i have the 1440 x 900 and haven't had any problems with it - had the computer for 2.5 years. have seen some with the 1920 x 1200 and are definately nicer - colors seem more vivid. did notice that you get some reflections from the "glass" display. that might become an issue after sitting behind it for an extended time. i have put about 16 hours behind mine today and things still seem peachy.

thanks for the input.

An LCD has only one native resolution. Although the display can nominally show higher or lower resolution, it is really just scaling the display at the native resolution, and it looks bad. The effect of this is that you should pick the resolution you want to use most of the time. 1920x1200 on a 17" screen makes everything very small, and if you set it lower, it will look bad.

agfa8x, I'm sorry to need a breakdon of this, but are you saying that it doesn't really make a difference. and that what makes the difference is what scale i want to view things at?

thanks

I would send it back immediately upon receipt and get the higher res. I've never worked on a monitor that I didn't max out the resoultion. With programs these days, you need a billion panels floating around - the higher the res, the more you'll fit on the screen.

It's really more=better. From my experience, it makes a HUGE difference. Plus, they are different screens, not just different resolutions. It's like comparing a Mustang to a Vette, yeah, the Mustang is quick and will work, but the Vette is a ton better.

I had a 9300 for a few weeks and thought the 1920xwhatever was decent. Remember, you'll be keeping this machine for years and there's a computer lab that can get you through the first week or two. Get what will last you and you'll enjoy and won't be outdated quickly. It's a lot of $$, don't let a few weeks make the difference.

Hasn't this guy already wasted three months or so asking questions about computers? I say, get to work!

hey now fog lite,
i know I'm slow but...cut me some slack.
I actually bought it--I just had them modify my order for the better screen.

you won't regret it. The better the computer you have to start , the longer it'll last you.

I know someone who bought a wide screen who didn't know resolution stuff. That person was stuck with an extra wide 1024 X 800!!! Ha ha ha ha ha!

I am a nerd.

Sorry, explanation:

An LCD displays things sharply at its native resolution.
An LCD working at any other resolution looks really bad.
A 17" screen at 1920x1200 makes everything very small.
If you run a 1920x1200 LCD at any other resolution it will look really bad.

So: only buy the 1920x1200 if you want to run it at its native res (which I think makes everything really small). Don't buy the 1920x1200 and think you can just run it at a lower resolution.

Long explanation for not a big deal. What you've got is probably fine.

Well at this point I have tried to change my order--it might be too late. I guess I'll see what my fated resolution is.
I obviously prefer the higher...

Well at this point I have tried to change my order--it might be too late. I guess I'll see what my fated resolution is.
I obviously prefer the higher...

I dont' think the resolution is the big deal, it's that it's a different LCD altogether - not the same one at a different res.

agfa8x, I am not sure anyone here was planning on setting their resolution to anything but native. I think the issue here has more to do with screen real estate. Get more pixels to see more of the action. Take Rhino for instance. A larger pixel count means more 3d modeling space with smaller tool bars.

stillframe, 1440 x 900 is not bad at all.