Scott Hanselman

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Gaming at 16 by 10 on a Widescreen LCD

October 29, 2005 Comment on this post [12] Posted in Gaming
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I just couldn't help myself. When I found a series of "stackable coupons" for Dell.com that made the UltraSharp 2005FPW 20.1" WideScreen LCD only $394.94, including shipping, I had to act. Let me tell you, while it's a 16:10 ratio (not 16:9) you wouldn't believe the widescreen gaming joy. DVDs look nice also. The monitor also pivots and lets be see a complete 8"x14" sheet of paper within Word which makes writing prose, for me, very enjoyable.

GuildWars

Gw009

Half-Life 2 Lost Coast

D2_lostcoast0006

Now playing: Kanye West - Gone (Featuring Consequence & Cam'ron)

About Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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Comment on this post [12]
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October 29, 2005 11:29
I'm jealous! Are the coupons still around?
Eric
October 29, 2005 20:21
I got the same deal. What video card did you end up getting? I haven't gotten one yet that supports rotating and fully supports its resolution.

Chris
Chris S
October 29, 2005 22:05
http://blog.dreamprojections.com/archive/2005/07/03/1719.aspx

=)
Alex
October 30, 2005 21:04
Nice, to be sure, but I am very fond of my gaming rig. It's based on a mathematical equation of my own design:

Xbox + InFocus projector + 91" home-made screen + 700 watt 5.1 channel sound system = heaven. :)
Cam
October 31, 2005 9:52
ChrisS: I already had an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. It was pretty inexpensive and readily available. It supports rotation and these odd resolutions automatically. Highly recommended, even if it's a 2-year old card. I'm sure there's a better one now.
Scott Hanselman
October 31, 2005 9:53
Eric, the coupons were chatted to me, but I know there are (via google) a number of forums that swap woot.com-style "use it or lose it" deals like this.
Scott Hanselman
October 31, 2005 21:24
Keep an eye on www.TechBargains.com. I got in on the same deal, but for the 2001FP. Not wide screen, but still a damn fine monitor. 1600x1200 is a beautiful sight to be seen.
Shawn Wheatley
October 31, 2005 23:40
Isn't it annoying on the games that DON'T support your native resolution? On my NEC 18.1" (1280x1024) I have to play a handful of games that only support 1280x960, which makes the horizontal crystal clear, but the vertical a little blurry.
Ben Scheirman
November 01, 2005 21:52
I did the same deal, and use the monitor with my PowerBook. I found the coupons on gotapex.com.
Andrew Shebanow
November 02, 2005 19:09
You're playing lost coast at 16x10 on a 9800pro? what kind of framerate are you getting? 10?

Apart from gaming, I don't think most computer use (browsing, email, coding, ...) lends itself all that well to widescreen displays, so I settled on the 2001fp instead a while ago. Guild Wars plays fine on 16x12, but for HL2, my 9800 just can't quite hack it... Haven't tried Lost Coast yet, but the HDR only makes that more graphics-intensive, so if anything that may force me into an even lower resolution.

For anyone interested in deals like this, just check out slickdeals.net from time to time (or subscribe to their RSS feed). Dell monitor deals seem to pop-up there at least every other week or so...
Luke Hutteman
November 04, 2005 20:27
I can't help but notice that Scott's character in Guildwars is a sensuous black woman. Does your wife know about her Scott?!
Jeremy Simmons
November 04, 2005 21:02
Jeremy - how do you know she isn't my wife? ;)
Scott Hanselman

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.