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MBP 17": 1920 x 1200 too much?

F

fstfrwrd

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 6, 2008
186
0
Belgium
I was planning on buying a new MBP when they're released and I was interested in a 17" model with the 1920 x 1200 screen.

But just a moment ago, I saw my dad's IBM laptop (15" screen) but with a huge resolution ... result: you need a magnifying glass to read the text so to speak.

Now I'm worried that this might be the case in a 1920x1200 MBP ... does anyone have pictures of a 1920x1200 and a regular resolution 17" MBP side by side, so I can decide which one to get?


thanks in advance!
 
I don't have the hi-res 17" inch (or the 17" at all), but I have seen it in the Apple Store.

If it weren't for the fact that the 17" is just too big for me nor too expensive for my budget, I would've gotten the 17" Hi-Res. It is absolutely beautiful. Plus, you get LED then. And trust me, it is MUCH better.
 
You can see an image of them both on Apple's website. But I have the 17" hi res and let me tell you..... WOW!

It's not an issue since it's not on a smaller screen and you can always adjust the size of the text. Having the resolution of a 24" in a 17" body is wonderful. If you are contemplating 17" MBPs then the LED hi res is the way to go.
 
Tom B. said:
Don't forget that Resolution Independence is on its way. That will make a higher resolution screen definitely worth having. Go for the hi-res one, you'll regret it later on if you don't.
Click to expand...
Completely agreed. Also 1920·1200 has 30.6% more screen space than 1680·1050.

The thing is, resolution independence hasn't shown up on any Mac OS X builds yet. The last I heard from it was a piece of text on Apple asking developers to get ready by 2008 (or something like that). (I'm assuming that was for 10.6, because it was before the Leopard delay. So maybe it's by 2009 now.)
 
It's not nearly as hard to read as 1920x1200 on the 15.4" (which is an option on some Dells we have at work). ;)

Seriously, I'd get the high-res screen because once resolution independence comes, it should be very sweet.
 
Just one word: STUNNING

1920x1200 looks amazingly gorgeous! Your MBP will automatically resize all system fonts and icons including the dock! But, its gorgeous and there's no other word for it!:D
 
Get the Hi-Rez Screen.

I have it and Love it - However, there are times that I pop the resolution down from native when things get TOO small and hard to read. Not optimal, but I love having the choice.
 
That's what I was going to say.... multitouch works like a charm when reading text that is too small. Although I rarely use it once I have set the type size I like. Works in just about every app. Go higher resolution for sure. It blows me away everyday.
 
I actually prefer smaller text, gives me so much room, wish we had a little more resolution on the macbooks
 
Point #1: Jeez, are you all really that clueless about screen resolution vs. font size??? :confused: Those are two completely independent concepts. Default Font sizes too small? Ok, adjust them so they're bigger! What's the big deal?? Same on Windows, same on Linux. This is nothing new, operating system fonts have been scalable for years and years.

Complaining about the default font size is like complaining about the default desktop wallpaper. "Hmmm maybe I should get a Windows PC instead, I really like that grassy field desktop that XP has" :rolleyes:

If they sold a 15" screen that was 4096x3072 I'd get it.

Point #2: You make no mention of what you intend to do with this machine. How are we supposed to know if this hardware is suitable for your tasks if you refuse to share what your tasks are?! Are you editing 1080p HD video? If so, the 1920 screen is just barely big enough. Are you playing 3D games? If so, you might want to consider a smaller resolution to increase your frame rate. Tough to make a recommendation without knowing what the intended use is.....
 
my main use for the system will be:

- autoCAD / Revit / SketchUp (architectural 3D design)
- photoshoping etc (no video editing)
- itunes, iphoto, safari + chatting

that's basically it.

i guess i'll go for the bigger res then ...
 
fstfrwrd said:
my main use for the system will be:

- autoCAD / Revit / SketchUp (architectural 3D design)
- photoshoping etc (no video editing)
- itunes, iphoto, safari + chatting

that's basically it.

i guess i'll go for the bigger res then ...
Click to expand...
I know you probably really need the portability, but it has to be said, you could get a quad core Mac Pro and 20" ACD for that same price.
 
fstfrwrd said:
my main use for the system will be:

- autoCAD / Revit / SketchUp (architectural 3D design)
- photoshoping etc (no video editing)
- itunes, iphoto, safari + chatting

that's basically it.

i guess i'll go for the bigger res then ...
Click to expand...

Yes, go for it, you won't regret it.

nick9191 said:
I know you probably really need the portability, but it has to be said, you could get a quad core Mac Pro and 20" ACD for that same price.
Click to expand...

True, only skip the 20" ACD. It's wonderful, but it's not as great as it used to be especially since it's not an HD display and the hi-def17" has almost twice the resolution.
 
pinktank said:
I actually prefer smaller text, gives me so much room, wish we had a little more resolution on the macbooks
Click to expand...
Same here. I'd rather squint (not much if at all, since my eyesight is good) on a 13.3" 1600*900 than have to scroll, close palettes, zoom, etc. on a lower resolution display.
 
iMacmatician said:
Same here. I'd rather squint (not much if at all, since my eyesight is good) on a 13.3" 1600*900 than have to scroll, close palettes, zoom, etc. on a lower resolution display.
Click to expand...

But what about those that can't see? I have a friend whose tried convincing many people from getting a 17" or 15" MacBook Pro simple because the screen is bigger. The MacBook is actually better for them since everything will appear bigger.
 
Digital Skunk said:
But what about those that can't see? I have a friend whose tried convincing many people from getting a 17" or 15" MacBook Pro simple because the screen is bigger. The MacBook is actually better for them since everything will appear bigger.
Click to expand...
How about an OPTION for different resolutions? Like, for 16:9, 1280*720, 1440*810, and 1600*900.

Apple could really do us a favor by doing so.
 
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