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Notebooks: The Best 10'' to 14'' Screens
The quality of the screens used in laptops is far from matching that of desktop LCD monitors. Among the 10'' to 14'' notebooks tested in the course of the year, some do nevertheless stand out from the rest. Here are the three best.
Alexandre Botella
Translator: Jack Sims
Published: January 27, 2012
Translator: Jack Sims
Published: January 27, 2012
Check Out Our Laptop Reviews
Below you'll find our selection of screens classed according to their main characteristics. For the full reviews of all the models that have been through our lab, go to:
-Laptop Reviews.
-Laptop Reviews.
- Contrast: the contrast ratio is the ratio between the readings for brightness on an all white screen and an all black screen (ideally 0). The average contrast ratio reading for laptop panels in 2011 on 10'' to 14'' screens was 345: 1.
For comparison, monitors have an average in the order of 850:1, thanks to deeper blacks.
- deltaE: the value corresponding to the difference between ideal colours and the reading for those displayed. The deltaE of a screen must be less than 3 for it to be considered 'accurate'. This year, only one of the notebooks in this section managed a score of under 3. The average deltaE measured on 10'' to 14'' laptop computer panels is 11.2, against about 5.5 for desktop monitors...
Other data also comes into play, such as colour temperature (blue-red balance) or the gamma (consistency in variation of greys, from darkest to lightest). Once again, the desktop screens do a great deal better than laptops.
Based on the criteria above, the notebooks with the best screens are:
Editor's Choice 
The MacBook Pro 13.3-inch has by some distance the best screen. Its contrast ratio is 649: 1 (with a white level of 200 cd/m²). More impressive still, its deltaE is only 2.9, a truly exceptional score that allows the most demanding users to find a bit of accuracy in this cruel, hard (and garish!) world.
Two Alternatives 
Tablet Screen
Review: Samsung Slate PC XE700
The Slate PC, a notebook / tablet hybrid (running on Windows 7 and soon Windows 8), has the advantage of having a tablet panel: a lot more care is taken with tablet screens (deltaE of 6 and contrast of 790:1). The wider viewing angles (thanks to PLS technology) also represent a clear advantage over laptops, virtually all of which use TN panels.
The Slate PC, a notebook / tablet hybrid (running on Windows 7 and soon Windows 8), has the advantage of having a tablet panel: a lot more care is taken with tablet screens (deltaE of 6 and contrast of 790:1). The wider viewing angles (thanks to PLS technology) also represent a clear advantage over laptops, virtually all of which use TN panels.
A Nice Surprise!
Review: Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830T
Acer takes third spot with an an ultraportable that is nevertheless very affordable. We like it for its contrast ratio of 715:1 but its colours aren’t all that accurate.
Even with a deltaE measured at 8.6 however, it is better than 80% of models tested in 2011.
Acer takes third spot with an an ultraportable that is nevertheless very affordable. We like it for its contrast ratio of 715:1 but its colours aren’t all that accurate.
Even with a deltaE measured at 8.6 however, it is better than 80% of models tested in 2011.
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Notebooks: The Best 10'' to 14'' Screens
