Widescreen vs. Standard laptop screens

[ghostman]

I already own 2 laptops - a Dell Latitude D600 and a Lenovo Thinkpad T60 - both have a 4:3 screen. When I started looking for laptops for my gf, I notice almost everything is now widescreen.

Never having owned a widescreen laptop, I'm failing to see the point of it. I mean, I buy widescreen for my TV because all my current DVDs are in widescreen and the coming HD broadcasts are widescreen as well. But most content on my computers scroll vertically, not horizontally... and I don't see any opposing trends. Sure, viewing movies, image/video editing and viewing side-by-side documents benefits from widescreen, but these seem to be infrequently utilized tasks (relative to, say, viewing a website, editing a single document, programming, etc.).

I know why manufacturers like widescreen - less screen area (thus, lower cost) than a 4:3 screen for a specified diagonal size. But are there other reasons why a consumer would prefer widescreen on a laptop unless they do the previously mentioned points extensively?

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I tried searching and did not find a similar topic.

 

[Parasitic]

It's mostly a preference, really. I used to be a proponent of 4:3 resolutions because for me it offers more vertical (and IMO more useful) area. However I've come to accept widescreen more and more.
In fact, I prefer widescreen on laptops now because it actually makes the computer smaller, and hence easier to carry.

A 14" fullscreen is more square than a 14" 16:10 widescreen, and in most cases IMO the casing and backpack/messenger bag design is more rectangular and therefore favors widescreen designs better.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: ghostman
Never having owned a widescreen laptop, I'm failing to see the point of it.

Quick answer...

Widescreen comes in handy when you're running things in a toolbar/sidebar.

For instance, let's say you want to leave your 'history' running in a toolbar on the left side of your screen, or ICQ docked on the right side - and still be able to browse with a normal size viewing screen via IE7 or Firefox -- that's what widescreens are all about...

Otherwise, widescreens are a PITA -- too wide for browsing with NO toolbar/sidebar running!

That's it, in a nutshell...

 

[VinDSL]

Just thinking...

Look at all the crap on the left side of this forum!

If you're running 4:3, I'll bet this site really squeezes this content area down to nothing -- looks GREAT on a widescreen!

EDIT

I just changed my screen size to 1024x768 (yuck). This site doesn't look too bad, I guess, but...

Anyway, get my drift?

Widescreen allows you to run more stuff on the sides without cramping things in the middle!

If you don't run toolbars/sidebars all the time, it won't make any difference...

 

[zixxer]

I personally feel like 4:3 is more logical since the start menu is at the bottom taking up space but nowadays many things are designed towards widescreen.

For dual monitors I definitely prefer 4:3 but again.. most new lcd's are widescreen so there isn't much of a choice anymore.


I would only buy a widescreen laptop since they're easier to carry under your arm.

 

[corkyg]

I have one of each. For normal work and email, I prefer the 4:3 format. For watching DVD movies, the widescreen is a better fit because it is "letterbox." It really boils down to personal preference - scroll vertically more or horizontally more. Take your pick. As for ease of packing and carrying - depends on the case design. My 4:3 (14.1) measures 12.5 x 10 x 1. The 15.4 widescreen measures 13 x 9.5 x 1. Weight is about the same w/battery.

BTW - the newer of the two is the 4:3 T60.

 

[ghostman]

Interesting. I can see VinDSL's point about the IM apps docking to the side, but to make that effective, I'd have to "tile" my browser (to use as an example) and my IM window so that there is no overlap. Otherwise, I'd just have a very wide browser and the IM window will continue to hover over it. And for AT forums, the junk on the left side can be hidden

The more interesting point I didn't consider was the size. Based on what a few of you have mentioned, widescreen-based laptops are smaller? I buy laptops for their portability and I'm already too lazy to carry my existing 5lb laptops around. Smaller would definitely be a plus. But based on corkyg's specs though, the size is comparable. Sounds kinda odd. I'll check some store demos to compare.

 

[corkyg]

For a given screen size, widescreens are smaller in the vertical dimension - that allows them to be easily slipped into some combo backpacks. The 4.3's are a very tight fit. For regular briefcases, it really doesn't matter.

The previous mention was that for "underarm" carrying, the shorter vertical dimension makes that easier.

Best to browse Best Buy etc., and get a first hand look and feel.

 

[Throckmorton]

I'd rather have a 1280x800 12" than a 1024x768. And I've never seen a 1280x960 12"