Toshiba Portege Z835: A New Ultrabook Appears
by Dustin Sklavos on November 16, 2011 2:50 AM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- Intel
- Toshiba
- Sandy Bridge
- Ultrabook
Unfortunately the Display is Dire
To look at it, you wouldn't think the Toshiba Portege Z830's 13.3" display is of particularly poor quality. Even though the panel is glossy and the 1366x768 resolution remains a thorn in the side of consumers everywhere, the gloss isn't particularly obtrusive, and the resolution doesn't look too bad on a screen this size. Yet when we subject it to actual testing, things take a major turn for the worse.
The ASUS Zenbook may have a hard time with black levels, but at least the color gamut and accuracy are worlds better than the Z830. None of these notebooks we've tested are particularly big winners here, but it's stunning just how poor the Z830 turns out to be.
Thankfully viewing angles aren't completely awful. Using the Z830, I found that its panel didn't have the major "sweet spot" issues that can occur with low quality TN panels (particularly smaller ones) in notebooks, where there's just no good angle to really look at the screen without substantially washing part of the image out. It's still a pretty lousy screen, but it'll get the job done at least.
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r3loaded - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
Amen to that. I also find it difficult to understand why it's so hard for them to put an IPS screen on them either. Practically every tablet that wants to be taken seriously has such a screen, yet it's a rarity outside of Lenovo/HP's top-end models. They shouldn't moan about cost either - it's a premium product, it deserves premium components and hence should have a premium price (which I and many others are ready to pay for).Tablets have 1280x800 IPS screens in a 10-inch form factor. We shouldn't have to put up with 1366x768 TN in a premium 13-inch ultra portable in 2011/2012.
solipsism - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
IPS costs more money and users more power. On a 7" or 10" display that isn't too bad, especially when you powering it off ARM, but consider a proper notebook with a 13", 15," or 17" IPS panel. Thing gets a lot tricker.This will eventually change just as HiDPI resolutions on notebooks will eventually change, but that time just isn't hear yet. You can look at Apple's limited product line for examples: iPHone and iPad are iPS, iMacs and Cinema Displays are IPS, notebooks are all TN.
Penti - Thursday, November 17, 2011 - link
15" HP's with IPS-panels uses panels specced to 15W for example. You can't really use something that aren't manufactured.Narrlok - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
ASUS UX31 Zenbook1600*900 on 13.3"
- check
Super good contrast and good brightness
- super high brightness like the MBA according to Anand's review of the UX21, contrast suffers though
Offer matte and glossy
- nope, no other alternatives either currently :( Sony does offer Vaios with a matte 13.1" screen with a 1600*900 resolution
medi01 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
16:9 and 16:10 screens suck badly. Bring good old 4:3 back and I'm sold.tzhu07 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
Are you 65 years old or something?HMTK - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
No, he probably wants to do other things than watch movies. Like... work.JoeMcJoe - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
Exactly.16:9 display ratios even on desktop monitors aren't the best for working on.
tzhu07 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
Oh really? I think my 2560 X 1440 desktop monitor suits me just fine for poductivity work. But then again, once you get up to the 2560 spec, 1440 or 1600 is plenty.MrSpadge - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - link
My 1920x1200 IPS at work is also very nice for work. And with enough vertical space you can actually start to use the horizontal space by not running everything full screen.MrS