Laptop’s Display can be classified into the following types:

Classification of laptop’s display

Laptop’s display can be classified as – LCD and TFT displays as most of the laptops used today employ anyone of these displays.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

LCD – liquid crystals are the core particles that play a vital role in getting the perfect display on LCD.

LCD display uses two Polarizing materials and the liquid crystals are laid in between these two substances. LCDs also consists of Backlight that is used for emanating the light.

This light goes through the first Polarizing material and directly falls on the liquid crystals and this makes the crystals get aligned in such a way that the varying frequencies of light can penetrate through them and now this light passes from the second Polarizer and final image is displayed.

TFT (thin film transistor)

We have two types of LCD displays, active matrix LCD and passive matrix LCD.

Let us discuss about the active matrix display as TFT display is a type of LCD that uses active matrix technology. Active matrix display uses switches that control the flow of voltage over the pixels so that accurate final image is produced.

TFTs use Silicon transistor and this substrate contains liquid crystals injected between the Polarizing materials and this even include capacitors and other electrodes.

Most of the laptops equipped with LCD or TFT display come with WXGA (Wide Extended Graphics Array) or other similar resolution having Bright View display.

General display issues in laptops experienced by most of us:

Display is blank or dim display in laptop

The above problem might have been caused due to one of the following:

Display settings might be incorrect

Display drivers not functioning properly

Failure of backlight

Finally, malfunctioning of display card

Resolution:

Regarding dim display or unsatisfactory display,

You may try the following steps to resolve this issue:

Firstly, check with the display settings of laptop. See that they are correct. To check the display settings, go to the Display Properties in Control Panel and select the Settings tab. Now try with a lower setting in Color Quality. (In Windows XP)

Also click on Advanced option and adjust the Refresh Frequency setting in Monitor tab. If this setting is available, choose a lower refresh rate or use the default one. Now click OK.

If prompted to restart the computer, please restart it and check your laptop’s display now.

Backlight also can be one of the reasons as if it does not work, you will not get the display that you expect.

I suggest you to try even increasing the brightness of the display by using the brightness function key present on your laptop. The key combination for increasing the brightness varies from one notebook model to other, but in general they have a symbol similar to the below figure which I have on my laptop:

Sometimes, even if you have correct display settings and you may still have the problem with the display. In such case, the display drivers might be the cause for the problem and will have to be updated and you have to check with manufacturer of your notebook for the updated display drivers and if available please update the drivers by reinstalling them or update from Device Manager(Right click My Computer and select Properties and select Hardware tab and click on the option Device Manager). You can update by expanding the display device and right click on it and select the option “Update drivers”.

If the display drivers or not available just reinstall them from the Device Manager. Expand the display device and right click on it and select uninstall and Windows will reinstall the drivers automatically upon restart. This procedure of reinstalling the drivers may vary, such as you may have to install the drivers from the Operating System CD that comes with your laptop or from the recovery partition that in the system. Please check this with the laptop manufactured

Even check with the manufacturer that if the latest BIOS for your laptop model is available and if so, please update even your BIOS. Be Cautious while updating BIOS as if not updated properly or if you downgraded the BIOS or installed a lower version of it, then your system may not work for ever and also the BIOS for 32bit system differs from that of 64bit.

If the problems persists even after adjusting brightness display levels and its settings or updating the display drivers or BIOS then this might be due to graphic card or display adapter malfunctioning which may require onsite diagnosis.

Let me tell one more thing, please check even the display of your laptop LCD or TFT display whichever it is. You can do this by connecting external display and if you are able to get display on external display device then it is confirmed that it is the LCD or the TFT display that has to be repaired.

I have provided the common troubleshooting methods and guidelines to resolve the general display issues that occur in laptops. The resolution steps may slightly differ depending on your notebook model, you may contact your notebook support for confirming, if the problem is software or hardware related.

Also we have confined this topic only to display problems and have not included the boot issues as even if the laptop will not boot, you only see a blank screen on your monitor and the cause of this issue differs from the display one and therefore even the resolution changes.

Thank you for visiting my article All about display in laptops.

WXGA Notebook FAQ:

Question: I would like to buy a multimedia laptop. Am I on the right track?
I will be using it for multiple purposes. Games, music, photos, and movies. I’m not a serious gamer, but I want it to be able to run most games. I am also looking for compatibility with Windows Vista. The one I have found, Notebook 15.4″ Glossy WXGA 1280×800 Pixel w/ NVIDIA GeForce GO 7600 256MB Video, 1.3 Mega Pixels CMOS Camera, Fingerprint Sensor, Turion™64 X2, & 802.11g Wireless(MSI MS-16332 Notebook 15.4″ Glossy WXGA 1280×800 Pixel w/ NVIDIA GeForce GO 7600 256MB Video, 1.3 Mega Pixels CMOS Camera, Fingerprint Sensor, Turion™64 X2, & 802.11g Wireless), is this what I’m looking for, or have I gone over the top?

