark messiah, Counter strike source, HL Deathmatch, dark crusade, WoW, and supreme commander work flawlessly on 1680x1050, looking fantastic.

as you can see.

I am extremely happy with my screen. :]

 

Oh, I love these topics. probably pushing the time window for relevant replies, but I'll post anyways

Unless you've got bad eyesight, definately go with the WSXGA+. It's a fantastic resolution for 15.4" screens, and is large enough to be pleasant to work in. While I still can't get comfortable doing any "serious" work on my macbook, because of its lower resolution, I feel right at home on my HEL80.