Z: 1366x768 vs 1600x900

It has been discussed before but I just can't manage to make a final decision. I am definitely going to get a Z, but the main question now is, what resolution? Obviously the advantage of 1600x900 is that it can display more on the same screen, and that it makes graphics somewhat more beautiful. Moreover the 1600x900 version automatically comes with double the amount of VRAM: 256MB. A disadvantage is that the 1600x900 screen is suggested to easily result in eye-strain.

My problem is like this; Money isn't a problem and I just want the best screen for my usage. I'm a student, so this usage consists of wide variety of activities, non the least; using Word, Excel, e-mail, Internet, watching movies from time to time, and even a very little bit of gaming. I like the advantages of the 1600x900, but I'm afraid it will result in eye-strain, particularly since I'll be using the machine a lot.

Yet, from the other hand, I simply cannot imagine that Sony would bring such a high-end, expensive configuration to the market, if it really would be uncomfortable to work with. The screen of the 1600x900 Z is said to be comparable to that of a TZ. I took a look at a TZ in a local store, and didn't dislike text size and stuff, however, I can imagine working long times does result in eye-strain.

Now, my main question is like this; What resolution do you advise? Does increasing text sizes in Windows Vista solve my problem? You can set it to for instance 120dpi, which is a nice size. However, will it upscale texts well in all programs? Will the increased text sizes look nice, also when browsing the Internet?

Of course the best way to give an answer is comparing a 1366x768 and a 1600x900 Z in realy life, next to each other. However, I need my Z asap (because of the upcoming Fall semester), and haven't time to wait for local stores to get the Z models. If someone would have a Youtube video of both models that would of course be great.

 

Actually, as soon as I find a 1600x900 z series in a store I want to try and ask the store manager if I can change the DPI and restart it to have a play. Ideally it might be sitting nest to a 1366

 

I bought a TZ and sold it a few weeks after because I did not like the small pixels. But that was in XP with terrible scaling. Vista seems to be better. And also, browsers have improved a lot in scaling.

When the Z becomes available I will have a look in the store.

When I saw the SR with 1280*800 I did notice there's not a lot of room left on the screen because Vista takes so much.

 

1600X900 VS 1366X768

 

Thanks eddieaus!

I think seeing this confirms my preference for a larger screen where more things can be displayed. May I ask where you got this image from? Do you by coincidence have such an image with a much higher resolution, so that we can also compare text sizes themselves?

 

^Its from a Japanese review, but I don't have the link anymore...
---
Well I will be getting the higher resolution Z and I will install Linux as my productive OS, and XP for gaming...
In Linux with a composite manager you can zoom in your desktop, which resolves the issue of eye strain because of too small text...
Maybe there is a program for Windows that allows you to do it under Vista/XP....

Most programs like PDF viewer or browsers allow you to increase font size or the zoom level...

I would go with the 1600x900 res =)

 

1600x900 on a 13.1" screen is just nuts for someone who will be staring at the screen "a lot."

In my opinion, of course.

 

and that is the reason sony built it for business use? I disagree. why should it be more convinient having a higher resolution on a bigger screen? pixelsize is the same. i think the new screen will be one of the best, if not the best screen on the market (even better then mbp screen) so the resolution and readability will fit perfect.

it is like with all new things, people get used to it, if they want to. if you having issues with your eyes go with the smaller resolution, if not take the chance to get the bigger one. you won't regret it.

 

Well, Sony did market it as an Executive class laptops, and executives don't really look at the fine prints really -- their job is to make multi-million-dollar decisions based on "glancing" at multiple pie charts and bar charts...

 

Sorry, the text was too small to read this.

 

http://benyouhui.it168.com/thread-781893-1-1.html
maybe that's where the picture originates from?

anyway, if you are mainly using ms office products, i would choose the high res dispaly. excel and word allow you to zoom anyway. and from my experience on my 24" display its just awesome how much you can display on a high resolution display, if you need to. outlook works great with widescale resolutions too.

the only situation where i would opt for the 13xx resolution would be, if i would mainly use apps that do not support scaling well.

 

Honestly I think its the size of the screen that is gonna be the main factor in causing eye strain, not the resolution itself (the resolution difference is not that big)...like others have stated you can change the DPI and vista does a much better job of scaling.

 

Here's some info on Vista scaling posted on this forum a few weeks ago:

http://blogs.msdn.com/kamvedbrat/archive/2006/12/02/dpi-scaling-in-windows-vista.aspx

 

you need to go with the smaller resolution. why not choosing an SR over the Z. 1280x800 is better for you, mr. four-eyes

 

Which is why I'm looking at the 16.4" FW.

See above.

 

the best way to judge whether 1600x900 is to look at it in the store. when i first saw the comparison picture posted above, i fell in love with the higher resolution. however, you have to realize how small this laptop really is. the sf metreon sonystyle store had a Z with the higher resolution on display and the first thing i noticed was how troublesome it was to view the text. i mentioned this in another post, but i had to put my head about a foot away to be comfortable reading the text. yes there's tons of workspace, but i'm not going to trade-off comfort for that. also, you won't be able to change the resolution to 1366x768 even if you wanted to. the next lowest resolution is 1280x800 or 1280x1024 (i forgot which one).

 

Personally I will choose the higher resolution. I owned a TZ for two weeks and even if the first days it was diffucult to read clearly the text, once I got used to it it became comfortable the small screen with the 1366x768. I think that if you don't have issues with your eyes it will be fine. Is a matter of getting used to it. The issue here is what you lose on the Z if you choose the smaller resolution. No blu-ray drive and no ssd and no 256MB VRAM for the model that has the 1366x768. So is it worth it? For movies the 1600x900 it will be perfect as well.

 

What is better for attaching to my BRAVIA that has 1366x768 resolution? I want the blu-ray in the Z so I'm obbligated taking the 1600x900. Will it work via HDMI to the BRAVIA?

 

Microsoft is encouraging software developers to build user interfaces that scale. The latest GUI library to come out of MS is called "Windows Presentation Foundation" - it supplies button, list box, menu, radio button, text box, etc. that you use to build your UI...and they all scale nicely using a "Scale Transform" that you can apply in your code.

MS also is trying to get developers to move away from bitmaps and jpeg images in their UIs and instead use Scalable-Vector-Graphics drawings since, obviously, they scale better.

This technology is only a few years old so few apps today use it. There are some nice examples though: Microsoft Expression Design (roughly a competitor to Adobe Illustrator) has a "zoom" feature that scales the entire UI including tool palettes, menus, workspace, etc. It's a pretty cool indication of what the near future will bring.

 

Sure. (Both Z versions will work fine with your Bravia.)