Laptop with easiest screen on the eyes? sharpest with deep blacks?

[andrewdisco]

I'm after something super crisp/shap that's easy on the eyes. Nothing really bright or super colourful.

**AGE OF THE LAPTOP DOESN'T MATTER***

I really liked my Vaio E-series 15.6" 1080p LED but it was too small being a dense PPI. But seemed really clear with nice dark blacks. I could get the 768p version of that laptop but I have the feeling it's a much lower quality panel?

So basic requirements:

-Super sharp/crisp and not too bright/glarey.
-Matte finish
-15"+ display.
-Pref lower than 1080p. unless it's 17 or 18"
-Nice deep blacks as I like a screen that isn't super bright but with decent contrast I guess.

Not really fussed about the rest of the machine and age as it's mostly used as a terminal workstation to remote dekstop to more powerful machines...

The 15" Samsung series 9 does sound pretty good! but it's pretty new and expensive...

Wish they had OLED displays.. the only screen i've ever really found easy to look at is my HTC desire..

ANY HELP MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!!

[ShinAkuma135]

well if you want the best of the best screens and don't have a set budget, then hardly any screen will come close to the HP EliteBook 8570w with DreamColor option. if you could fill out the 'which notebook should i buy' form, i'm sure people could help you find more options.

Another option is the HP Envy 15 with the Radiance display option. its less expensive than the elitebook's dreamcolor option and one of the best screens i've seen

[JonCordova]

Are you using Windows DPI Enlarge settings? If not, please give it a try. Go to control panel and reset the DPI settings to 125% or 150% under custom settings. It's an imperfect solution, but I do it for every laptop, even on 1366x768 screens. And I'm 20-something.

Low PPI will be hard to find. Companies generally make the effort on high-res screens only. 1366x768 units get thrown by the wayside. Somebody else said the 12.5-inch X220/X230 with IPS is "the only good" 1366x768 screen.

Actually, can you clarify what you mean by "super sharp/crisp" but also low PPI? Generally sharp means high PPI, with a glossy finish superficially enhancing that sharpness.

Unfortunately, the 15.6-inch Samsung Series 9 is a bust; it has a TN screen with terribly poor contrast and black levels. Here's a link to the review.

If "age doesn't matter," an intriguing option that I've been considering is the old Thinkpad T60p (or T42) with the 15-inch IPS display. Some of them have 1200x1600 resolution--which is a 130dpi, about the same as a 12.5-inch Thinkpad X220. Here's a link to the Notebookcheck review of the Flexview IPS T60p. It has excellent contrast with a deep black level of only 0.3nits. Be aware, the maximum brightness is only 150nits, and older CFL-backlit screens dim over time, but it might still be okay. 130 nits can still be enough for indoors away from windows.

If price is no object, there are several options for matte anti-glare screens with IPS technology--generally offering the best contrast/black level:

Sony Vaio SE 15.5 [great matte screen, average brightness]
Vizio CT15 and CT14 [great matte screens, no SD card slots]
Samsung Series 9 13.3-inch [make sure it's the new one with the PLS screen]
Asus Zenbook UX31 or UX32VD [make sure it's the one with the 1080p IPS screen]
HP Elitebook 8560w/8760w with IPS "DreamColor" screens [$3,000 because the IPS version requires the expensive Nvidia graphics card]
Dell Precision M4600/M6600 with "PremierColor IPS" screens [$3,000 because the IPS version requires the expensive Nvidia graphics card]

Glossy screens: consider applying an anti-glare screen protector, which can make things fuzzy:
HP Envy 15
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Razer Blade gaming rig [not sure about this one; Anandtech says it has good contrast, but average brightness]

[andrewdisco]

Thanks heaps guys... really appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Funny thing was I have been looking for a IPS T60 to try out, but i haven't been able to come across an IPS one just yet! But I was thinking the CCFL lighting wouldn't really be to my liking.

Problem with the DPI thing is I spend alot of my time RDP'd into different customers servers and I can't go boosting all the DPI's on them just to suit one laptop if you know what I mean...

