Notebook Screens |
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Last Updated: July 18, 2007
Screen Size
Fifteen inch screens are the most popular size for notebook computers. Seventeen inch screens are a good size if you want a desktop replacement computer weighing about 9 pounds (4Kg). Notebooks with 12 inch screens are great as a second notebook computer because the small keyboard and screen aren't built for serious, long term work.
Wide Screens
Wide screen notebook computers offer a full size keyboard and the same battery life as a non-wide screen computer. They are shorter than non-wide screen notebooks by 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm), which is great on an airline tray table, but the extra width will encroach upon the person next to you. DVD movies will have thin black bars on the top and bottom because the screens have a 16:10 ratio and movies have a 16:9 ratio. Read more about wide screen notebooks from PC World (Mar 2005). Notebook Review.com (Sept 2005) has some great photos and examples.
Resolutions
Notebook screens look best in the highest resolution the notebook screen can display. This is called the native resolution. Lower resolutions are approximated and the display looks blurry. This does not happen with CRT ("TV tube") monitors.
Notebooks screens use several acronyms to describe their highest capable resolution.
| Acronym | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Comments |
| XGA | 1024 × 768 | 4:3 | |
| WXGA | 1280 × 800 | 8:5 (16:10) | "W" for "wide" |
| SXGA | 1280 × 1024 | 5:4 | |
| SXGA+ | 1400 x 1050 | 4:3 | |
| WSXGA+ | 1680 × 1050 | 8:5 (16:10) | "W" for "wide" |
| UXGA | 1600 x 1200 | 4:3 | |
| WUXGA | 1920 × 1200 | 8:5 (16:10) | HDTV is 1920×1080 (16:9) |
On 14" and 15" screens, a 1024×768 resolution is comfortable to read. Depending on your eye sight, even 1400×1050 is comfortable to read. I was shocked. Don't try this with a CRT monitor. If you eye sight is good enough, people like the 1920×1200 wide screen because they can view two documents side by side.
Windows Magnifier
Make everything on your screen bigger while staying in focus. Click on the Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, Display. Click on the button called Advanced. Click on the General tab. Change the setting from small fonts to large fonts. The original Windows CD may be needed. Reboot when prompted.