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WSXGA vs WXGA

post #1 of 19
9/5/04 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 
I rencently bought an Inspiron 8600 with the recommended WXSGA screen. I don't know why that is the recommended LCD. For general use the text/icons are just too small. To keep the same aspect ratio I changed the resolution to 1280x800. However I get a message stating if I change resolution that text/images may appear fuzzy and that these type of monitors should be run at their native resolution. I contacted tech support and was told I could just get the WXGA screen sent to me and exhange screens. However was told that was not possible when I went to arrange for it. My choices were to return this system and re-order the laptop. The problem with this is with the different Dell's offerings each week the new laptop with the downgraded LCD actually costs more now. I don't think that is quite fair. So my choices are live with it, return and re-order or just plain return.

I do have a question here. Would I notice a difference in sharpness between the WXGA LCD running at the native 1280 x 800 compared to the WXSGA+ scaled down to the 1280 x 800. Would the difference be enough to justify packing up this notebook (WXSGA), paying for shipping and waiting 10 days for the new notebook(WXGA). I am not a gamer if that factors in the decision. Thanks in advance. Todd
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post #2 of 19
9/5/04 at 1:42pm
Have you tried increasing the font and icon size? Display properties>appearance tab>advanced
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post #3 of 19
9/5/04 at 2:18pm
You would notice a difference in the clarity. If you want larger icons, Fett101's post will allow you to do that. Same with most text. If you are referring to small text on IE or whatever browser you use, try going to "Increase Font Size."
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post #4 of 19
9/5/04 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
Yes I increased the font size and/or dpi when running at 1600x1080 or whatever the default resolutuion for WSXGA. Some of the web pages type/graphics were still to small, i.e. cnn.com. So that won't work for me. Changing the display to 1280x800 (which keeps the same aspect ratio) and I find the display size of the fonts/graphics/text very acceptable. But what I have read by going this route I will give up some sharpness on the display. I can't really tell that much of a difference, if any, on graphics but the type may seem it is all in boldface. Or somewhere in between regular and boldface. So am I being to anal or picky? Keep this laptop and get used to it or return it and get the WXGA screen and hope it is better?
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post #5 of 19
9/6/04 at 3:26am
If you can't stand WSXGA+ even with 120DPI, return the laptop and reorder with WXGA.
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post #6 of 19
9/7/04 at 10:18pm
Dear Tuxon:

Been there and done that. I had a 8600 WUXGA (1900 x 1200 ). This was a completely useless display. When you scale it back, it gets fuzzy/blurry. The more you scale it, the worse it gets. One resolution down is not that bad, but down to 1280 x 800 or worse back to 1024 x 768, well you can just plain forget it. Rummaging thru different font sizes and scaling it up past 120%, has the same blurry effect.

The simple fact is, the LCD panel has pixels that are different in size for XGA, SXGA and UXGA. The best you can get is to set the graphics card to the screens resolution. Anything other than that is inferior.

By the way, I lived with my 8600 for 3 days and then sent it back. If I reorder it, it will be XGA as I need it for business mostly, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and to do WEBCASTS normally at 1024 x 768.

Hope thid helps.
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post #7 of 19
9/10/04 at 6:31am
It may be worth seeing an optician as well...If you find it too small you may need an eye correction...You'll find you will get less headaches and be less of a hazard in general traffic as well if you drive a car or bike...

I am typing this quite comfortably from a WUXGA, no problem focussing on anything....

My wife found it too small as well, in addition she noticed a lot of glare at night...She finally agreed to go to an optician (to vain to wair glasses) and got glasses and a whole new world has opened up....And that is even with a small prescription like -0.75 and -0.50.....

So don't necessarily knock the screen, you may see improvements in the rest of your life....

BTW Word, Excel, PowerPoint are great in WUXGA...I tend to use Word always maximised with pageview set to page width and you find the text is much bigger than on an XGA AND you get to see more of the page as well...Win win situation....
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post #8 of 19
9/10/04 at 5:21pm
Man, WUXGA is not as pleasant to everyone as you make it sound and I have 20/20 vision.