Answer: Well, you definitely got the right picture. If your going to play games, get a laptop that has a good video. Now, there’s more to it than that, but they’re so many good laptops with crappy video cards.

Question: Toshiba A135-S2326 Upgrade RAM?
My husband bought me the A135-S2326 Toshiba. The Vista’s hogging the memory bad! I want to upgrade this beastly into perfection. How much RAM can this handle? I got the spec’s online, but am a little confused. It says upgradeable to 2GB so does that mean we can add the 2GB to the 512MB or remove the 512MB and replace it with 2x 1GB RAM?

Answer: Yes, your understanding is indeed correct. You have to remove the 512 mb stick inside & replace with 2 sticks of identical 1 gb pc2-4200 ddr2 ram.

Question: I have a Compaq 15.4 WXGA Notebook AMD Athlon TK-57 2GB Memory – 250 GB Hard Drive and I want to download Sims is it OK to or will it destroy my laptop?

Answer: It should be fine. It definitely won’t destroy the computer.

Question: Are HP and Toshiba notebook LCD screens compatible?
A Toshiba screen went out and I would like to replace it with a HP screen. They are both 15.4″ TFT WXGA screens. What would be the pros and cons of attempting this?

Answer: There is a chance it would work, but there are many factors to consider. Sure, they’re both 15.4″ on a diagonal, but what about Length x Width? Then after that, will the connectors match?

Question: Which resolution is best WXGA 1280×800 or 1440×900 for bluray drive?
I purchased a Dell M1530 XPS notebook 15.4 inch that has WXGA 1280×800. I’m concerned about changing it given that it has a 256 ram, 8600gt card and a blu-ray drive.

Do I need to upgrade the resolution to High definition 1440×900 or the graphics card 8600gt can compensate for that on “Listed Modes”. Listed modes considering it has both 1280 and 1440 resolutions.

Answer: A 15.4″ screen is too small to see much of any difference between 1440 and 1280 resolutions as far as quality is concerned. There will be “banding” at the top and bottom of both of those screen choices due to the fact that HD is a 16 by 9 aspect ratio… wider than either of those two screen ratios.

If you want no banding then you want the 17″ Dell or HP that offers the 1080P screen which is 1920×1080.

Question: HP Pavillion notebook dv6910us upgrade RAM or graphics card?
I’m having problems viewing HD content through my tv tuner installed and with downloaded content. It freezes up and simply wont display it. My question is, should I upgrade my RAM or do I need a new graphics card?

Answer: The graphics/video card chip set is made as part of the mother board and would cost almost as much to replace as a new lap top. Ram memory help would be limited.

Question: Which Laptop is better…Toshiba 15.4” WXGA Satellite Laptop PC (39163) or HP Pavilion Laptop?

Answer: I like the HP.

Question: Is this notebook okay?
Trying to buy not so expensive notebook but works great for college student; Acer Aspire AS5515
AMD Athlon 2650e 1.6GHz, 3GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.4″ WXGA , Vista Home Basic. I’m kinda concerned about the 1.6GHz…would it be alright? I do mostly words and powerpoint and surf internet.

Answer: You don’t have a screamer or anything there, but if you’re just going to be doing word docs and internet you should be fine. Just don’t try rendering a video or anything.

The single most important reason anyone buys a notebook is for portability. This is something that you can take anywhere. If you frequently travel in your work, you need a notebook. If you are a student going back and forth to the university, you need a notebook. If you are journalist traveling the world and submitting articles, you need a notebook. And today’s notebooks can be as powerful as most desktops with dual processors, large capacity internal drives, and other attractive features. But which one is right for you? How do you determine what type of notebook will fit your current needs plus allow you to expand for the future?

And the first part of the answer to the question of which one is right for you leads to a half-answer: “It depends.” It depends on what you are going to do with the computer. Are you going to use it for work or recreation? Is it something needed for your profession or are you a hobbyist? Do you play a lot of games? What level of internet access do you need? It is also important to remember that unlike desktop models, notebook computers cannot be upgraded easily. In fact, they usually have no upgrade path so you should take the time to get exactly what you need in terms of features and performance.

One characteristic of a notebook computer one should consider is the screen size. If you need to be able to have a lot of landscape for projects you are working on then consider a wider screen. Screen sizes usually can range from 10.4 inches to 17.1 inches. If you do a lot of work on an airliner in economy class, you are probably better off with a smaller screen size (because of the reclining seatbacks in front of you). Also a smaller notebook is just easier and lighter to carry around. Some who do presentations with their notebook computers will benefit from larger screen sizes such as those that use the newer WXGA technology. WXGA notebook screens can achieve resolutions up to 1366 by 768 pixels.

