Widescreen signal output to 4:3 monitor?

[GanChan]

If I output a Macbook's native 1280x800 to a monitor set for 1280x1024, will it display in a "letterbox" format, or will it be squished, stretched, zoomed-in, etc.?

I have a 20" 1280x1024 monitor that I dearly love, and when I buy my new Macbook I'd love to output an un-stretched signal to it....

 

[waw74]

just adjust the resolution to match the new monitor,
native only refers to the physical number of pixels on the screen.

Or look at the macbook specs on the apple site.

Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors

so 1280x800 is well within the 1920x1200

 

[GanChan]

Thanks. So even though the Macbook's own display is widescreen, it can send an image that will look correct on a monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio?