Maximum VGA output screen resolution
 

I have a Dell Inspiron E1505 / 6400 with the ATI X1400 video card and
a 1680x1050 15.4" monitor. I am considering purchasing an LCD monitor
for use at home, as the 15.4" screen is too tiny.

How can I know what maximum resolution the VGA output is capable of?

For that matter, how do I enable it? I have been unsuccessful in
getting VGA video out of this machine in Debian-based (Debian and
Ubuntu) distros. Fedora enabled at least 1024x768 output, but I did
not try anything higher. I do not remember which driver I was using
with Fedora. With Debian I tried only the open source driver that
comes on the install disk, and in Ubuntu I tried both the open source
and proprietary drivers to no avail.

Thanks in advance.

--
Dotan Cohen

http://what-is-what.com
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Maximum VGA output screen resolution
 

My Dell (an old insprion 8600) runs 1920x1200.

A nice surprise on Ubuntu 7.04 and later was that it
Just Worked. I didn't have to tweak the /etc/X11
configs at all!

Same with my old Sony Vaio PCG-8C3L aka
PCG-GRX560. 1600x1200. That is, until the
display started to go (these days is is crisp in
text mode but goes nasty left-right flickery.

Anyhow, yes, I've been able to get video out through
the VGA connector at whatever resolution the
monitor would support (never tried past WUXGA)
over the years

Too bad you think the 15.4 display is too tiny-
I used 1600x1200 15.4" for quite a few years
as my primary display because it beat the pants
off the dual 1600x1200 21" tube displays my
employer provided. Personally, my pet peeve
is vendors who keep increasing the size of
screens without increasing the number of pixels.

Six years later, I'm still using my 2002 Dell
because I can't find another laptop with a better
than WUXGA display.

Tony


On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 1:06 PM, Dotan Cohen <dotancohen@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a Dell Inspiron E1505 / 6400 with the ATI X1400 video card and
> a 1680x1050 15.4" monitor. I am considering purchasing an LCD monitor
> for use at home, as the 15.4" screen is too tiny.
>
> How can I know what maximum resolution the VGA output is capable of?
>
> For that matter, how do I enable it? I have been unsuccessful in
> getting VGA video out of this machine in Debian-based (Debian and
> Ubuntu) distros. Fedora enabled at least 1024x768 output, but I did
> not try anything higher. I do not remember which driver I was using
> with Fedora. With Debian I tried only the open source driver that
> comes on the install disk, and in Ubuntu I tried both the open source
> and proprietary drivers to no avail.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
> Dotan Cohen
>
> http://what-is-what.com
> http://gibberish.co.il
> ×�-ב-×’-ד-×”-ו-×–-×—-ט-×™-ך-×›-ל-×�-מ-ן-×*-ס-×¢-×£-פ-×¥-צ-ק-ר-ש-ת
>
> ä-ö-ü-ß-Ä-Ö-Ü
>



--
Best Regards.
Please keep in touch.
This is unedited.
P-)

Maximum VGA output screen resolution
 

2008/9/4 Tony Godshall <togo@of.net>:
> My Dell (an old insprion 8600) runs 1920x1200.
>
> A nice surprise on Ubuntu 7.04 and later was that it
> Just Worked. I didn't have to tweak the /etc/X11
> configs at all!
>

Configuring this screen is a pain in Debian, with no two installs
working in quite the same manner. Like you, it started Just Working in
7.04, and I even had Beryl on that version!

> Same with my old Sony Vaio PCG-8C3L aka
> PCG-GRX560. 1600x1200. That is, until the
> display started to go (these days is is crisp in
> text mode but goes nasty left-right flickery.
>
> Anyhow, yes, I've been able to get video out through
> the VGA connector at whatever resolution the
> monitor would support (never tried past WUXGA)
> over the years
>

With a standard Debian / Ubuntu install? Or with some tweaking?

> Too bad you think the 15.4 display is too tiny-
> I used 1600x1200 15.4" for quite a few years
> as my primary display because it beat the pants
> off the dual 1600x1200 21" tube displays my
> employer provided. Personally, my pet peeve
> is vendors who keep increasing the size of
> screens without increasing the number of pixels.

