Re: [gentoo-user] Re: OT: advice sought on new laptop for Gentoo

[Allan Gottlieb <gottlieb@nyu.edu>]

Grant Edwards <grant.b.edwards@gmail.com> writes:

> For a given height, a 16:9 display is 30% wider.  I want nice tall
> display (prefereably at least 9-10") without having to increase the
> width beyond what a standard "laptop" style keyboard takes up (about
> 12-13 inches).

It is certainly true that, if the height of the display is the key
factor and hence fixed, a wider screen will add more inches (I again
assume square pixels).

However, those extra inches and resulting extra pixels are far from
useless.  I believe you are selling "two up" short.  When I am preparing
a course, I have the html up in one (emacs) window and the resulting web
page in another (firefox) window immediately to its right.  Heck I very
much use and enjoy 3-up on my large (30" 2560x1600) monitor.

> Perhaps I'm too cynical, but IMO the "cheap" factor is why we got 16:9
> displays on laptops in the first place.  A 15" 16:9 display is roughly
> 10% smaller (cheaper) than a 15" 4:3 display.  But, the salesdroid can
> talk the consumer into paying more for a cheaper product: "Wow, for
> only $100 more we can move you up from a 15" regular display to a 15"
> WIDESCREEN display!
>
> $100 more and it's 1.6" shorter and has 10% less screen area!
>
> What a deal!!

You are correct that this salesperson was, perhaps out of
ignorance--perhaps malice) making a specious argument.  But limiting
purchases to items for which a salesperson cannot argue speciously, is
not the best selection criterion.

allan