Wide aspect LCD monitor "stretches" everything
For the last year or two, I've been using a 'standard' 19" LCD, and everything looked just fine. Now I've gone and bought a Dell 24" wide-aspect monitor, running on a new XP-based IBM laptop, and everything looks 'stretched' out--the icons, the websites I look at, etc; things are 'wide and squat', and no longer symmetric.
Before I bought it, I asked the guy at Dell if this was going to happen--which I feared--or if I was going to see everything like 'normal', but gaining additional 'real estate' on the right hand side of the display--which I was hoping for. He told me that it would not look weird, but would do what I hoped--give me more area on the right to see wider spreadsheets without having to scroll as much, etc.
But right now that's definitely not the case. Is there any way that XP and/or the monitor--wherever the 'problem' is coming from--can be adjusted to make things look normal and symmetric again, without the 'stretching' effect? I just wanted to be able to see more on the right, NOT just stretch out what I already had.
On the chance that the answer is 'no hope', I've been trying to find a 24" LCD that is NOT wide screen, but so far, everthing manufacturer seems to be proud to only offer wide aspect in the large displays. Does anyone make a 'normal' aspect large LCD?
Before I bought it, I asked the guy at Dell if this was going to happen--which I feared--or if I was going to see everything like 'normal', but gaining additional 'real estate' on the right hand side of the display--which I was hoping for. He told me that it would not look weird, but would do what I hoped--give me more area on the right to see wider spreadsheets without having to scroll as much, etc.
But right now that's definitely not the case. Is there any way that XP and/or the monitor--wherever the 'problem' is coming from--can be adjusted to make things look normal and symmetric again, without the 'stretching' effect? I just wanted to be able to see more on the right, NOT just stretch out what I already had.
On the chance that the answer is 'no hope', I've been trying to find a 24" LCD that is NOT wide screen, but so far, everthing manufacturer seems to be proud to only offer wide aspect in the large displays. Does anyone make a 'normal' aspect large LCD?
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This is the Dell 2405FPW, running on an IBM T43 laptop with ATI Mobility Radeon X300. I downloaded the driver for this monitor from Dell's website, and I downloaded the latest ATI driver. Still, the only res option for the wide view is 1920 x 1200, which is awfully small. This option does indeed make everything symmetric again, which is great, and when I remove the laptop from the dock and turn it on, it goes back to 1024 x 768 on it's LCD panel, which is great...the only problem is that the view is SO small.
My dock has room for a half-height video card. Would it work to get a video card that supports lower wide-screen resolutions (so things aren't so small), where I could configure my laptop to AUTOMATICALLY 'look' at THAT video card when attached to the dock, rather than the internal video card. And then, when I disconnect from the dock, it would AUTOMATICALLY go back to the internal video card and run at 1024 x 768, just like it does now? If it's going to be a pain, i.e. NOT automatic, I don't think I want to mess with it. But if anyone knows that this would work, then I'd be interested in a low-cost video card what would offer me something lower than 1920 x 1200, while still at that "1.6" ratio that works for wide screen.
My dock has room for a half-height video card. Would it work to get a video card that supports lower wide-screen resolutions (so things aren't so small), where I could configure my laptop to AUTOMATICALLY 'look' at THAT video card when attached to the dock, rather than the internal video card. And then, when I disconnect from the dock, it would AUTOMATICALLY go back to the internal video card and run at 1024 x 768, just like it does now? If it's going to be a pain, i.e. NOT automatic, I don't think I want to mess with it. But if anyone knows that this would work, then I'd be interested in a low-cost video card what would offer me something lower than 1920 x 1200, while still at that "1.6" ratio that works for wide screen.
ASKER
BTW, the only available res choices now showing are:
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1400 x 1050
1600 x 1200
(all of which divide out to 1.33)
and 1920 x 1200 (which divides out to 1.6 and looks symmetrical).
Prior to connecting this Dell wide aspect monitor to my laptop, I don't think the 1600 x 1200 and 1920 x 1200 were even showing as an option, especially since my laptop can't display that high a res in on its internal LCD. So where did these higher-res options 'come from'? Wherever they 'came' from, is there a way to 'add in' something like 1600 x 1024, in ways beyond the things I already tried, getting updated drivers as explained above?
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1400 x 1050
1600 x 1200
(all of which divide out to 1.33)
and 1920 x 1200 (which divides out to 1.6 and looks symmetrical).
Prior to connecting this Dell wide aspect monitor to my laptop, I don't think the 1600 x 1200 and 1920 x 1200 were even showing as an option, especially since my laptop can't display that high a res in on its internal LCD. So where did these higher-res options 'come from'? Wherever they 'came' from, is there a way to 'add in' something like 1600 x 1024, in ways beyond the things I already tried, getting updated drivers as explained above?
Answering your first question, if you conect the external video card on the docking station, you will have the AUTOMATIC change, as Windows XP handles 2 video cards without problem. To select this card, you shall go to your local computer shop and ask for a video card that handles the 1.6 ratio that you desire.
Now, to the second question, as all monitors "reports" there name and characteristics to windows, before you connected the external monitor, Windows new what resolutions it supported, so you may select only valid resolutions to that monitor. In the minute you connected the external monitor, his monitor did the same that the LCD one, report to windows and determine what resolution it handled, so the new selections were displayed when it was in use. Now, the AUTOMATIC selection is made as windows knows that the LCD can´t handle a 1920x1200, it "goes down" to the maximum supported resolution or to the las one you used on the LCD.
If there is any other question, let me know if I may help you.
Now, to the second question, as all monitors "reports" there name and characteristics to windows, before you connected the external monitor, Windows new what resolutions it supported, so you may select only valid resolutions to that monitor. In the minute you connected the external monitor, his monitor did the same that the LCD one, report to windows and determine what resolution it handled, so the new selections were displayed when it was in use. Now, the AUTOMATIC selection is made as windows knows that the LCD can´t handle a 1920x1200, it "goes down" to the maximum supported resolution or to the las one you used on the LCD.
If there is any other question, let me know if I may help you.
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