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MacBook Pro C2D: one regret

S

SilentCrs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
215
0
So I purchased a new MacBook Pro C2D 15" (the second configuration: 2 GB RAM, 256 MB VRAM, etc) last week to replace a Dell Inspiron 9300. It's a solid little machine and I'm quite happy overall. I was able to quickly transfer over all the files on my PCs and the claims of things "just working" are more or less justified.

I have one regret, though. Normally my practical side would shrug something like this off, but when you drop $2500 on a machine, "practical" tends to take a backseat to "emotional".

My issue is the screen resolution.

I didn't think I would care at first, but the MacBook Pro 15" has a fairly low screen resolution (1440x900). The 17" is a little better (1680x1050), but not as good as my previous laptop (1920x1200).

I didn't really notice it until I started playing my favorite game, World of Warcraft. Now, by and large it plays well (surprisingly well in Mac OS X -- I may not need Bootcamp for this game). But you can see from the following screenshots that things are considerably more pixelated at the MacBook Pro 15"'s resolution. Even the 17" MacBook Pro still looks kind of pixelated compared to my old laptop's resolution. (In particular, look at the character name in the upper left corner and the level number. The old laptop's text was clean and rounded. The MacBook Pro's appears pixelated and the level number bleeds off the circle to the left).

MacBook Pro 15" (mine): http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1440x900.png
MacBook Pro 17": http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1680x1050.png
Old notebook (Dell Inspiron 9300): http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1920x1200.png

Now, granted, if a friend complained about something like this I'd probably call them crazy. But my friend didn't spend $2500 on a laptop. :p

I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of reprieve. Someone saying "it looks fine" (even if it doesn't lol).

Is everyone else cool with the 1440x900 res on theirs?
 
K

Kolind

macrumors regular
Nov 2, 2006
105
0
Denmark
Can you turn up anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering without getting bad framerates? That might make up for it a bit.
 
Pressure

Pressure

macrumors 603
May 30, 2006
5,182
1,545
Denmark
SilentCrs said:
So I purchased a new MacBook Pro C2D 15" (the second configuration: 2 GB RAM, 256 MB VRAM, etc) last week to replace a Dell Inspiron 9300. It's a solid little machine and I'm quite happy overall. I was able to quickly transfer over all the files on my PCs and the claims of things "just working" are more or less justified.

I have one regret, though. Normally my practical side would shrug something like this off, but when you drop $2500 on a machine, "practical" tends to take a backseat to "emotional".

My issue is the screen resolution.

I didn't think I would care at first, but the MacBook Pro 15" has a fairly low screen resolution (1440x900). The 17" is a little better (1680x1050), but not as good as my previous laptop (1920x1200).

I didn't really notice it until I started playing my favorite game, World of Warcraft. Now, by and large it plays well (surprisingly well in Mac OS X -- I may not need Bootcamp for this game). But you can see from the following screenshots that things are considerably more pixelated at the MacBook Pro 15"'s resolution. Even the 17" MacBook Pro still looks kind of pixelated compared to my old laptop's resolution. (In particular, look at the character name in the upper left corner and the level number. The old laptop's text was clean and rounded. The MacBook Pro's appears pixelated and the level number bleeds off the circle to the left).

MacBook Pro 15" (mine): http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1440x900.png
MacBook Pro 17": http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1680x1050.png
Old notebook (Dell Inspiron 9300): http://s133761904.onlinehome.us/1920x1200.png

Now, granted, if a friend complained about something like this I'd probably call them crazy. But my friend didn't spend $2500 on a laptop. :p

I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of reprieve. Someone saying "it looks fine" (even if it doesn't lol).

Is everyone else cool with the 1440x900 res on theirs?
Click to expand...

Seriously, it looks as it should. Not sure if there is great merit in comparing a 1440x900 screenshot to a 1920x1200 one and concluding the 1440x900 looks worse.

I sure don't hope you spent $2499 for a MacBook Pro on the sole purpose of playing <shudders> World of Warcraft.

iW00t said:
That is why Macs ship with poorer GPUs, they have poorer resolution hence there isn't the need.
Click to expand...

What a pile of rubbish...
 
R

reflex

macrumors 6502a
May 19, 2002
721
0
I'm just wondering if 1440x900 isn't too high a resolution for a 15" screen... :p
 
MickG

MickG

macrumors member
Mar 14, 2006
33
5
Santa Barbara, CA
MacBook Pro C2D regrets?...

SilentCrs said:
So I purchased a new MacBook Pro C2D 15" (the second configuration: 2 GB RAM, 256 MB VRAM, etc) last week to replace a Dell Inspiron 9300. It's a solid little machine and I'm quite happy overall. I was able to quickly transfer over all the files on my PCs and the claims of things "just working" are more or less justified.

I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of reprieve. Someone saying "it looks fine" (even if it doesn't lol).

Is everyone else cool with the 1440x900 res on theirs?
Click to expand...

