Some notebook computers have displays with resolutions as high as 1,600 by 1,200 pixels on a 15-inch panel, yet 17-inch LCD monitors are limited to 1,280-by-1,024. I like the higher resolution because more pixels per inch look better, just as output from a printer with more dots per inch looks better. Why can't manufacturers make desktop monitors with higher resolutions?

Barry Smith

The answer is economic, not technical. There are few significant differences between notebook and desktop panels, and there is no reason why you can't put a high-resolution panel in a desktop enclosure. The problem is that the higher-resolution panels cost significantly more. According to iSupply/Stanford Resources, the component price of a 15-inch UXGA (1,600 by 1,200 pixels) notebook display was $250 last fall, while a 15-inch XGA (1,024 by 768 pixels) panel cost $197.

This price difference is less of a problem for notebook makers, as the extra cost gets folded in with all the other components, such as CPU, battery, memory, and storage devices. Notebook buyers are also willing to pay a premium for some features. In contrast, the desktop monitor market is extremely price-sensitive, and manufacturers have no place to "hide" the extra cost of a high-resolution panel because there's not much else in the monitor's bill of materials aside from the plastic case.