TFT vs HPA in laptops.... big difference?

[THELAIR]

I know TFT is 'better' HOWEVER, for project management and basic computing (no games etc) how well is a HPA LCD screen compared to a TFT?

I was talking to a friend and he said i'd be insane to get a HPA over a TFT (its a 300 dollar extra cost on the model im looking at). Im trying to keep this a cheap system, i will be using it quite a bit though...

is HPA liveable or should i under no circumstances settle for anything less than TFT?

thanks for any input

 

[medic]

I've owned 4 Notebooks now and worked on maybe 50 others and the difference is enough that I would never settle for anything less than a TFT/Active Matrix now. Your eyes will thank me and when you resell it some day it will be worth a few hundred more.

From:.Link
What to look for
1) A good screen. In laptops, bigger screens can add thousands of dollars to the price of a portable computer, but no matter what size and resolution you choose, you should definitely make sure that you pick a unit with an "Active matrix" screen. This technology, also known as TFT, for "thin film transistor," uses a grid of tiny transistors wired in such a way that the picture elements ("pixels&quot that make up the screen are continuously powered -- in other words, they are actively refreshed by the display circuitry. Less expensive displays include "Passive matrix" and HPA" display technologies. Neither is as bright nor as quick to refresh as a TFT display.

The biggest laptop displays available in mass production are currently 15 inches, measured diagonally. These displays, primarily found on laptops in the over-C$5000 price range, typically have a maximum resolution of 1024x768, although some units go a little higher. Those willing to put up with a slightly smaller screen size may be able to save a thousand dollars or more by choosing a unit with a 14.1 inch or 13 inch screen. These units are usually also capable of 1024 by 768 resolution -- a screen size ideal for viewing web pages, presentations and complex spreadsheets or other tabular data

 

[Gosharkss]

HPA Technology

It is my understanding that HPA is based on passive matrix technology, this is older technology than TFT, which uses active matrix technology. Active-matrix displays are brighter and produce better color than passive-matrix displays.

For details on TFT technology see the following link.

http://www.sharp.ca/lcd_tft.html

Good Luck

 

[pm]

HPA is liveable IMO, if you do not intend to use the laptop very often. The "sweet spot" (the area where your head needs to be in order to see the screen clearly) is much smaller on an HPA screen. The brightness of an HPA screen is much lower than a TFT. The colors are more muted. Text is less sharp.

It's possible to live with it if you do not intend to use it frequently. If it will be used more than an hour or two a week, get a TFT - as CRV said, your eyes will thank you for it.

 

[Gunbuster]

HPA has ghosting

 

[THELAIR]

im gonna go down to one of the big brick n mortar stores and try and compare a couple models side by side and see how they look

 

[Workin']

You'll hate yourself in the morning if you go HPA. TFT is worth every penny of the premium.

"The bitter taste of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price has faded."

I think someone famous once said that.......

 

[THELAIR]

okay i had a chance to see a HPA and a TFT Side by side and well there is no turning back, TFT it is

now to just decide what model to get, check out my new thread:

Compaq or Dell??

 

[hans007]

if HPA saves me $300 next year if i buy a laptop i'd do it, I'll just hook it up to my 19" FD trinitron at home, and use HPA in the library. i'm sure it'll be bearable for just light use if you primarily use the laptop at a college or something

 

[Workin']

hans007 - a $300 slower processor would be more bearable than an HPA screen. Really. They are truly awful even on their own (lack of) merits, but compared to TFT it's not even close.

One of the worst feelings is kicking yourself every time you use an expensive piece of equipment, and cursing yourself for being cheap. I guarantee that after the novelty of having a laptop wears off, you will regard choosing an HPA display as one of the worst computer-related decisions you have ever made. Even worse than getting that stupid KDS monitor you hate so much.