I must be going blind, but I cannot see the difference on my 23" Apple Cinema Display. Isn't screen resolution also related to the size and shape of the screen? There are aspect ratio issues and a few other things that are beyond me,but I think it's a bit more complex than just two numbers joined by an 'x,' no?...

Anyway, here's one guy who's saying "It's fine. Don't sweat it. Sell the Dell and you'll be happy to forget it."

cheers,

Mick
 
N

negatv1

macrumors 6502
Aug 12, 2005
320
22
MI
1680x1050 on a 15inch widescreen would be fine IMO, but 1920x1200 would just be silly. Even on a 17inch, for anything other than games it would just involve endless squinting of large font sizes.
 
astarling06

astarling06

macrumors regular
Nov 9, 2006
104
0
Manhattan, KS
I agree, it looks the same to me. Don't worry yourself to death over something as insignificant as screen resolution. As long as it looks good, don't sweat it.:)
 
jellomizer

jellomizer

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2006
486
4
Upstate NY
Well Macs are not really considered game systems. They are more used for graphic work. I don't know about other graphic people I spend a lot of my time zoomed in. Where Resolution doesn't count much. Then zooming out with Anti Aliasing because the image will not fit even on a 30" screen. As of right now Apple seems to believe that keeping the correct DPI per screen size is more important then resolution. If you want a Game System I would avoid a Mac and go with a Dell. But if you want an all around good dependable system that really just works. Then go with Apple. Apple systems are not the best computer for any one thing. But I found them to be the most fexable systems for my line of work.
 
S

SilentCrs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
215
0
jellomizer said:
Well Macs are not really considered game systems. They are more used for graphic work. I don't know about other graphic people I spend a lot of my time zoomed in. Where Resolution doesn't count much. Then zooming out with Anti Aliasing because the image will not fit even on a 30" screen. As of right now Apple seems to believe that keeping the correct DPI per screen size is more important then resolution. If you want a Game System I would avoid a Mac and go with a Dell. But if you want an all around good dependable system that really just works. Then go with Apple. Apple systems are not the best computer for any one thing. But I found them to be the most fexable systems for my line of work.
Click to expand...

Well, I'll be selfish here: I want the best of all worlds. If I'm paying $2500 I want a machine that's excels at daily desktop work (which Macs do) as well as be a reasonable machine for entertainment purposes like movies and games. The MacBook Pro really ISN'T that far off from similar Dell systems that are marketing as gaming machines. It's not a luggable like Alienware, but with scores around 4000 in 3DMark 05 are very good for a laptop.

To be honest, I'll probably just get used to it. It's kind of weird going from a 17" to a 15", but I just couldn't justify spending nearly $3000 on a laptop. Specwise they're so similar -- I think the one I got has the most bang for the buck.
 
SiliconAddict

SiliconAddict

macrumors 603
Jun 19, 2003
5,889
0
Chicago, IL
negatv1 said:
1680x1050 on a 15inch widescreen would be fine IMO, but 1920x1200 would just be silly. Even on a 17inch, for anything other than games it would just involve endless squinting of large font sizes.
Click to expand...

Until 10.5 Leopard that is. Watch the resolutions jump dramatically once Leopard hits the scene.
 
iW00t

iW00t

macrumors 68040
Nov 7, 2006
3,286
0
Defenders of Apple Guild
Pressure said:
Seriously, it looks as it should. Not sure if there is great merit in comparing a 1440x900 screenshot to a 1920x1200 one and concluding the 1440x900 looks worse.

I sure don't hope you spent $2499 for a MacBook Pro on the sole purpose of playing <shudders> World of Warcraft.
Click to expand...

Wow... not only are we restricted to what Apple offers, we are now also restricted to what we can do with our purchases?


Pressure said:
What a pile of rubbish...
Click to expand...

it's called flatulence, lest you can't smell it yourself everyone can tell a fanboi from a mile away.
 
Maxiseller

Maxiseller

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2005
846
1
Little grey, chilly island.
iW00t said:
Wow... not only are we restricted to what Apple offers, we are now also restricted to what we can do with our purchases?




it's called flatulence, lest you can't smell it yourself everyone can tell a fanboi from a mile away.
Click to expand...

No need for that - he's offering a valid opinion.
chaosbunny said:
Everyone can tell a troll from a mile away too.
Click to expand...


Hear hear!

OP : The game lools fine. Aspect ratios are a pain at the best of times on games - and you will get used to it; just a bit of a shock when you initially begin to play!
 
iBorg20181

iBorg20181

macrumors 6502
Apr 5, 2006
281
0
Minneapolis, MN
negatv1 said:
1680x1050 on a 15inch widescreen would be fine IMO, but 1920x1200 would just be silly. Even on a 17inch, for anything other than games it would just involve endless squinting of large font sizes.
Click to expand...

My other notebook is a Core Duo 2GHz Acer Travelmate 8204, with a 1680x1050 resolution in a 15.4" screen. I have 20/20, and even that resolution makes type a little small at times! That's the upper limit that I'd be comfortable using on this size screen, and for the most part, the resolution on my MBP seems just right, for me! However, YMMV!

iBorg
 
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