I've been offered a super cheap price on the 13" series 9 PLS.. but I don't think it's what I'm after PPI wise and size wise :-(

Any suggestions as to what the nicest LED TN panelled laptop is?

I just found a cheap F series sony F22 16.4 Matte 1080p.. maybe I'll give that a crack or even the 18" AW sony although I can't seem to find any...

[kanuk]

Any suggestions as to what the nicest LED TN panelled laptop is?

The new Lenovo X1 Carbon apparently has a nice TN display, but spec-wise it isn't very powerful.

[JonCordova]

If you're considering an 18.4-inch used gaming rig, you have my endorsement. Last year, I got my parents an 18.4-inch Acer refurb of eBay, and I couldn't be happier. The large size offsets the 1080p resolution--120ppi--and, so help me...I love the glossy screen. Wide horizontal viewing angles, decent vertical viewing angles for a TN, great brightness--not the best contrast and black level, though. But the edge-to-edge "glass" makes it easy to clean, and the reflections aren't too bad. It stays indoors anyway.

Of course, I wasn't paying attention to specs at all. As I implied before, I happen to have no problem with the fuzzy speckling caused by matte screen protectors, and edge-to-edge "glass" just makes it easy to apply one.

If you're going new, I think the "nicest TN panels" are basically all the same. Get the 1080p high-gamut screens on any of the 15- or 17-inch workstations, the 1080p options on the "boutique" gaming rigs like the Malibal Lotus, even the Alienware m18x...or the RGB LED screen on the Dell XPS 15. They'll all have good contrast and black levels; some are anti-glare. I do like the Sony F22, just from seeing it in the store. And for bright, glossy TN screens, there's always...MacBooks.

[lovelaptops]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the HP DV6 with 1080p matte 15.6" screen - not IPS but you didn't mention that as a criterion. I can assure you, that screen is large enough for 1080p without scaling unless you are terribly far sighted with no glasses. The computer has won all kinds of accolades for everything from the screen, to the powerful components, to quality of build and materials to the price, which is well below its competition. You really don't need to spend the $ and endure the heavy weight of an HP Elitebook to get a nice, well built computer with a good screen. You didn't mention weight, but that would be its weakest spot. The Sony SVS-15 with its matte 15" screen is a contender too, but read up on "orangegate" on that screen and the Envy 15's which have the same problem. Also, these are 15.6" 1080p screens. Again, I would not sweat that.

The Samsung s9 15" looks like it si the 13" version with a bigger screen, but it's not; it has a far inferior TN screen (the 13" has a "PLS" which is essentially a Samsung brand for IPS) and inferior audio by a good measure. Even though it is 1600 X900 you would be losing all the attributes you are looking for in a screen. Check the review on notebookcheck.net.

[KCETech1]

HP Elitebook 8560w/8760w with IPS "DreamColor" screens [$3,000 because the IPS version requires the expensive Nvidia graphics card]
Dell Precision M4600/M6600 with "PremierColor IPS" screens [$3,000 because the IPS version requires the expensive Nvidia graphics card]

small correction for you Joncordova. you dont require the quadro, all models can run the dreamcolor 2 / precisioncolor with the cheaper AMD FirePro GPU, you however can not use the Intel IGP for running the 10bit color which is why the Elitebook 8740w/8760w/8770w never offered Optimus or graphics switching

now if you want older, hunt that elusive t60, they are great.

new and pricier, the m6700 and elitebook 8770w with upgraded screens, most desktop monitors cant touch them

[ZaZ]

The T60 FlexViews are indeed fantastic. I'm using one in my R60e, but they're not that rare. The problem with getting one is that they use CFFL bulbs to light the screen, which has a tendency to dim over time. A T60 is now at least five years old and may dimmed some or considerably in that time.

[andrewdisco]

well I picked up a Sony 18.4" AW... stupid me didn't research it properly.. I ended up with an RGB version, but it's glossy.. aarrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. gonna sell it.

Just want a really clear lowish PPI ****MATTE***** laptop. D'oh!!!!