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1600x1050 on a 15 inch?
- Thread starter TtimeWithTy
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Mythical Beast: Resolution Independence
It has long been suggested Apple is just waiting for Resolution Independence in OSX to offer higher density displays on their laptops.
Unlike choosing a smaller monitor resolution, which on LCDs makes things rather fuzzy and blurry, Resolution Independence simply draws user interface elements and text bigger, so it looks the same size as a lower monitor resolution, but actually uses more pixels (at the LCD's native resolution) with the added benefit that text and UI elements will look sharper.
With Resolution Independence 15" MBPs could easily have 1920x1200 resolution displays while users can dial them to look like 1440x900 resolution - just 'sharper'.
Best of both worlds!
The drawback is that the OS must have the power to resize UI elements. And not every software plays along. Many draw their own UI elements with their own drawing routines - none of these would scale things up nicely with RI on. The result being a messy mish-mash of nice and ugly/small interface elements. Not good.
So RI was included in OSX 10.4 already, but low-level for programmers to gain experience and test their software.
The promise was that OSX 10.5 would include it.
Initially Apple announced RI as a feature for Leopard. But later removed it.
Will it finally appear in Snow Leopard?
The lack of an official Apple statement doesn't give me much hope.
It's a shame really. I think many more buyers would consider a higher resolution built-to-order LCD - if they could choose a virtually lower res (with added sharpness) for applications where they don't feel comfortable with smaller UI and text elements.
But if it happens there is a glimmer of hope that the next MBP revision, well after Snow Leopard, will finally see higher resolutions. October/November?
Anyone know anything more about the state of RI in Snow Leopard?
Will it happen?
It has long been suggested Apple is just waiting for Resolution Independence in OSX to offer higher density displays on their laptops.
Unlike choosing a smaller monitor resolution, which on LCDs makes things rather fuzzy and blurry, Resolution Independence simply draws user interface elements and text bigger, so it looks the same size as a lower monitor resolution, but actually uses more pixels (at the LCD's native resolution) with the added benefit that text and UI elements will look sharper.
With Resolution Independence 15" MBPs could easily have 1920x1200 resolution displays while users can dial them to look like 1440x900 resolution - just 'sharper'.
Best of both worlds!
The drawback is that the OS must have the power to resize UI elements. And not every software plays along. Many draw their own UI elements with their own drawing routines - none of these would scale things up nicely with RI on. The result being a messy mish-mash of nice and ugly/small interface elements. Not good.
So RI was included in OSX 10.4 already, but low-level for programmers to gain experience and test their software.
The promise was that OSX 10.5 would include it.
Initially Apple announced RI as a feature for Leopard. But later removed it.
Will it finally appear in Snow Leopard?
The lack of an official Apple statement doesn't give me much hope.
It's a shame really. I think many more buyers would consider a higher resolution built-to-order LCD - if they could choose a virtually lower res (with added sharpness) for applications where they don't feel comfortable with smaller UI and text elements.
But if it happens there is a glimmer of hope that the next MBP revision, well after Snow Leopard, will finally see higher resolutions. October/November?
Anyone know anything more about the state of RI in Snow Leopard?
Will it happen?
At this point, if Apple wants my money for a 15", the screen size is gonna have to get bigger. Period. WSXGA+ has been around since oh, I dunno, 2000? I was rocking it on crappy Dell Inspirons before Apple was even worth switching to.
I'm strongly considering the 17" for the 19x12 screen, but that nonremovable battery just ices me.
Looks like I'll have to hang on to my Rev. C through WWDC (which, with the way the economy is going, may be the best idea) at least!
I'm strongly considering the 17" for the 19x12 screen, but that nonremovable battery just ices me.
Looks like I'll have to hang on to my Rev. C through WWDC (which, with the way the economy is going, may be the best idea) at least!
That hurts... You're just a hi-res bigot, that's what you are.
I think I noted this before - the pixel density of a 15" 1920 x 1200 pixel screen is less than that of the ~3.5" 480 x 320 pixel iPhone. Can humans read the text on the iPhone? There must be quite a few non-humans out there...
So, the obvious question is why someone would make such a definitive statement with no basis in fact. You wouldn't be a proponent of intelligent design would you?
I don't see a lot of LED (LCD - yes - just not LED) screens out there yet. I imagine once they become cheaper/popular, it will be more common to hack the screen in a MBP.
The only thing I've seen that should help this was this youtube video of unibody disassembly that looks like it removes the screen from behind the glass screen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WwhhjUgbtM
Anyone else have other info? I think I'd rather just do a higher res in the smaller unibody MB...
I assume you know - but your post would confuse others who don't - you make it sound like it is a completely different screen. The LED's only refer to the backlighting method; lower power consumption and generally brighter, compared to the conventional fluorescent methods.
Doh - Correct me if I'm wrong, but the LED screens have different connectors and/or inverters - the point being that you can't put an LCD screen in any of the LED MBPs... I don't know that for sure but that's what I remember reading in the other posts. I'm not sure as I don't have an LED MBP and don't want to spread any false advice
haha no no no, I am not a hater of hi-res. I love it, just that many (1900x1200) on such a small screen (with current tech, i.e. w/o resolution independence and such) is a little overboard.
lol this is true
You do hold the iPhone closer to your face when reading it though, where as a monitor sits across the desk, so the density matters a bit more...
OK OK yes I may have used some drastic terminology. Everyone exagerates, sorry man...
um, hell no. Somewhat unrelated, and I don't care to discuss the ins and outs of this topic on a tech forum, thanks.
I don't really get how this makes sense. I've never heard the term "Resolution Independence," but what you're describing seems to have been around since Mac OS Classic days... and not just the late ones... not to mention for years in the Windows world. Just setting the PPI of the screen makes the elements bigger, doesn't it?
Doh - Correct me if I'm wrong, but the LED screens have different connectors and/or inverters - the point being that you can't put an LCD screen in any of the LED MBPs... I don't know that for sure but that's what I remember reading in the other posts. I'm not sure as I don't have an LED MBP and don't want to spread any false advice
All the laptop screens are LCD's. The LED refers to the backlighting method, and it'll be the same connector for the video (DVI). Can't comment on the power adapter though, that may be different.