Using a widescreen notebook with 4:3 projector

[thom05]

I need to buy a notebook to make presentations with PowerPoint. I'd quite like one with a 16:9 widescreen display, but all my presentations need to be in 4:3 format. (Normally running off a projector at 1024x768.)

Will this work? Will the projector just crop the sides of the image off, leaving the 4:3 display in the centre? What happens to the display on the computer? Will I be able to run the external video output at 1024x768 while running the notebook in its native widescreen resolution? Or is it not worth the hassle -- should I just get a notebook with a 4:3 lcd?

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[folken]

Your laptop display will adjust to be the same as the projector. If you force the screen res on your laptop to be higher than the 1024x768 on the projector it will crop and scroll when you move the pointer to a cropped section of screen.
It won't matter what sort of screen your laptop has. 1024x768 streached out on a 16:9 display might not look so great though

<A HREF="http://www.folken.net/myrig.htm" target="_new">My precious...</A>

 

[RaPTuRe]

...Unless you output the projector to your second desktop which you can set at any resolution. Powerpoint, for instance, lets you do this quite easily.

But if you intend to clone the display (i.e. have both notebook and projector display the same image) you will need to set your notebook resolution to 1024x768 which will look stretched and yucky - but will be quite legible and whatnot for the duration of the presentation.

Regardless of what aspect ratio Notebook you get, unless it has an XGA Display Panel, you will always have to reset your resolution for it to clone to the projector.

Best bet is to go with the first option when showing presentations (if you don't already).

Regards,
RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?

 

[thom05]

Many thanks -- I decided to go for a notebook with a standard 3:4 lcd instead.

 

[RaPTuRe]

Yes, but regardless as to the aspect ratio of the Panel - unless it is an XGA resolution LCD display, you'll still need to resize your resolution to display on an XGA Projector, unless you output separately to the projector (i.e. not clone).

RaPTuRe

Who's General Failure and why's he reading my disk?