My problem is eyesight- I'm only thirty, but I now have a hard time
with this little screen. I remember when 640x480 14" was huge! Of
course, at that time I was holding one of the meta keys while flipping
the power switch, to boot into the 'older' version of the OS. Can you
guess which OS that was by the description?

--
Dotan Cohen

http://what-is-what.com
http://gibberish.co.il
×�-ב-×’-ד-×”-ו-×–-×—-ט-×™-ך-×›-ל-×�-מ-ן-×*-ס-×¢-×£-פ-×¥-צ-ק-ר-ש-ת

ä-ö-ü-ß-Ä-Ö-Ü

Maximum VGA output screen resolution
 

>> Same with my old Sony Vaio PCG-8C3L aka
>> PCG-GRX560. 1600x1200. That is, until the
>> display started to go (these days is is crisp in
>> text mode but goes nasty left-right flickery.
>>
>> Anyhow, yes, I've been able to get video out through
>> the VGA connector at whatever resolution the
>> monitor would support (never tried past WUXGA)
>> over the years
>>
>
> With a standard Debian / Ubuntu install? Or with some tweaking?

With Ubuntu on Dell and Sony.

>> Too bad you think the 15.4 display is too tiny-
>> I used 1600x1200 15.4" for quite a few years
>> as my primary display because it beat the pants
>> off the dual 1600x1200 21" tube displays my
>> employer provided. Personally, my pet peeve
>> is vendors who keep increasing the size of
>> screens without increasing the number of pixels.
>
> My problem is eyesight- I'm only thirty, but I now have a hard time
> with this little screen. I remember when 640x480 14" was huge! Of
> course, at that time I was holding one of the meta keys while flipping
> the power switch, to boot into the 'older' version of the OS. Can you
> guess which OS that was by the description?

I understand. Usually, though, this is remedied by "computer glasses"-
glasses like "reading glasses" but optimized for the distance to your monitor.

But if you need the big screen, why the laptop? Surely you get
a better bang for the buck with a traditional motherboard/monitor
setup. Especially if you want a low-rez big screen.

Personally, I think the whole big-screen low-rez thing
is a red herring- people are used to operating systems
and apps that can't adjust font and icon sizes. Bigger
screens should have higher rez and one should adjust
the fonts and icons to the size that is comfortable for
them.

By the way, one cool trend coming out of "netbook"
and moblin/maemo/hildon work is that big-icon maximized-
app UIs are making a lot of progress- while they are
aimed at small-screen devices (and moblin/maemo at
some finger-operated devices), a lot of the same issues
are directly applicable to larger screens and those with
aging eyes. In these cases the whole UI is geared toward
a smaller number of pixels.

--
Best Regards.
Please keep in touch.
This is unedited.
P-)


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Maximum VGA output screen resolution
 

2008/9/4 Tony Godshall <togo@of.net>:
> But if you need the big screen, why the laptop? Surely you get
> a better bang for the buck with a traditional motherboard/monitor
> setup. Especially if you want a low-rez big screen.
>

The desktop is rather difficult to carry to the university every day.

> Personally, I think the whole big-screen low-rez thing
> is a red herring- people are used to operating systems
> and apps that can't adjust font and icon sizes. Bigger
> screens should have higher rez and one should adjust
> the fonts and icons to the size that is comfortable for
> them.
>
> By the way, one cool trend coming out of "netbook"
> and moblin/maemo/hildon work is that big-icon maximized-
> app UIs are making a lot of progress- while they are
> aimed at small-screen devices (and moblin/maemo at
> some finger-operated devices), a lot of the same issues
> are directly applicable to larger screens and those with
> aging eyes. In these cases the whole UI is geared toward
> a smaller number of pixels.

Agreed 100%

--
Dotan Cohen

http://what-is-what.com
http://gibberish.co.il
×�-ב-×’-ד-×”-ו-×–-×—-ט-×™-ך-×›-ל-×�-מ-ן-×*-ס-×¢-×£-פ-×¥-צ-ק-ר-ש-ת

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