The best advice is to go to some electronic stores and test out the displays yourself. I found that Best Buy here in NY displays laptops with native WXGA as well as native WSXGA+ It is hard to come by a native WUXGA in a electronics shop around here.
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post #9 of 19
9/11/04 at 3:53am
I have 20/10 vision... I love it. I do set the dpi to 120 tho.
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post #10 of 19
9/11/04 at 4:51am
I have WSXGA, and I could never go back to anything less now. It is so good, clear and sharp. I find that the fonts are perfectly legible. I have actually started to want the WUXGA. At the time of order, I had never seen the WSXGA or WUXGA, only the WXGA, which looked horrible. I wasn't too sure that WUXGA would be too hard to read. After receiving my WSXGA, I find that I could make everything just that little bt smaller. I would stick with the WSXGA. Don't go down to WXGA. Not as good.
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post #11 of 19
9/12/04 at 2:50pm
i have the wuxga (1920x1200, 96dpi, regular size fonts, cleartype on) and for the first 6-9 months i had to wear my glasses (that im supposed to wear all the time anyway) to read the screen w/out getting a headache

though, now - i can read (as long as its not a book or anything) most of the time w/out an issue (well other then when i have just woken up and my eyes are still adjusting to light input) and can play games also - but i cant aim w/out my glasses (cant focus fast enough)

last time i checked i had 20/30 or 20/40 vision
probably get my eyes check'd this xmas break again

though, i dont know if its my LCD or just the sharp wuxga's in general but the wsxga+ (1680x1050) seems much brighter than mine, atleast w/ sunlight glare; though i havent had time to do side by side comparision w/ the other person who has a d800 & wuxga screen @ school
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post #12 of 19
10/31/04 at 8:39pm
Yeah, I think WSXGA+ is just too small.. the 120 dpi method really distorts graphics on web sites. So probably not recommended if you surf the web often. I changed my desktop to use "Larger Font" and that helps. Still, I think WXGA is probably the easiest on the eye. You get less real estate but it helps if you want to read with ease and comfort.

You could probably live with the WSXGA+ and probably eventually grow to like it. Your eyes will eventually adapt.

I am returning mine machine as well. Besides not like the WSXGA+ too much, I think the keyboard on the 8600 is not very good. I cannot describe it since I have not owned other notebooks but I have typed on other Dell notebooks and noticed the 8600 seems particularly harder to type on for some reason. Make lot more mistakes.

I think the best option might actually be a 16" with WXGA+.
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post #13 of 19
10/31/04 at 8:40pm
By the way, I dont think Dell makes any recommendations on the screen resolution anymore when you customize the 8600. I did not see WSXGA+ as the recommended option last time I checked.
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post #14 of 19
10/31/04 at 10:33pm
Regarding the distortion of graphics at 120dpi on web pages. You could solve that by disabling the IE registry option to automatically bump up graphics. I found that on the following thread.

http://notebookforums.com/showthread...ht=larger+font
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post #15 of 19
11/4/04 at 5:18am
16" with WXGA!!!! I couldn't stand that. IMO, WSXGA is soooo good, that anything higher than that now is hell!
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post #16 of 19
11/7/04 at 8:27am
Okay, I changed my tune after several days of using this computer. I am really happy with the WSXGA+ on my 8600 after all. What convinced me? Playing Max Payne 2 at highest resolution. Looked absolutely gorgeous. Plus with the DPI tweak and IE registry tweak, everything else looks perfectly legible. WSXGA is definitely a good choice.
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post #17 of 19
11/8/04 at 12:24pm
I have an Inspiron 8500 with the WUXGA screen - and it's too small for "normal" work (for me, at least.) I tend to run it in 1280x800 (WXGA) for every-day stuff, and it doesn't look blurry at all to me.
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post #18 of 19
11/9/04 at 5:26pm
About the web pages being so small..... Here's the solution ....

Just download the OPERA web browser. Then simply press the PLUS on the keyboard to zoom in. Both TEXT and GRAPHICS are magnified. You can set a default magnification somewhere in the settings.
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post #19 of 19
11/9/04 at 6:07pm
wuxga OWNs all
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