Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Because LCD monitors have a 1:1 relationship between resolution and pixels, any two
displays having the same size and resolution always have the same pixel per inch or pixel
pitch specification. Regardless of the actual resolution, any two displays having the same
number of pixels per inch will display text, icons, and other elements on the screen at the
same sizing. Although having a higher resolution display is generally considered better,
youneedtobecarefulwhenselectingsmallLCDdisplayswithhigherresolutionsbecause
iconsandtextwillbemuchsmaller thanyoumightbeaccustomed to.Youcanchangethe
icon and font sizes in Windows to compensate, but this often causes problems such as ab-
normal word wrapping in dialog boxes. Also, many fonts are fixed, and they will remain
at the smaller size no matter what settings you change.
Depending on their ability to see and read small text, many people will have difficulty
seeing the text and icons when the display is rated at 100 ppi or higher. If you are going
to choose a display rated over 100 ppi, you may need to either sit closer to the screen or
use bifocals or reading glasses to read it. Changing resolution to a lower setting is usually
unsatisfactory with a flat-panel display because either the display will simply be smaller
(text and icons will remain the same size, but you can't fit as much on the screen) or the
display will attempt to scale the data to fit the screen. However, scaling invariably results
in a blurred and distorted image. The bottom line is that LCDs really work well only at
their native resolution—something you should strongly consider when purchasing.
As a consolation, even with their tinier text and icons, LCD and LED backlit screens are
much sharper and clearer than CRT-based monitors. So, even though the text and icons
