Widescreen laptops and MS Excel

AlexMJ · 9th July 2005, 10:32 PM

Does a widescreen laptop give you more MS Excel columns across the screen than a 4:3 one?

Or the same? ie. each column is just a bit wider.

I guess to get more columns I'd say either Windows or Excel would need a special widescreen driver.

beeker · 9th July 2005, 11:34 PM

I would have thought that each column would be x pixels wide, so if the screen is 1280x768, it would have the same number of columns as a 1280x1024 screen, and more than a 1024x768 screen, regardless of the actual size of the screen itself, whether it is a 14in widescreen or a 14in normal

Not tested, just guessing

RyoSaeba · 10th July 2005, 1:20 AM

That's correct beeker

size does not matter. It's the pixel that counts.

AlexMJ · 10th July 2005, 8:40 AM

hmm thanks guys.

so this means that except for watching movies theres no advantage of a laptop widescreen screen for business apps? (Excel, Word)

thrillhouse · 10th July 2005, 9:03 AM

No there is an advantage, more pixels means the screen is able to show more columns.

Say a normal 12' screen is 1024*768 res. A 12' W/S is 1280*800, this means there are about 260 more pixels in width. Say each column is 40px wide, with the extra 260px you have thats 6.5 more columns. Ofcourse this depends on how wide your columns are.

Word documents and such display fine already on a normal screen I guess the w/s would give you more grey space on the sides of the document, as the height is usually the same for w/s screens, they are just wider.

AlexMJ · 10th July 2005, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrillhouse

No there is an advantage, more pixels means the screen is able to show more columns.

Sounds good but how would Excel know it is able to display more columns?

Wouldnt Excel need to be told somehow (in options or via a special Excel driver) ?

thrillhouse · 10th July 2005, 11:37 AM

No because it just displays as much as it can. Just change your resolution and it should explain everything I think.

Izuna · 10th July 2005, 1:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexMJ

Sounds good but how would Excel know it is able to display more columns?

Wouldnt Excel need to be told somehow (in options or via a special Excel driver) ?

It wouldn't. You'd simply have the display driver saying how many pixels are on screen via the desktop settings. So excel would just need to say each column is x pixels and the display will just show the extra columns.

Anyway if it helps on my 1680 x 1050 notebook a new blank spreadsheet goes across to T. Though res plays a big part. So a non-widescreen capable of 1600x1200 would yield close results.

AlexMJ · 10th July 2005, 10:45 PM

ok, thanks guys.

9th July 2005, 10:32 PM	#1
AlexMJ (Banned or Deleted) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: MELBOURNE, VICTORIA Posts: 650	Widescreen laptops and MS Excel Does a widescreen laptop give you more MS Excel columns across the screen than a 4:3 one? Or the same? ie. each column is just a bit wider. I guess to get more columns I'd say either Windows or Excel would need a special widescreen driver.

9th July 2005, 11:34 PM	#2
beeker Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 533	I would have thought that each column would be x pixels wide, so if the screen is 1280x768, it would have the same number of columns as a 1280x1024 screen, and more than a 1024x768 screen, regardless of the actual size of the screen itself, whether it is a 14in widescreen or a 14in normal Not tested, just guessing __________________ Motorola V-club member #10 - v600 Asus Laptop Owners Club member #2 - W3V -- Successful purchases: Chainbolt Successful sales: Reaper, T-Bones, JonSton, Rogue, Ranchu, Peg, Kirk M., Erdem, Rickster, Argus

10th July 2005, 9:03 AM	#5
thrillhouse Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: sydney sydney sydney Posts: 1,770	No there is an advantage, more pixels means the screen is able to show more columns. Say a normal 12' screen is 1024768 res. A 12' W/S is 1280800, this means there are about 260 more pixels in width. Say each column is 40px wide, with the extra 260px you have thats 6.5 more columns. Ofcourse this depends on how wide your columns are. Word documents and such display fine already on a normal screen I guess the w/s would give you more grey space on the sides of the document, as the height is usually the same for w/s screens, they are just wider. __________________ TenBuckTees Digital \| Screen \| Vinyl \| Embroidery \| Printing on tshirts and more \| PM me Last edited by thrillhouse; 10th July 2005 at 9:04 AM.

10th July 2005, 11:37 AM	#7
thrillhouse Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: sydney sydney sydney Posts: 1,770	No because it just displays as much as it can. Just change your resolution and it should explain everything I think. __________________ TenBuckTees Digital \| Screen \| Vinyl \| Embroidery \| Printing on tshirts and more \| PM me

10th July 2005, 1:20 AM	#3
RyoSaeba Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Perth Posts: 2,880	That's correct beeker size does not matter. It's the pixel that counts.

10th July 2005, 8:40 AM	#4
AlexMJ (Banned or Deleted) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: MELBOURNE, VICTORIA Posts: 650	hmm thanks guys. so this means that except for watching movies theres no advantage of a laptop widescreen screen for business apps? (Excel, Word)

10th July 2005, 10:45 PM	#9
AlexMJ (Banned or Deleted) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: MELBOURNE, VICTORIA Posts: 650	ok, thanks guys.