Almost all laptops have widescreens. Why?

[GV2NIX]

I've mulled over this for a year or two now. After hours of unfruitful contemplation, I decided to post it.

I'm wondering why pretty much every laptop being sold these days has a widescreen. I think the ThinkPads are the only ones left with 4:3 screens. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against widescreens. I love widescreens. They're wonderful in the theater, on HDTVs (plasma and LCDs both), and maybe...MAYBE...someday...on my desktop. But on ALL laptops?

I know there are "media center" laptops catering to those who actually want to watch movies and cool stuff on them. I realize that very powerful desktop replacements and 17" widescreen laptops aren't meant to be ultraportable. That's cool. But is evey laptop supposed to be a media center? Most laptops seem to still be engineered to maximize portability and performance which, to me, means the most efficient use of space. A 15" 16:9 screen has less area than a 15" 4:3 screen. A widescreen also creates empty surface area (in most cases) on both sides of the keyboard. It just seems superfluous to me. And are you really going to get a cinematic experience on a 15" or 13" widescreen? Wouldn't one rather maximize viewable area while keeping the laptop's width as close to the width of the keyboard as possible?

Am I missing something here? Are widescreens cheaper to produce now? Is there another advantage that I'm overlooking? I'm not writing to criticize, I'm just confused, and I want to hear your opinions. Thanks guys!

P.S. Mods, is this in the wrong section?

[Quakindude]

I moved your thread to the general computing area.

I think, and this is just me, that marketing has determined what most buyers want in a laptop. The wide screen for fantastic movies is a major selling point. That being said, I've watched perhaps three movies on my laptop. I prefer to go into my living room and utilize the 51" TV for that.

When I bought my laptop, an HP ZD8000, I got the wide screen for the movies and for my games. Not all of my games support the 1440x900 resolution which is native to my laptop, but scaling down to 1024x768 or, if the game let's me, 1280x960 isn't a hard chore for the laptop to perform.

The 4:3 aspect ration doesn't bother me in the least. That's what my main rig in the house uses. 1600x1200. That being said, I generally prefer the wide screen aspect in my games because I feel like I see more of the sides than I do with the 4:3. So my next LCD purchase for my main rig will be wide screen.

[Lokie]

Couple of things lead me to this topic.
1..They are in demand. Since they are in demand the cost is down do to manufactures pumping them out like mad.

2...Marketing. If you think about it, the widescreen is the easiest option to intagrate into a chase.

[Hitman]

My best explanation is it's the new trend. Laptops have been going this direction for the past several years. I predict most if not all screens in the next few years will be Widescreen. The industry just seems to be going in this direction.

[Captain Crunch]

Movies, and just one more reason to sucker you into buying a Laptop!!!!!!!

[GV2NIX]

Hmmm, all good points, especially the demand/economies of scale theory. As we all know, product markets are driven by consumer wants and perceptions (most of the time). Give most people want they want, and you'll sell the most stuff. Of course, there are always niche markets, but we can't have a niche market for everyone right?

I've watched maybe 1 movie on my laptop but that's just because my main rig was down. I have a 19" 5:4 (1280x1024) paid with my desktop. I guess I'm just super used to 4:3 and 5:4 monitors. And, since it happens to be squarish, I get greater the area per diagonal inch than with widescreens. In general, I prefer to watch movies on larger screens, preferably wide (read: a big TV). But for computing, I want my "normal" resolutions. Most of that is because I don't like running my LCD outside of native resolution. As Quakindude pointed out, not all games support wide resolutions, and for someone anal like me, I just don't like unnecessary interpolation, haha! It just seems simpler and more efficient to have 5:4 and 4:3 aspect ratios...something that a significant portion of laptops should have.

But, I guess, in the end, the widescreen selling point, the cinematic experience, "feeling like you're seeing more," and general trendiness wins out. My Sens is 4:3, and I love it. But, things being how they are, I probably have one of the last 4:3/5:4 aspect ratio laptops made.

Am I being weird? Maybe I'm the only person who gets bugged by this. If you all tell me to shut up I will, but until then, I'm going to keep posting!

