Is a higher screen resolution advantageous for accurate photo editing?

[coltlacrosse]

I am currently deciding on a new MacBook, I love the 13" but the 15" has an option to upgrade the screen to a higher resolution, will a higher resolution be better for photo editing accuracy? I realize it will allow me to fit more on the screen but is it worth spending the extra $400 to go from 1280x800 on a 13" screen to 1680x1050 on a 15" display?

I guess the question here that will help everyone is: When choosing a monitor, is maximum resolution a major concern or is it akin to the infamous megapixel myth?

P.S. This is my first thread, I believe I used the search engine correctly to avoid starting a double thread, but please let me know if my question has been answered before so I can delete this thread.

[zona5101]

I think the biggest consideration should be color accuracy AND the ability to hold that color without the need for frequent re-calibration. Unfortunately I don't know that there's a "spec" for that. After color accuracy, I think the next most important would be screen size and resolution. I say screen size because when you are using programs like Photoshop and Lightroom, you give up screen real estate for the program elements. Bigger screen means you still have a decent size image along with the application elements.

[ArmySoldier777]

Originally Posted by zona5101

I think the biggest consideration should be color accuracy AND the ability to hold that color without the need for frequent re-calibration. Unfortunately I don't know that there's a "spec" for that. After color accuracy, I think the next most important would be screen size and resolution. I say screen size because when you are using programs like Photoshop and Lightroom, you give up screen real estate for the program elements. Bigger screen means you still have a decent size image along with the application elements.

+1. My opinion is this. Get the 13" Mac if everything else that it has is what you're looking for, and then spend those extra few hundred $$$ on a good monitor to hook up to it. I've calibrated my laptop monitor in the past, but I still refuse to do Any editing on it at all, because it's almost never going to be right. Those laptop screens just aren't made for things like that. But as I said, IMO, you're best bet is to get the one that works for you, and use the extra to invest in a good monitor
That being said, I have a few 19" monitors for my desktop, and I'm always wishing I had just a few extra inches of space to work with. So when it comes to buying an external monitor, then I'd start worrying about size and resolution.

Oh yeah, and the Megapixel myth isn't a myth to pixel peepers like me


David