This is pure speculation, but I also took some observations from around the internet.
I have been on various computer forums, including MacRumors, and it seems to me like a lot of people still miss the standard ratio format for displays, specifically on laptops. There were rumors awhile back (November-December 2008) that Lenovo tried to get their LCD manufacturers to make in bulk 4:3 15" 1600x1200 screens to create a non-widescreen 15" Thinkpad portable but the idea was canned after Lenovo found out the unreasonable cost of such a display from the manufacturer. This brought up the point that the LCD manufacturers are the ones running the show when it comes to what the screen format standard is, as the widescreen format is cheaper to produce and more consumers prefer it, however, since consumers make up most of the market, this has also forced professionals that prefer the non-widescreen format to use something against their tastes as well.
Several companies around the Twin Cities that I know of and have visited, 3M, Deluxe Corporation, several small law firms, recycle their laptops regularly. This meaning, they are still using laptops from 1999-2004. I asked my father once who works as an IT specialists for one of these companies why they don't upgrade if it could possibly make things work faster with the new specifications of technology today and the answer was,"The small gain of productivity that we would gain from enhanced specifications would be greatly outmatched with the productivity lost by adopting the widescreen format."
I wouldn't be wrong if I said the vast majority of professionals prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio. This is because you can fit a webpage easier, you can edit and type word documents easier, the keyboard is more aligned with the screen which makes it for some easier to type, and for some the squared size is more portable. In general, 4:3 allows you to fit more on the screen, while also being more portable.
So why did we switch to widescreen? There are multiple reasons for that, the biggest one was that it is a lot cheaper and efficient to make displays that are widescreen than it is to make 4:3 for the manufacturers. The other key advantages of widescreen is the fact that it is great for digital media. Almost all DVDs, digital pictures, Blu-Ray movies, etc. are all done in widescreen format. This is great for consumers, but is it for professionals? 99% of the time, no. Of course, professionals that deal with media are a different story.
How is 4:3 going to make a comeback? I shouldn't say the majority, but a lot of professionals and large corporations just simply haven't been buying new laptops, simply because of the inefficiency that comes with widescreen displays. Even though the professionals and corporations get their work done with ten year old hardware, if they upgraded to a current age laptop with 4:3 ratio, it would be much more efficient.
Another huge reason why the 4:3 aspect ratio may come back is the emergence of the netbook. The 4:3 aspect ratio would arguably be a lot better made for netbooks than either the 16:10 or 16:9 ratio. The 4:3 ratio can hold more on the screen for the size than a widescreen ratio, which is crucial when dealing with such a small display, and the fact that the only other real advantage of the widescreen format is for movies and digital media, which netbooks weren't made for in the first place since they lack an optical drive. 4:3 screen format also makes the notebook more portable, which is also a very crucial advantage of a netbook over a traditional laptop.
I am not saying widescreen format is going to die and standard format is going to make a huge comeback. What I am saying is I think personally that the widescreen format will always be much bigger than the standard format, but I wouldn't be surprised if I start to see the majority of netbooks, professional laptops, and maybe a very limited amount of consumer laptops go back to the standard format of 4:3.
I, myself, am a consumer but also a huge 4:3 screen advocate, as I don't usually watch movies or do a lot of digital media on my laptop, I have a TV with a PS3 for that, and I am sure there are a lot more consumers like me, but most consumers prefer the widescreen format, and that is fine. More options would be great, though.
I have been on various computer forums, including MacRumors, and it seems to me like a lot of people still miss the standard ratio format for displays, specifically on laptops. There were rumors awhile back (November-December 2008) that Lenovo tried to get their LCD manufacturers to make in bulk 4:3 15" 1600x1200 screens to create a non-widescreen 15" Thinkpad portable but the idea was canned after Lenovo found out the unreasonable cost of such a display from the manufacturer. This brought up the point that the LCD manufacturers are the ones running the show when it comes to what the screen format standard is, as the widescreen format is cheaper to produce and more consumers prefer it, however, since consumers make up most of the market, this has also forced professionals that prefer the non-widescreen format to use something against their tastes as well.
Several companies around the Twin Cities that I know of and have visited, 3M, Deluxe Corporation, several small law firms, recycle their laptops regularly. This meaning, they are still using laptops from 1999-2004. I asked my father once who works as an IT specialists for one of these companies why they don't upgrade if it could possibly make things work faster with the new specifications of technology today and the answer was,"The small gain of productivity that we would gain from enhanced specifications would be greatly outmatched with the productivity lost by adopting the widescreen format."
I wouldn't be wrong if I said the vast majority of professionals prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio. This is because you can fit a webpage easier, you can edit and type word documents easier, the keyboard is more aligned with the screen which makes it for some easier to type, and for some the squared size is more portable. In general, 4:3 allows you to fit more on the screen, while also being more portable.
So why did we switch to widescreen? There are multiple reasons for that, the biggest one was that it is a lot cheaper and efficient to make displays that are widescreen than it is to make 4:3 for the manufacturers. The other key advantages of widescreen is the fact that it is great for digital media. Almost all DVDs, digital pictures, Blu-Ray movies, etc. are all done in widescreen format. This is great for consumers, but is it for professionals? 99% of the time, no. Of course, professionals that deal with media are a different story.
How is 4:3 going to make a comeback? I shouldn't say the majority, but a lot of professionals and large corporations just simply haven't been buying new laptops, simply because of the inefficiency that comes with widescreen displays. Even though the professionals and corporations get their work done with ten year old hardware, if they upgraded to a current age laptop with 4:3 ratio, it would be much more efficient.
Another huge reason why the 4:3 aspect ratio may come back is the emergence of the netbook. The 4:3 aspect ratio would arguably be a lot better made for netbooks than either the 16:10 or 16:9 ratio. The 4:3 ratio can hold more on the screen for the size than a widescreen ratio, which is crucial when dealing with such a small display, and the fact that the only other real advantage of the widescreen format is for movies and digital media, which netbooks weren't made for in the first place since they lack an optical drive. 4:3 screen format also makes the notebook more portable, which is also a very crucial advantage of a netbook over a traditional laptop.
I am not saying widescreen format is going to die and standard format is going to make a huge comeback. What I am saying is I think personally that the widescreen format will always be much bigger than the standard format, but I wouldn't be surprised if I start to see the majority of netbooks, professional laptops, and maybe a very limited amount of consumer laptops go back to the standard format of 4:3.
I, myself, am a consumer but also a huge 4:3 screen advocate, as I don't usually watch movies or do a lot of digital media on my laptop, I have a TV with a PS3 for that, and I am sure there are a lot more consumers like me, but most consumers prefer the widescreen format, and that is fine. More options would be great, though.