Battery life in your notebook computer is very important too. If you move around quite a bit, you might want to consider buying a notebook with not only a long lasting battery (most go 2-3 hours), but also one where buying a spare battery is not very expensive. One very inexpensive solution for the battery problem is to buy an external universal battery that can last up to 3-4 hours.

Another feature you need to consider when buying a notebook is internet connectivity. You will find that a popular way for people to work these days is with a wifi-enabled notebook at a wireless hotspot (such as in coffee shops, restaurants, libraries and airports). If you are buying an older used notebook, you may have to get an additional wifi-card if you want to have the mobile connectivity provided by this technology. Also, you will find that most hotels nowadays offer high-speed internet access but it is usually through a wifi connection.

And lastly, you need to consider what other options you want for your notebook computer. Do you want a CD writer or will you need to record DVDs? Do you need premium sound? How large of a disk drive do you need? When it comes to disk space, CD/DVD writers, sound cards, memory, and processor speed, it’s best to get it now as opposed to get it later. Here’s why: The upgrade path for most laptops and notebooks is not very long. This is because notebooks are probably replaced every 2-3 years. They are quick becoming just as expendable as a set of tires for your car. And if you do not maximize on memory and processor speed, your notebook may not able run efficiently the new application and game software. The more your notebook is adaptable to software upgrades, the longer it will be an effective tool for you.

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.PoloMercantil.com.br

WXGA Notebook FAQ:

Question: What are the differences between WXGA screen and WCSV screen? Both are notebook screen.
Is a 13 inch screen suitable for doing programming on notebook? What about 14 inch?

Answer: WXGA is a resolution of 1280×800. That’s it. Just pixel count.
13 and 14 inch screens are fine for any task.

Question: HP Notebook- WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Vs Dell Notebook – Wide Screen XGA+ LCD Display with TrueLife™, which is better?
I want a display like HDTV or excellent display for images and movies. Why HP says High definition and why Dell does not say high definition?

Answer: The ‘hd’ in ‘hdtv’ stands for high definition.

When dell says ‘with truelife’ it’s not a reference to how good the quality of the picture is, all it means the screen will be very glossy/reflective and the picture supposedly brighter – the equivalent of the ‘brightview’ portion of the hp’s description. If that is the full description of the screen on the dell, it would suggest that it’s not a high definition screen like the hp one.

The hp laptop in general will be better quality all-round.

Question: Lightest notebook PC with 14 inch WXGA screen?

Answer: Not much difference between makes and models. All are about 4 1/2 LBs at that size. Dell weighs more because of alloy case.

Question: How much should I sell my ACER Travelmate 4404 Notebook for?
I purchased my ‘ACER Travelmate” notebook last december which includes: 3 USB ports, DVD BURNER, AMD TURION 64 3400, 1G RAM, 120 GB HD, ATI X700, WLAN, 15.4 WXGA, XPP. What is a reasonable asking price?

Answer: Used computers/lap tops are not worth much as they are out dated almost as fast as they are sold. You might get half or less than you paid. Look at auctioning it off on E Bay or sell in a local classified. You can look on e-bay and compare what your brand is selling for used.

Question: Is the Sony Vaio a good notebook for school? It will be mainly used for Word, internet and downloading music.

Answer: It should be a good laptop for college.

Question: The lcd display screen on my hp notebook has to be replaced?
I have a HP Pavilion DV6205US notebook. The 15.4″ WXGA brightview lcd screen was accidentally broken. HP is quoting the parts and replacement at an estimate of $800. Does anyone know where I can get it replaced at a more affordable price considering I’m a grad student?

Answer: That is a bit overpriced for nothing more than a broken LCD.

What I would suggest is go to one of the smaller computer repair shops in the area and see what they quote you.

The real problem is that your laptop is still under warranty, and if the service is done by a non-HP certified repair shop, you can kiss your warranty good-bye.

Question: Anybody knows the difference between: screen True Life 17″ resolutión WUXGA LCD(17UXGAT)and: WXGA LCD(17XGAT)?

Answer: These are the major differences between the 2 screens:

1) The WUXGA option has a native resolution of 1920×1200 which is superior to the native WXGA resolution of 1440×900 (non-standard).

2) The WUXGA option has a contrast ratio of 500:1 which is superior to the WXGA contrast ratio of 400:1.

3) The WUXGA option incorporates Dell’s UltraSharp technology modification which provides increased wide angle viewing. This is superior to the limited wide angle viewing capabilities of the WXGA version which is not modified.

Question: Does my HP Pavilion dv2945se Notebook PC has a good processor than the core 2 duo processor?
I bought this laptop from best buy for $750. Was it a good choice and is the processor better than core 2 duo?

Answer: The processor is more of a personal preference, like some people like ford and other people like chevy. The only possible difference in the processor is its speed (ghz), but it is a good buy.