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Sometimes more is not better.

Newtons Apple

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Original poster
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,254
Jacksonville, Florida
Love Apple products but need a new laptop soon and the retina screens scale stuff so small when using Windows via BootCamp. Some of the text and buttons in PhotoShop and Quickbooks Pro are impossible to read. Tried zooming and changing the screen resolution and all look bad.

Wish Apple still made a non-retina model in 15" MacBook Pro.

Suggestion? I do not want to go back to a Windows computer.
 
It's a slight additional cost, but VMware Fusion has an option for "Use full resolution for Retina display". I have that option disabled and I haven't run into the resolution problem that you're seeing.
 
The scaling in Windows is often subpar when coupled with retina screens. I'm faced with similar issues with my 5k iMac and windows. I' have my windows set to a high zoom factor and that seems to work, there are some exceptions, where the controls are just tiny.

I've tried Vmware Fusion but that didn't seem to be a great solution for me.
 
This is also one of the primary reasons why I got rid of my Surface Pro 3. I just could not stand the horrible scaling in Windows. I use desktop apps, so everything is either hard to see when not scaled, or blurry when scaled.
 
My SolidWorks (only program I used in Bootcamp) also has scaling issues on my 15" MBP. Some icons are small and text doesn't fit it the boxes.

Not pretty, but I would never buy a non-retina model just because of this. Windows doesn't become unusable as most scaling is handled well.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far.

I just wish there was a way to change resolution on the Retina screen without is degrading the image so badly. I hate to thing my only choice is a MacBook Air with non-retina screen.:(
 
Hm... The Dell XPS 15 is available with a 1080p screen if you're platform agnostic.
 
Agreed some programs are not written to take advantage of windows scaling options and even dumbing down the res is not always the best results

I have a free copy of Corel Paintshop and scaling seems not to work so well but changing the screen res in advance settings is more effective mixed with settings inside the prog to increase Icon size
 
SteveJUAE said:
Agreed some programs are not written to take advantage of windows scaling options and even dumbing down the res is not always the best results

I have a free copy of Corel Paintshop and scaling seems not to work so well but changing the screen res in advance settings is more effective mixed with settings inside the prog to increase Icon size
Click to expand...

Yep, I am trying to use PhotoShop and some of the buttons are about 1/16" or less square. I can not even read some of the text in the top bar as it does not format correctly.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Yep, I am trying to use PhotoShop and some of the buttons are about 1/16" or less square. I can not even read some of the text in the top bar as it does not format correctly.
Click to expand...
See what the minimum specs are for Photoshop as it should note the screen res and mimic that setting and see how it looks :)
 
Newtons Apple said:
The high resolution screens I have used do not work well when you move them from their native resolution. Looks worst that having the text and button tiny.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but it's not so much the screen as the program not taking advantage of the platform(s) IMO and we could say these high-end graphics progs were never intended to be used in anger on these small high res screens :)
 
Just ordered a MacBook Pro 13 non retina with 16gb RAM and 500gb SSD.

Old technology with real USB ports and a built in DVD! I feel like I am in a time warp but it will do what I need. Will sell the MacBook Pro 15 retina
 
HiDPI in Windows has never been as good as in OS X and probably never will be. Apple is not going to sell a non-Retina Mac just for Bootcamp, though (unless that's the reason the 2012 cMBP is still there). ;)

Get the Mac version of Photoshop. It has no issues on a Retina display.
 
redheeler said:
HiDPI in Windows has never been as good as in OS X and probably never will be. Apple is not going to sell a non-Retina Mac just for Bootcamp, though (unless that's the reason the 2012 cMBP is still there). ;)

Get the Mac version of Photoshop. It has no issues on a Retina display.
Click to expand...

Still also need AutoCad on Windows so I made the right choice. I do not expect Apple to make a laptop for bootcamp windows but was glad that I could still find this and get Apple Care. By time this no longer works, tablets should be up to doing what I need.
 
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