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Is High Resolution a big deal?

K

Kauai

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 13, 2010
504
1
I've finally put aside my qualms about 'waiting for the update' and 'refurb or new' and I've decided to just buy myself a refurbished 15" MBP.

I'm not a power user, though I do some light graphics and gaming. Besides that my usage consists of entertainment consumption, homework (word processing, research, etc) and communication. I've realized how idiotic it is of me to worry so much over the best GPU, CPU or Screen when my current 13" MBP has suited me just fine. 'Alas I would like a Mac I'll be keeping for the next 3-4 years, so I want a 15". I've also decided on the MBP over a MBA because it will allow me to perform some upgrades later on (like SSD, RAM, etc) unlike the air to get more life out of it.

So this is my final question: Is High Resolution (1680 vs 1440) that big of a deal for someone like me? Will I really care all that much? And while we're at it, will the rumored Retina displays really be worth $400-$600 and 4-5 months to me? Perhaps it's a question only I can answer, but I want your opinions.

So yeah, rather than the plethora of "Should I wait threads" the screen is really just my last sticking point.
 
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With rumors of retina displays floating around, I'd wait. However, if the new MacBook Pros don't have it and there proves to not be a substantial update, you'll just be kicking yourself in the head. But it works both ways, to be fair.

High resolution just looks better in my opinion, but it's mainly suited for designers/photographers or heavy consumers.. Not sure if they sell them in store, the best bet would be for you to see them in person and choose what works for you.
 
As always the answer is "it depends".

The current hires screen on the 15" pro is pretty decent.

However, if (like me) you need the screen real estate for applications like Xcode or ableton that just use a heap of windows, and lots of complexity in those windows, higher res is always better.

Personally, 1440x900 is not enough for me. Its one of the reasons I have a 15" pro and not a 13" air. I'd try and find a hires refurb if you can.
 
The higher the resolution the more screen real estate so for some it is important.

I'm not really one of those buying the idea of a retina display for laptops. Heck, apple hasn't even put in a 8bit display and so they dither the colors
 
I'm not a pro, but now you have a 13". I guess, when you switch to 15", you will already have more "space" on your screen to do everything you want. The hires is not necessary,but a nice addon if you can afford it.

If you have the money, you could always consider the hires antiglare screen. The nice thing about the anti-glare is that you can work on your laptop in the sunlight. Okay, you may think you don't need this, but last week i was sitting in the library, when suddenly the sun came up (in februari!). I was really glad i didn't have a glass screen that reflects all the light. I could keep on working whether my friend next to me (who has a a glare screen) couldn't. It costs a bit more, but it's something you can't upgrade along the way and -to me- it is really worth every penny!
 
HiDPI displays in the MacBook Pro are unlikely for the next generation, though that isn't to say that it won't happen. However, the price for both Apple and the end-user would be high.

Note that HiDPI is all dependent on the halved resolution; that is, if you double the resolution of the 13" MBP, you won't get more space, merely a sharper picture. So the retina displays don't mean all that much in that respect.

As for whether the increased resolution means anything to you, it really depends. If you do your typical browsing, surfing, and emailing, it won't make a difference, merely because if you go full-screen on those apps, you're taking away all the advantages of having a higher resolution display, and are merely wasting space at the sides. In this case, due to the MBA's worse colour gamut, I went for the MBP; in daily usage, the higher resolution would actually be of no advantage to me.

However, if you're like the throAU, the extra real-estate will definitely be of use. It's just a matter of deciding whether it is for you or not. To be honest, the standard 15 will probably be okay for you.
 
It is, and makes life a lot easier. It's unfortunate Apple doesn't offer high resolution on their 13" & 15" models. Don't tell me 1680x1050 is high resolution. It's 2012, that is standard.

I have a nice B156HW01 V.3 in my Lenovo T520, 1080p. It makes multitasking much easier.

1440x900 is pretty close to the 1366x768 that is standard on PC laptops costing $300. I expect better from a machine costing what Apples do.
 
I was at the Apple store not too long ago, and grabbed both the regular and hi-res 15" MBP and put them side by side. My only dilemma with my MBP purchase is whether or not I want the hi-res AG.

After looking at them side-by-side I knew I wanted the hi-res one. Extra screen real estate is nice, but it really does look that much better. And I have a feeling the AG will come in handy every now and then.

Then again, I'm on a 13" 1280x800 so anything is better. :D
 
Personally, I think it makes a huge difference as a user who could use the real estate. My brother got the latest 15-inch and it was quite a difference.
 
My gf's MBP doesn't have a hi-res screen and it was nice. I decided to get a MBP and I ordered the hi-res AG screen and I personally think it looks much much better. But I might be a bit biased.
 
I went from the 13" to the 17" and it was a large noticeable difference since things got smaller but I ended up getting a lot more screen estate. It's especially noticeable since there's a physical screen size difference too. I like it but it does take a little bit of time to get used to.
 
Kauai said:
Is High Resolution (1680 vs 1440) that big of a deal for someone like me?
Click to expand...
Depends on who you ask. The "someone like me" profile in your OP consists of people who like higher resolution displays and people who don't. It's a matter of personal preference. Your usages really don't dictate resolution preference in the way that you seem to think.

Kauai said:
And while we're at it, will the rumored Retina displays really be worth $400-$600 and 4-5 months to me? Perhaps it's a question only I can answer, but I want your opinions.
Click to expand...
You'd have to experience it first hand to assess for yourself. Otherwise, your guess is as good as anyone else's with respect to your sense of worth when it comes to higher resolution.
 
Personally, I think the resolution on the 13" Macbook Pro is alright.

I guess it's just the way I use my Macbook ... I basically browse leisurely and on occasion do a quick edit here and there.

When I have to do real 'work' I put away my Macbook Pro and turn on my Windows Desktop.

So if the Macbook Pro is your primary working machine and you need more resolution then perhaps you should look elsewhere.
 
Adamantoise said:
Lol.

This is why PC users think Apple users are stupid.
Click to expand...

That statement only works for the tech savvy PC users. I work with so many people that couldn't even tell you who makes their PC that they use everyday, let alone the screen resolution, memory, and processor in it, and they were the ones that ordered and paid for it (my company makes us buy and reimburses us for the purchase).

In fact, I have seen many of my co-workers go from a 23" Dell UltraSharp with an IPS panel to a 24" Acer with a TFT because it was bigger.
 
squeakr said:
That statement only works for the tech savvy PC users. I work with so many people that couldn't even tell you who makes their PC that they use everyday, let alone the screen resolution, memory, and processor in it, and they were the ones that ordered and paid for it (my company makes us buy and reimburses us for the purchase).

In fact, I have seen many of my co-workers go from a 23" Dell UltraSharp with an IPS panel to a 24" Acer with a TFT because it was bigger.
Click to expand...

and lucky we have these people because we can score cheap prices off their high quality products when they choose to downgrade eh i mean upgrade :p
 
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