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The 13-inch Macbook Air has a native resolution of 1440x900, which is a fairly low pixel density for a laptop and only slightly better than typical desktop moni

The 13-inch Macbook Air has a native resolution of 1440x900, which is a fairly low pixel density for a laptop and only slightly better than typical desktop monitors. Any modern[1] laptop should exceed the MBA's pixel density, and high-end laptops (Macbook Pro, Chromebook Pixel) nearly double it. For any given pixel density a 32-inch panel will be much more expensive than a 13-inch panel, so it doesn't make much sense to compare a laptop screen to a desktop. A better Apple product to compare with is the Cinema Display, which has a 2560x1440 resolution at 27 inches and is priced the same as any other equivalently specced monitor. [1] The 13-inch MBA has not had a screen refresh in years.

rayiner 13y ago
The modern trend in lower-cost laptops is unfortunately to use a 1366x768 screen resolution. Ultrabooks feature higher-resolution displays, but until recently the closest competitor to the MBA (Samsung Series 9) used the same resolution display (900 vertical pixels, though Apple uses a 16:10 aspect ratio while Samsung uses a 16:9). The most recent run of Ultrabooks does exceed the MBA's resolution, though, featuring 1080p displays (XPS 12, Vaio Pro 13, etc). But these are more expensive than the MBA.
superuser2 13y ago
Is there a consumer Windows laptop available at Best Buy or similar that has: 1) a solid state drive and 2) a display with Apple-level pixel density for substantially less than a Mac? Closest I've gotten is configuring the ThinkPad T430 online up to $930, in which case we're not talking about that much cost savings. I agree with you that any modern laptop should exceed its pixel density. But take a look at your local Best Buy. Even the 15" displays are usually 1366x768. Some of the most expensive Ultrabooks might be 1080p, but those prices are Apple-level anyway. I'm between HS and college right now, so people are asking me for laptop recommendations. Most of them oppose Macs because they believe they'd be paying extra just for prestige, and I have a hard time finding them similar quality Windows hardware for any cheaper. Which leads me to conclude that Mac users are not just paying for prestige.
- jmillikin 13y ago
  > Is there a consumer Windows laptop available at Best Buy or similar You will not find good deals at Best Buy, on any product. Their business is selling low-value junk at hugely inflated prices, to customers who are unwilling or unable to purchase via the Internet. > Most of them oppose Macs because they believe they'd > be paying extra just for prestige This may have been true ten years ago, but Apple's relentless optimization of their supply and manufacturing pipelines mean that their hardware is often less expensive than spec-equivalent competitors[1]. If you want a laptop as good as a Macbook, you'll be paying a price similar to a Macbook. If you want a laptop with a decent screen and solid-state disk, there's a hard price floor imposed by the component manufacturing costs. Your best option if price is a strong constraint is to keep an eye on the manufacturers' sites for refurbished devices. See http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac or http://outlet.lenovo.com/ http://outlet.lenovo.com/ as examples. [1] Excluding accessories such as RAM, which are often marked up by 200-300% compared to high-quality third party products.
  - superuser2 13y ago
    I understand all of this, but the people who ask me for laptop recommendations don't want to hear it. Refurbs are a good point that I had forgotten about. Often, though, only higher-end machines are available (for the same price as a new low-end machine) and the base-level models don't come down in price much.

rayiner 13y ago

The modern trend in lower-cost laptops is unfortunately to use a 1366x768 screen resolution. Ultrabooks feature higher-resolution displays, but until recently the closest competitor to the MBA (Samsung Series 9) used the same resolution display (900 vertical pixels, though Apple uses a 16:10 aspect ratio while Samsung uses a 16:9). The most recent run of Ultrabooks does exceed the MBA's resolution, though, featuring 1080p displays (XPS 12, Vaio Pro 13, etc). But these are more expensive than the MBA.

superuser2 13y ago

Is there a consumer Windows laptop available at Best Buy or similar that has: 1) a solid state drive and 2) a display with Apple-level pixel density for substantially less than a Mac? Closest I've gotten is configuring the ThinkPad T430 online up to $930, in which case we're not talking about that much cost savings. I agree with you that any modern laptop should exceed its pixel density. But take a look at your local Best Buy. Even the 15" displays are usually 1366x768. Some of the most expensive Ultrabooks might be 1080p, but those prices are Apple-level anyway. I'm between HS and college right now, so people are asking me for laptop recommendations. Most of them oppose Macs because they believe they'd be paying extra just for prestige, and I have a hard time finding them similar quality Windows hardware for any cheaper. Which leads me to conclude that Mac users are not just paying for prestige.

jmillikin 13y ago
> Is there a consumer Windows laptop available at Best Buy or similar You will not find good deals at Best Buy, on any product. Their business is selling low-value junk at hugely inflated prices, to customers who are unwilling or unable to purchase via the Internet. > Most of them oppose Macs because they believe they'd > be paying extra just for prestige This may have been true ten years ago, but Apple's relentless optimization of their supply and manufacturing pipelines mean that their hardware is often less expensive than spec-equivalent competitors[1]. If you want a laptop as good as a Macbook, you'll be paying a price similar to a Macbook. If you want a laptop with a decent screen and solid-state disk, there's a hard price floor imposed by the component manufacturing costs. Your best option if price is a strong constraint is to keep an eye on the manufacturers' sites for refurbished devices. See http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac or http://outlet.lenovo.com/ http://outlet.lenovo.com/ as examples. [1] Excluding accessories such as RAM, which are often marked up by 200-300% compared to high-quality third party products.
- superuser2 13y ago
  I understand all of this, but the people who ask me for laptop recommendations don't want to hear it. Refurbs are a good point that I had forgotten about. Often, though, only higher-end machines are available (for the same price as a new low-end machine) and the base-level models don't come down in price much.