I don't know why 1280x1024 is even available - it's square. It's the only one of the standard screen sizes that has a 5:4 aspect ratio. All the others [640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1400x1050, 1600x1200] have a ratio of 4:3. The newer Wide screens are generally 8:5. If you're using an XGA 1024x768 screen now, an SXGA 1280x1024 is a step backward. An 8:5 screen is definitely the way to go [WSXGA+ 1680x1050, or WUXGA 1920x1200].

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