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Ask HN: Best non-apple laptop screen?
Although the general quality of laptop screens have dramatically improved this last couple of years, while comparing to macbook/pro (or even a solid desktop IPS ) screen it still seems that most ultrabook (even expansive one, looking at you X1 carbon :) ) can't quite match.
What the best non mac screen out there for programming?
I use laptop mostly for coding and reading online so for me quality is about deep contrast, high brightness and non saturated accurate colors.
PS : nothing below 1080p (thanks god this is starting to become the norm now)
- luck87 11y agoNow Apple equips macbook only with shiny screens: you can't buy a macbook with opaque screen, like some years ago. So I suggest to use a external monitor as me.
- stephenr 11y agoIf you recognise MacBooks have high quality screens, why not just buy one?
- soulbadguy 11y agoPrice and drivers mostly
- davismwfl 11y agoNot everyone wants to pay the apple "tax" just to have a quality display. Although I work on a Macbook, Apple gets a solid premium for what goes into their laptops so the OP may just be trying to get a better value for his money. As for me, I'll stick with my Macbook for now because of the work I do and that fact I really do appreciate the hardware and I don't mind paying the premium. As for others to check out, I saw a really nice display on a Samsung laptop not too long ago, not sure the specs but man was it super crisp.
- buckbova 11y agoI have that x1 carbon. Figured why cheap out on something I use everyday.
- soulbadguy 11y agoYeah that was the laptop i was getting initially, but the screen is just not up to my standards
- alansmitheebk 11y agoMy System76 Galago Pro has a 1080p matte screen. When the weather is nice I like to work outdoors. With a shiny Apple screen this is virtually impossible. I believe the Galago Pro and most other System76 models are actually customized re-branded Clevo laptops. Another company that offers customized Clevos is Sager. You can buy Sager latops online from Xotic PC. My last laptop was Sager and it also had a 1080p matte screen. By the way, my laptop costs a fraction of what I would have paid for an Apple laptop with the same specs. It's also extremely light. My laptop doesn't overheat and spin its fans so fast it sounds like an airplane taking off. I didn't have to buy any stupid adapters to use ethernet and I'm not vulnerable to two major security issues that are all over the news lately (I'm looking at you, MacBook Pro). Good luck.
- gkop 11y agoLenovo Thinkpads do often have very good matte screens. My previous T520 and T530 machines' 15" 1080p screens were excellent, and my current T450S 14" 1080p IPS is even better (all machines generally excellent on all other counts as well). T450S is shaped like a rectangular prism rather than a wedge, but is still called an ultrabook at 3.5 lbs.. I frequently use retina MacBook screens for brief spells, and I'd say mine is better :)
- soulbadguy 11y agoInteresting! I am actually using a T440s as daily driver and i though it has the same screen as the T450s. Mine is the touch screen version though, so maybe that makes a much bigger difference in screen quality than i tought
- gkop 11y agoIndeed, mine is not touch.
- benley 11y agoThe Chromebook Pixel 2 has a fantastic screen: 2560x1700 (about 239dpi), excellent contrast and color, great brightness range, and it even does multitouch if you care about that. Also the aspect ratio is 3:2 rather than 16:9 aspect ratio, which is proving to be quite nice. Plus the battery life on this thing is so good it's hard to believe. Like 12 hours.