2009/8/10 Michael Stevens <bigm...@bigmikes.org>:
> --
>>DPI most definitely matters WRT to physical size. Visit any store where
> several laptops sit side by side on display. You should be able to find a
> 14" or 14.1" sitting next to a 15.4", both at 1280x800 resolution. Because
> the smaller screen has less area for its pixels to fit into, its DPI (~108)
> is higher (vs. ~98), and, all else being equal, every image on it matching
> the same image on the larger screen will be a smaller physical _size_.
> --
>
> Again, while the physical size may be important to some it's not really the
> issue as I see it.
>
> We are both really talking about different subjects. You're concerned with
> an image's real-world size which is something we can not control. I'm only
> concerned with a monitor's resolution because it's the only thing I can
> determine and code for. 800x600 pixels will always be 800x600 pixels no
> matter what monitor it is displayed on. However, 800x600 pixels can be shown
> as different sizes depending on the physical size of the monitor and the
> resolution it is running. DPI is anything from 20 dpi on up depending on the
> physical size of the user's monitor.

The problem is that the physical size is what the user sees, not the
pixel resolution. That's why it's better to avoid pixels and specify
sizes in points or other physical units where possible. The fact that
some operating systems are braindead and cannot work with different
DPI has to be also take into account, unfortunately.

>
>
> But, in closing, I'll ask anyone to go to Fry's, Circuit City, or wherever
> you buy your computer peripherals and ask them to show you all their 72 dpi
> monitors. You won't find any such information about any monitor on the box
> and I doubt you'll find any salesemen that would actually know how to
> determine the answer. That's because a monitor's DPI is largely irrelevant.
>

Most monitor brochures do mention DPI or its inverse - the pixel
pitch. So any moderately knowledgeable electronics salesman can tell
you they don't have any 72 DPI monitors.

Thanks

Michal
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