[Hitman]

I personally love Widescreen. I have a 20" Widescreen for my desktop, and my laptop has Widescreen. Even my work computer has widescreen. I run all my games at 1680X1050 (Native) with out issues. I use Widescreen Gaming Forum to get the hacks for my games to run them in widescreen res. I also find it easier to view 2 documents side by side with a widescreen.

Of course movies are better on Widescreen. I find myself watching allot of movies on my computer, because my big TV in my Entertainment Center seems to always be preoccupied by my 16yo daughter. I only pull the "I own the damn thing" Trump card on movies that are best viewed with surround sound.

[Mithosphere]

well also that the ultraportable laptops have widescreen because they people dont want to carry around a giant square, so a little rectangle is easier, plus ya hafta figure in the kayboard size.

I think its mostly for one guy to say to the other that he has a bigger e-penis because he has a widescreen

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by GV2NIX

But for computing, I want my "normal" resolutions. Most of that is because I don't like running my LCD outside of native resolution.

Well, native resolution is native resolution, and any modern video card is going to support widescreen 16:10 resolutions just fine. So all typical 2D desktop useage should work just dandy. I've found it's prettymuch just when you get into gaming that things can be hit or miss. But most new games that come out now feature widescreen support.

Originally Posted by GV2NIX

But, I guess, in the end, the widescreen selling point, the cinematic experience, "feeling like you're seeing more," and general trendiness wins out. My Sens is 4:3, and I love it. But, things being how they are, I probably have one of the last 4:3/5:4 aspect ratio laptops made.

The thing that is stupid about computer widescreen monitors for watching movies is that it's still not the correct aspect ratio. I believe all widescreen movies (particularly HD content) is 16:9 while computer widescreens are 16:10. So you still have to be worried about getting vertical stretching in movies sometimes if you aren't careful.

Originally Posted by GV2NIX

Am I being weird? Maybe I'm the only person who gets bugged by this. If you all tell me to shut up I will, but until then, I'm going to keep posting!

No, you're definitely not wierd
I've been researching a new monitor to buy and have had a hell of a time trying to find something decent 20" or larger that is not widescreen (and isn't $800)!

[GV2NIX]

Originally Posted by Mithosphere

well also that the ultraportable laptops have widescreen because they people dont want to carry around a giant square, so a little rectangle is easier, plus ya hafta figure in the kayboard size.

Really? I figured most people would find a rectangle more annoying to carry. I know I do. But, then again, I'm the one not happy with widescreens on laptops which is heretical already, haha! Also, about the keyboard, even on a tiny 13" MacBook, the unit is still wider than the keyboard. I just don't get it.

Originally Posted by Mithosphere

I think its mostly for one guy to say to the other that he has a bigger e-penis because he has a widescreen

Got no argument from me there, haha! Well now everyone can have the largest e-penis.

Originally Posted by gvblake22

Well, native resolution is native resolution, and any modern video card is going to support widescreen 16:10 resolutions just fine. So all typical 2D desktop useage should work just dandy. I've found it's prettymuch just when you get into gaming that things can be hit or miss. But most new games that come out now feature widescreen support.

Yeah, native is native, what I meant was that whenever I use a widescreen, sometime or another I'm forced to go outside of native (hacks aside) and it would bug me. But, I haven't used a widescreen in a while. I guess it's not so much an issue these days?

Originally Posted by gvblake22

The thing that is stupid about computer widescreen monitors for watching movies is that it's still not the correct aspect ratio. I believe all widescreen movies (particularly HD content) is 16:9 while computer widescreens are 16:10. So you still have to be worried about getting vertical stretching in movies sometimes if you aren't careful.

Yes, that's also true, and it sucks. I dunno...at first, I thought widescreens on a laptop was just a gimmick just to mix it up and make fun gadjets. But, I guess they're here to stay, haha!

I guess pretty much every reason that makes me confused about it has been disarmed here.

1. People feel that they're seeing more even though it has less surface area than a 4:3/5:4 screen with the same diagonal measurement.

2. People find a rectangle easier to carry than a square.

3. Games can be beaten into widescreen submission almost 100% of the time it seems.

And, on a sidenote, even though every laptop isn't meant to be a media station, those that want a media station will be looking for the widescreen, while those that aren't won't care. Therefore, it's better to unify production processes instead of offering wide and non-wide screens which would be a waste of effort for a market that, as far as the marketing geniuses are concerned, doesn't exist anymore.