can someone explain the display settings please?

[clemsy]

Hi,

I am just a bit confused with the Macbook Pro Retina 13 inch display settings.

There is a "best for display" option and "best for retina", is that the same thing?

Also, from what I understand, the native resolution is 2560x1600, but because of the "double pixels" in retina, it actually looks like 1280x800 on the screen (as compared to a normal PC screen)?

Does bumping up the resolution cause any noticeable problems? Heat or lag? Since it is more work.

Thanks

 

[leman]

There is a "best for display" option and "best for retina", is that the same thing?

Best for display is what you get with non-retina screens and it basically means the native resolution. Best for retina is a retina display setting which sets the 'optimal' logical resolution (see below)

Also, from what I understand, the native resolution is 2560x1600, but because of the "double pixels" in retina, it actually looks like 1280x800 on the screen (as compared to a normal PC screen)?

Yes, that's the point with retina. It acts like a 'normal' screen but draws everything using more smaller pixels, giving it more detail. It's like with printers. You can print a full-page circle on an old matrix printer that does limited number of dots, and the circle will look jagged. On a modern printer with much more dots, the lines will be smooth.

To the software, the visible resolution is still the 'normal' 1280x800, but the OS maps every if those logical pixels to 2x2 grid of physical pixels. You can imagine the whole thing as a virtual pixel grid overlaying a physical pixel grid. These can be if different sizes.

Does bumping up the resolution cause any noticeable problems? Heat or lag? Since it is more work.

there will be no extra heat, and as to lag, opinions differ. You'll have to try it out for yourself. I don't see any lag even on highest settings, but that's just me.

 

[clemsy]

Best for display is what you get with non-retina screens and it basically means the native resolution. Best for retina is a retina display setting which sets the 'optimal' logical resolution (see below)



Yes, that's the point with retina. It acts like a 'normal' screen but draws everything using more smaller pixels, giving it more detail. It's like with printers. You can print a full-page circle on an old matrix printer that does limited number of dots, and the circle will look jagged. On a modern printer with much more dots, the lines will be smooth.

To the software, the visible resolution is still the 'normal' 1280x800, but the OS maps every if those logical pixels to 2x2 grid of physical pixels. You can imagine the whole thing as a virtual pixel grid overlaying a physical pixel grid. These can be if different sizes.



there will be no extra heat, and as to lag, opinions differ. You'll have to try it out for yourself. I don't see any lag even on highest settings, but that's just me.

Ah thank you so much for the detailed explanation!

Does best for retina also set it to the native resolution, as it would with best for display?

And so why is there a best for display, when there is a best for retina? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Sorry, I am new to all this, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible!

 

[snaky69]

Ah thank you so much for the detailed explanation!

Does best for retina also set it to the native resolution, as it would with best for display?

And so why is there a best for display, when there is a best for retina? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Sorry, I am new to all this, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible!

Best for retina'll look like 1280x800, but with 4 pixels making up one logical pixel.

The further up the slider you go, the higher the logical resolution will be, with less and less pixels representing 1 logical pixel.

That means you could have your 13'' screen look like it has a 1680x1050 resolution, while looking sharper than a display with that native resolution due to the extra pixels. "Retina" is Apple's marketing term for high DPI.

That's really all there is to it.