15inch resolution for programming?

[arcadehj2000]

does anyone know if there's a big difference between the 1440x900 and then 1680x1050 when it comes to programming?
i'm looking to major in compsci and i was going to purchase a 2.4GHz mbp, but i was wondering whether the difference is worth the cash.
if a bigger workspace is really going to be better, i'm wondering if i shouldn't just go with the low-res version and invest in a bigger monitor later on.
thanks

 

[stefan1975]

i guess the difference would be about 240x150. which can be a lot, if you need it.

 

[alphaod]

You get 36% more screen estate which is pretty nice for programming.

 

[jayo123456]

for $100 something, do it.

I'm in comp engineer, we do alot of programming. The bigger the screen the better.

I use to rock a 13", and going from that to my 1680x1050 22" was a pretty nice jump.

 

[arcadehj2000]

ah, alright, i guess i'll go for it then, thanks.
so i'm assuming that matte is going to be better too for long hours of coding?

 

[Yossarian]

I have the glossy, lower-res screen and whilst the higher res is worth it i'm not sold on matte. Side to side it looks fuzzy to me so i prefer the glossy. However, if you're in an environment where there could be lights reflecting on your screen then matte is best.

 

[Gabriel GR]

If you work with terminal definitelly get it.

 

[RaceTripper]

You can't have enough screen real estate for developing. Dual monitor setups are pretty standard for the software engineers I work with. I use a 30" 2560x1600 external. I don't develop much on my MBP's internal screen, but when I do I'm happy to have the extra resolution, even though the pixel density is a bit too high for my vision.

 

[demonsavatar]

I am in CS. 1440px is enough for 2 files side by side, but 1650 gets you two files, and more vertical space, plus a good chunk of screen left over for a file list or something. emacs users can get away with a little under 1440px but if you want to use an IDE like eclipse or something, go for the 1650px and don't look back.

For the $100-ish the screen space is worth it. Especially considering it is not something you can upgrade later. Now or never

 

[alphaod]

ah, alright, i guess i'll go for it then, thanks.
so i'm assuming that matte is going to be better too for long hours of coding?

Yes matte/antiglare is the way to go. I use matte displays for coding and I find it is a must.

 

[darkus]

I do alot of programming and found the hi-res display on the 15" to be too high (ie. text is too small) and find the 1440x900 much more comfortable on the eyes

 

[kevink2]

My 4 year old laptop has 1440x1050 on a 12" screen, so lower resolution on a 15" screen seems a step backward. In the apple store the matte screen looked better. $100 plus more, I don't know.