I can't make any sense of this? Laptops have been around since the early 90s and have always used LCD screens - what else? Anything with a CRT wouldn't fit on your lap. Jeff Goldblum even used one to repel an alien invasion in 1996.
Dell had a 2560x1600 LCD in 2007. https://www.cnet.com/products/dell-ultrasharp-3007wfp/specs/ https://www.dell.com/downloads/emea/general/ultrasharp%20300...
Dell and Sony also had laptops going as high as 4K in 13" form factors around the same time. Yes they were high end. So too was the MBP.