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need ext. display: what's more important, resolution or PPI?

M

malch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
466
9
Hi,
I have 15″ Macbook Pro with the 15.4" display, and I need an external display that I can carry with me when I'm editing "on the road" (non-linear editing involves lots of windows and bins, etc., and I can't get by without two screens).

A couple days ago I purchased a 17" display at Best Buy, and tried it out, but it didn't have as high a resolution as my MacBook Pro (and it had a different PPI number), and my editing windows were bigger and not as crisp and clear on this external display. If I dragged a window from my MBP to the external window, it would increase in size and not look nearly as good. (I returned the display this morning).

Has any other MacBook Pro owner figured out the best way to do what I'm trying to do?
My MacBook Pro display: 1440x900
110 PPI (pixels per inch, or dot pitch)

Someone at Best Buy suggested I get a 17" lcd tv. He said it would do the trick.
Someone else advised me to get a 19" computer display, because the 19" displays have 1440x900 resolution.
Someone else said resolution isn't as important as PPI (pixels per inch).

Any advice?
Thanks, malch
 
The 2 measurements are proportionate to each other. As the screen grows, the ppi (density)gets smaller unless the resolution grows proportionately as well. The only way to have the window be the same size when dragged to the 2nd desktop is to get a monitor with the same dpi as the macbook screen.
 
thanks for both replies.
Frosty: I travel with my MacBook Pro, and a suitcase with foam compartments in which I carry an enclosure for SATA drives, the drives themselves, my Wacom tablet and pen and headphones. I'd like to be able to place an ext. display on top, but it would have to be 15", or 17" at most if I continue to use this carrying case.
The display I bought and tried out (and returned) was 17", and it lacked the proper resolution and PPI.
I guess I'll look for a display with 110 PPI, as you suggest, Mike. If it's bigger, I'll just have to get a larger carrying case.
thanks for your help,
malch
 
CubeHacker said:
You need to find an external display with the same PPI as your MBP's display. The size doesn't matter, as long as the PPI is the same.

This should come in handy in finding a monitor with a correct PPI:

http://thirdculture.com/joel/shumi/computer/hardware/ppicalc.html
Click to expand...

As cube hacker said The ppi is the thing to look for closer to 110 the better- the acd 20 in has a ppi of about 100 if my calculations are right and the coulers are great and it looks great physically and should match the Mbp quite well and it's made by:apple: I know that you said 17 in but 20 in is a great amount of real estate along with the 15" mbp so If that will fit look at that (it is dicontinued by :apple: but can be found in good cond for a Relitively good price considering it's quality on a certian well known acution site) as for 17 displays I couldn't find anythink near the ppi of 110 that you wanted
.
 
thank you cube and matty.
I really appreciate the info and advice.
malch
 
Matty-p said:
as for 17 displays I couldn't find anythink near the ppi of 110 that you wanted
.
Click to expand...

i stand corrected - by myself i managed to find an 17 display with a ppi of 100 (99.89) http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126907 not the worlds best display but hey a 17 inch dispaly very near the 110 ppi of the mbp (Resolution (1440 x 900)) it is £80 over here where i live in the uk wich is equivelent to about 130 usd
 
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