• Laptop Screens - Laptop Buyers Guide


    20 November 2008

    One consideration when you buy a laptop is monitor size. Laptop monitors generally go from 7″ up to 20″, with the two most popular sizes being 13.3″ and 15.4″. In general, big monitors are good for home use, small monitors good for carrying around.

    Monitor Resolution

    The number of dots that a monitor displays at any time is called its ‘resolution’. Generally the higher the resolution the better. There is one exception to this: On a laptop with a very small screen (eg. 7″) a high resolution will make text very small on the screen.

    WideScreen or Normal?

    Most laptops have a widescreen ‘aspect ratio’. A normal 14″ laptop usually uses what’s called XGA resolution, meaning the screen is 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels high. A widescreen 14″ laptop usually uses ‘WXGA’ resolution, meaning it will be 1280 pixels wide by 800 pixels high.

    Common Laptop Monitor Resolutions

    • XGA (1024×768)
    • SXGA+ (1400×1050)
    • UXGA (1600×1200)

    Common Widescreen Resolutions

    • WXGA (1280×800)
    • WXGA+ (1440×900)
    • WSXGA+ (1680×1050)
    • WUXGA (1920×1200)

    Laptop Resolution Terminology

    • XGA = Extended Graphics Array
    • SXGA = Super XGA
    • UXGA = Ultra XGA
    • “W” Prefix = Wide
    • WVA = Wide Viewing Angle

    Viewing Angle

    Laptop screens are usually best when viewed from straight on. When viewed from an angle, many laptop screens may look much, much darker or much, much lighter than when viewed from straight on.

    A laptop monitor with a ‘wide viewing angle’ means that you don’t have to be looking at the screen straight-on to see it. Older laptops especially had difficulty with this, making it painful for 2 people to watch a movie on a laptop for example.

    Laptop Screen Brightness

    When viewed in a dark room, laptops usually look fine. It’s worth remembering that you may be using your laptop on the train, outdoors, or in very well lit places. If you plan to use your laptop in bright conditions, it is worth looking for a

    Matte or Gloss

    Many laptop screens now have a glossy finish. Some people prefer this but, if you’re working in a highly lit environment, a gloss screen can cause problems with reflections.

     

     

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