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A Specific Question About Laptop Monitors

sean_reid

By sean_reid
in Digital Forum

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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It's time for me to get a new laptop and I've been disappointed to discover that the current models I've looked at so far have all shown somewhat soft screen displays. So, for example, photographs on screen look as if they'd received extra (and unneeded) anti-aliasing. I realize this look seems to be all the rage in fonts, etc. but has anyone encountered a current laptop maker that uses a very good video card and a *sharp* display? It seems like every display I see is anti-aliasing everything it displays. I know its possible to have a sharp screen because one of our older computers is a Dell Inspiron 8000 and it has a very sharp monitor.

 

I'm looking at Windows but would consider Mac. But *please* lets not have this turn into another PC vs. Mac debate. I searched the forum archives and it seems like every laptop thread turned into a PC vs. Mac debate.

 

The rest of the specs I can decided by numbers but I'd love a lead on companies that are putting high quality monitors in laptops (to the extent such is possible). Toshiba is a good maker but I haven't been impressed with their screens.

 

Many thanks, in advance, for any advice.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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stunsworth

stunsworth

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I have a MacBook with a glossy screen and images pop out of that. I haven't found relflections from the screen to be as bad as some, but that's probably down to the environment I tend to use it in.

 

The screen has the usual problems that laptops have with regard to off axis viewing. Moving the screen a few degrees upwards or downwards can make a big difference to the image being displayed and while that wasn't totally unexpected, it was none the less a little disappointing.

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sandymc

sandymc

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Sean,

 

The new generation MacBook Pro's - the ones with the LED backlit screens - are the best I've ever seen, and I've been through Sony's, Acer's, HP's.....I've got a 15.4 inch model and am very happy with it. Even if it does mostly run Windows(!)

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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Sean

 

You can turn off the "anti-aliasing" effect on Mac screens if you wish.

 

Might be worth having a look if you can get to a dealer.

 

That's very interesting Andy. I wonder if that is true for both platforms. How does one do this on the Macs?

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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The screen has the usual problems that laptops have with regard to off axis viewing. Moving the screen a few degrees upwards or downwards can make a big difference to the image being displayed and while that wasn't totally unexpected, it was none the less a little disappointing.

 

That part I've just learned to live with but you're right.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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andybarton

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That's very interesting Andy. I wonder if that is true for both platforms. How does one do this on the Macs?

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

 

I can't even adjust any colours AT ALL on this Dell laptop...

 

On a Mac, you just use a Control Panel. Takes about 3 seconds :)

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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Sean,

 

The new generation MacBook Pro's - the ones with the LED backlit screens - are the best I've ever seen, and I've been through Sony's, Acer's, HP's.....I've got a 15.4 inch model and am very happy with it. Even if it does mostly run Windows(!)

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

 

Hmm...that certainly caught my interest. Can those screens actually be calibrated or is that too much to hope for? Thanks Sandy.

 

BTW, there's more exploration of your Cornerfix in that new Zeiss 18 article.

 

Is it true that, if needed, I can install Windows software on the Macbook without problems? If so, I'm open to either platform I suppose. I care more about the monitor than the platform. If I can get a laptop that will let me do final picture prep for clients and RR articles, that would be great. I'm away this week looking after a sick friend which is what reminded me of how desirable such a laptop could be.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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wparsonsgisnet

wparsonsgisnet

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Sean, there's a reference in one of the other laptop screen posts about the Mac 15" LED screen, with a url to see a very useful review.

 

Based on what I have read online, this is the screen at the top of my list.

 

It's in this thread (post # 16)

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/30964-need-advice-macbook-pro-purchase.html

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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Sean, there's a reference in one of the other laptop screen posts about the Mac 15" LED screen, with a url to see a very useful review.

 

Based on what I have read online, this is the screen at the top of my list.

 

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks. Where might I find that link?

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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sean_reid

sean_reid

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Sean,

 

The new generation MacBook Pro's - the ones with the LED backlit screens - are the best I've ever seen, and I've been through Sony's, Acer's, HP's.....I've got a 15.4 inch model and am very happy with it. Even if it does mostly run Windows(!)

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

 

Hi Sandy,

 

Does my RR web site (overall) fill most of your screen with this lap top? It's optimized for 1152 x 864 which is close to the new Mac 15's native res. yes?

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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stevelap

stevelap

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Sean,

 

All the latest Macs now use multi-core Intel processors in one form or another, so you can indeed have one machine with both an Apple and a Windows OS installed (although why anyone would want W..., sorry, ignore that, couldn't resist!!).

The Macbook Pro laptops can be specified with a standard or 'glossy' display, both of which are lcd backlit. In System Preferences-Hardware-Display there are also many adjustments for resolution, colour space and control configuration etc.

 

Regards

Steve

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nryn

nryn

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Sean, I'm a bit unclear. The antialiasing which bothers you--you find this effect exclusively on type or do you think there's something going on in images as well?

 

In Windows, you can turn off ClearType. On the Mac, you can specify the extent of antialiasing (called "Font Smoothing") and specify a type size under which antialiasing is disabled (though 12 is the highest value in that dropdown).

 

And as someone already mentioned, you have numerous display choices on the mac now: what type of backlight and what kind of screen.

 

In general, high-end PC laptops still have much higher pixel densities than Macs. I don't really care for what that does to legibility, but some prefer it.

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johnastovall

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Hmm...that certainly caught my interest. Can those screens actually be calibrated or is that too much to hope for? Thanks Sandy.

 

BTW, there's more exploration of your Cornerfix in that new Zeiss 18 article.

 

Is it true that, if needed, I can install Windows software on the Macbook without problems? If so, I'm open to either platform I suppose. I care more about the monitor than the platform. If I can get a laptop that will let me do final picture prep for clients and RR articles, that would be great. I'm away this week looking after a sick friend which is what reminded me of how desirable such a laptop could be.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

Sean, no problem calibrating Mac laptops. We used both a Spyder Pro2 and Eye One 2 for them at the University, I just retired from.

 

In fact last May I was at a Leica sponsor seminar on the M8 and we used Mac Laptops and the first thing we did was to calibrate them with Eye-Ones.

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sandymc

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Hmm...that certainly caught my interest. Can those screens actually be calibrated or is that too much to hope for?

 

Sean, yes, I use the Spyder on both my Windows boxes and the MacBook Pro - one of the advantages of the LED backlight on the Mac is that it can be adjusted over a far wider ranger than the older technologies, which can be an advantage for calibration, depending on how you like your screen set.

 

I run Windows on the Mac via BootCamp, which allows full speed "native" operation. You can also use either Parallels or VMWARE Fusion, which is a bit slower, but means you're running OSX and Windows at the same time.

 

Really cool update on the Zeiss, and great to see the comparison on the vignetting versus aperture. This should be required reading for anyone using using an IR filter. BTW, the next version of CornerFix should have the ability to encode the estimated aperture into the DNG's EXIF data, which will ease the "what aperture was that shot at" problem you highlight. Just waiting for permission from the "discoverer" of the coding scheme to publish.......

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

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sandymc

sandymc

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Does my RR web site (overall) fill most of your screen with this lap top? It's optimized for 1152 x 864 which is close to the new Mac 15's native res. yes?

 

Sean,

 

Fills about 75%+ horizontally, and about 85% vertically using Safari

 

Regards,

 

Sandy

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