WXGA vs WSXGA+ vs WUXGA for "business" use (HP)

[notejay]

I'm looking at getting an HP top-of-the-line nw8240 notebook for business use and am having a difficult time deciding on which screen to get. They offer three in the 15.4" size I'm getting:

WXGA vs WSXGA+ vs WUXGA

For the WSXGA+ and WUXGA they say it's got a "wide viewing angle" -- but not the WXGA.

I've learned that these three formats have specific "native" resolutions:

WXGA = 1280 x 800
WSXGA+ = 1680 x 1050
WUXGA = 1920 x 1200

I'm also keenly aware of the fact that, with an LCD, you always want to stay with native resolution, especially if you're using mostly general business apps like I am and therefore are generally a lot more concerned with very crisp text than with great graphics.

I actually got an nw8240 delivered from HP already, but I made the big mistake of overlooking it when the sales rep asked if I wanted the "better or enhanced" screen (WUXGA), and I never realized I'd be getting "ultra-high" resolution that makes text impossibly small to read. (I shoulda realized that; I just was in a rush ordering it and it simply never occurred to me at the time.)

So, I'm going to return it and get one with the lower resolution. I'm planning on getting it with the WXGA screen that's 1280 x 800 but I wanted to check here first to see if there's anything else I should know or am overlooking.

I've tried the Windows adjustments on this WUXGA machine and nothing is really going to make it work for normal business use. Yes, if I go into Display - Settings - Advanced and set the DPI to 200% it makes "most" text appear plenty acceptable (and the sharpness and contrast are simply awesome), but some text still does NOT get enlarged and remains far too small for normal reading (ie: Norton opening screen and even the main Windows/HP Help screen)... and I'm sure that once I check the way it shows web pages it will be entirely evident that this is simply not a viable solution. Nor is just setting Display - Appearance to Large fonts, for similar reasons (and it's even worse).

I've looked in stores and seen lower-end HP machines such as Pavilions, as well as other brands like Toshiba, and it seems cut-and-dried that the "standard" native resolution for 15.4" wide screens in notebooks for "general" use is 1280 x 800. And I assume that's what I should get and call it a day. However...

When I look at those machines in the stores that have those specs, the number of Windows Desktop icons that fill one column is either 9 or 10 (on the HPs it's 10), but if I set this WUXGA machine to 1280 x 800 resolution the number of icons in a column is only 8! And, the fonts are a bit larger than I'd want... larger than I see on the WXGA machines in the stores. I wonder if it's different on this WUXGA machine because I'm deviating from the screen's native resolution here, or if all HP nw8240 machines at 1280 x 800 are going to do that, even when it's a WXGA machine and it's using native resolution?

I see posts on the forum of how awesome the WSXGA and WUXGA screens are compared to WXGA, but I also see a few posts saying that for business use you just go with WXGA and that's that.

It seems that I could "possibly" live with the WSXGA resolution, but even that seems too high (fonts too small) for normal business use. Indeed, the main Windows/HP Help screen on this WUXGA machine, even when Maximized, only fills about 25% of the screen when the resolution is set at the 1920 x 1200 setting that's native for this machine, and only fills about 50% of the screen when I set the resolution to 1680 x 1050. But when I set it to 1280 x 800, it fills it perfectly! Sure seems like WXGA is truly "normal" for general business use for these 15.4" wide LCD screens.

Another question is the "kind" of WXGA screen. In the stores I see BrightView and also High Definition BrightView on various HP notebooks. The HD looks far superior to the non-HD but it also seems to be the ones with the "gloss" finish on them, and I've seen numerous posts saying to stay away from the gloss finish because of the glare... and I tend to feel that that's good advice.

I don't really know if HP is offering any "choices" within the WXGA designation (I doubt they do based on what I've gotten from a tech and from their web sites thus far, but I have yet to grill a sales-support expert in this area, which I'll be doing shortly... though a user forum may be far more reliable ).

So, anything else I should be considering??? Anything I'm missing? Should I just get the WXGA and assume that in this kind of system it will automatically be top-of-the-line, and just go with 1280 x 800 and call it a day? Is the HP WXGA going to give me the same sized fonts I'm expecting based on what I see in the stores in machines set at 1280 x 800 (are the larger fonts and images -- lower number of icons in a column on the desktop -- that I'm seeing on this WUXGA when set to 1280 x 800 just an anomaly due to my deviating from native resolution)?

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Jay

[ZaZ]

If you think the WXGA is too big I would opt for WSXGA. If you get the WXGA you are stuck with it if it is too big. You can still up the DPI in WSXGA.

[kawasakiguy37]

Just change t he font size.....

[madmike23]

Yes, the WUXGA screens are very sharp and very high quality. I've noticed on many HP/Compaq's that the viewing angles aren't that great and the brightness from top to bottom aren't that even throughout. Very noticeable with the glossy screens (that's why they got a bad rap). I'm not a fan of the glossies, but if you look at other brands like Asus, Sony, and Toshibas, you'll see that some companies pull it off very well. The Asus W3 and Z83 are great examples.

[hjmmaniac]

I think WSXGA is just fit to the 15.4" wide LCD screens

[madmike23]

Yeah, the WUXGA is very nice, but it may be too much desktop for a 15.4" screen. I've got a WSXGA+ on my Z70Va, perfect for graphics, flash, or video editing.

[Device]

What will you be using the notebook for? What do you consider "regular business use"? It seems you paid a lot of extra money for the nw8240 which is really a mobile workstation marketed towards the digital content creation and cad/aec markets.

You might consider not only stepping down the screen resolution, but stepping down the notebook model as well - perhaps a nc8230 or nx8220.

Just a thought ...

[Charles P. Jefferies]

Screen resolution is personal preference; however, if I had a choice, I would go with the WSXGA+ - to me, it is easier on the eyes. You still get plenty of screen real estate.

[21st Hermit]

WXGA = 1280 x 800
WSXGA+ = 1680 x 1050
WUXGA = 1920 x 1200

Jay,

Try this, if you're using a Microsoft mouse/pointing device.

Download v5.4 of the intellipoint driver, it has a built in magnifier which acts just like a handheld magnifing glass of ~2X power.

You assign it to any button and its size can be dynamically configured.

FWIW, I'd go with 1280 x 800 on a 15.4" WS.

Good Luck,
Hermit

[Slappy]

Resolution is just a matter of preference. I'm very happy with a 15.4" WXGA because I never need to look at more than two documents on the screen at once (though there may be several in the background). Two open Word documents with very readable font can be side-by-side on a WXGA screen.

Sounds like you don't do anything that needs high resolution and you didn't like it when you had it. You're probably over-thinking this: get the resolution that you are comfortable with. You've looked at WXGA screens in the store, you liked 'em. Get one!