Screen preference with Live: 14"XGA or 15"SXGA?

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 9:56 pm

Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting a laptop, and can't decide between an IBM R40 with a 15" screen, or a sleeker T40 with a smaller 14" screen with lower res. What is the general concensus around here for screen sizes and resolutions? Is 1024*768 enough for live? I'm trying to gauge how it'll look using my 17"CRT, which I'm guessing is a tad larger than a 15"LCD. Seems a bit crowded, but I can imagine a 15" display at 1400*1050 being too small and fiddley. Any insight would be a great help, thanks.

globalgoon · Post by **globalgoon** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:10 pm

hi chris!
I think the higher the resolution the better!

Spiralgroove · Post by **Spiralgroove** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:13 pm

i ran 1024x768 on 15" and it was great...
whatever you do dont fool with 600x800 what a nightmare...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:36 pm

Laptop screens and TFT's in general have what is known as a native resolution. Outside of this resolution oversampling is used to achieve the set display dimensions which generally looks crap.

Finding out what the native resolution of the laptop or screen you want to buy is useful, though it is plain as day usually when not working in this mode. I'd lay money that the native resolutions of the screen you are talking about there will be 1024x768, 17 inchers are generally 1280x1024.

Apple lappies have a different physicl arrangement but the same principles apply. LCD screens are a lot better than a few years ago though laptop screens tend to be inferior to their external counterparts both in definition and usuable viewing angles, apart from the real cheapies.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 10:38 pm

PS: The 15" SXGA is preferable.

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:51 pm

Alright Johnny? I forgot you were a Live aficionado.

Basically, I can get the R40 for a couple hundred quid less than the T41, but it's also thicker and loses the wicked magnesium alloy case of the T41, instead being plastic (still very sturdy though). The upsides are it has 512MB ram as default (T41 has 256), and has a 15" screen at 1400x1050, as opposed to 14" at 1024x768.

I know it's easy to suggest the higher resolution, but if I'm not playing games or mucking with graphics, just using Live and watching the odd DVD, is the higher res still preferable?

Cheers for the help guys.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 12:07 am

They'll both be fine, 14" is a bit dinky and the XGA colours may be a bit more washy. I'd used 'em both for 15 mins or so and ask to see a DVD running on them so you can decide. You're spending good money, they'l oblige. If they're the same price i'd still be tempted by the bigger viewing area, more memory and SXGA but sometimes size is important, can't be THAT much smaller can it?

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 12:11 am

Thanks Guest. I'm leaning towards the R40, as it seems a more sensible buy. It would be nice to own a T41, but I could have a larger screen, more mem and enough change to buy an Echo Indigo DJ to put in the single card slot if I went R40.

mosca · Post by **mosca** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 11:16 am

Chris,

Revolver - what a tune

anyhoo - go with the 15"

mosca (retro)

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 3:13 pm

Thanks Mosca, I'm glad you liked Revolver!

The 15" it is then, thanks again folks.

Spacerboy · Post by **Spacerboy** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 8:22 pm

I think they should produce more Laptops with a resolution 1600x1200. this is perfect for using ableton, reaktor and reason together...otherwise its about scrollbar usage and nothing else. reaktor from NI should therefore fix the stupid screensize problem!!! please....oh....thats not the NI page...sorry...

cspacy

andreas · Post by **andreas** » Sun Jan 18, 2004 2:42 pm

Chris Ochre wrote: but I can imagine a 15" display at 1400*1050 being too small and fiddley. Any insight would be a great help, thanks.

not for me... i use a t40p , 14" at 1400*1050 and i love it:-)
~a

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 5:15 pm

Yep, it's superb. My CRT seems so blurred in comparison to the R40's LCD. I've cleared off most of the IBM stuff I can do without (seems mainly to duplicate the Win stuff - please let me know if I'm getting rid of stuff I need!) and it's running the Live demo really well.

It's going to be hard going back tp my desktop now. My eyes ache at the thought of it...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 11:54 pm

you should also look into some widescreen laptops. on my eMachines m5310 widescreen laptop i can see up to 15 tracks at once without having to scroll over in ableton.

just something to keep in mind if you like to use a lot of tracks.

Chris Ochre · Post by **Chris Ochre** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 4:43 pm

I've already got the R40 now, which I'm very happy with, especially the build quality, screen, and keyboard. I thought anything larger would be too unweildy to lug about.

Screen preference with Live: 14"XGA or 15"SXGA?

Screen preference with Live: 14"XGA or 15"SXGA?

1600x1200 with Dell Inspiron 15''

Re: Screen preference with Live: 14"XGA or 15"SXGA?