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Screen quality 12 vs 15 PB
- Thread starter rapps
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It may be that the 15 inch has the screen calibrated and the 12 inch uses a factory setting or something. Be calibrating a LCD monitor you can greatly change the way it looks.
Calibration....
I am pretty new to the Mac platform, and though I don't yet have a new Powerbook, my "Buy-Aaron-A-Fifteen-Inch-Powerbook" fund is growing rapidly, so i'm trying to learn as much as I can now. is LCD Calibration a simple affair, or do you need any extra equipment or software not already on the Mac? What exactly does calibrating the LCD do, to ask a pretty simple and possibly obvious question?
Thanks for the help! The awesome community here is making me feel better and better about my move to Mac.
Aaron
I am pretty new to the Mac platform, and though I don't yet have a new Powerbook, my "Buy-Aaron-A-Fifteen-Inch-Powerbook" fund is growing rapidly, so i'm trying to learn as much as I can now. is LCD Calibration a simple affair, or do you need any extra equipment or software not already on the Mac? What exactly does calibrating the LCD do, to ask a pretty simple and possibly obvious question?
Thanks for the help! The awesome community here is making me feel better and better about my move to Mac.
Aaron
ColorSync monitor calibration is built into Mac OS X. Just go to the Displays pane in System Preferences.
Actually you're not imagining things. I have a 15 inch Ai book and my girlfriend has a 12 inch Ai book and the LCD on hers just isn't as crisp as mine. It's not the calibration settings because ours are both calibrated the same, the screen on my 15 inch just has a sharper picture. To my eyes the picture on the 12 inch just looks a tiny bit fuzzy compared to the 15 inch.
Now that's not to say that the 12 inch isn't a great machine, but in order to accomodate the small form factor sacrafices sometimes must be made. Personally if given a choice between the two I would choose the 15 inch (again), because while the 12 inch is a powerful little machine and is more portable it is very small and for that reason I feel the 15 is just a more versatile notebook.
Now that's not to say that the 12 inch isn't a great machine, but in order to accomodate the small form factor sacrafices sometimes must be made. Personally if given a choice between the two I would choose the 15 inch (again), because while the 12 inch is a powerful little machine and is more portable it is very small and for that reason I feel the 15 is just a more versatile notebook.
puhlsar said:
Thank you for confirming what I've suspected!! I know they use different video cards...so that may be it.
Can you explain the differences in portability? The weight doesn't seem too much of a difference...but there seems to be about 3 inches in width and about an extra inch in depth to deal with when carrying it around.
The 12 inch also has a smaller display, so if you arn't as young its harder to focus. Me, I don't have any trouble with my display.
Just thinking, does font smoothing settings have anything to do with it? My PowerBook came defaulted to the CRT setting (something like Strong). Just thinking.
Just thinking, does font smoothing settings have anything to do with it? My PowerBook came defaulted to the CRT setting (something like Strong). Just thinking.
I don't know if it's the case between different Powerbook models, but I think the cost of Apple's most expensive computers is partly due to more expensive LCDs. I noticed at the store that while the 17" Powerbook has a terrific screen (nicer than all the PC notebooks), the 20" iMac still had a better one. That helped me choose between the two (I'm a graphic designer).
What blows me away is how crappy my old 19" CRT looks next to the iMac. It's all dull and grey, and I used to think it was pretty good.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if the 15 and 17" Powerbooks had slightly more expensive LCDs in them than the 12". Apple probably had to work hard to keep the cost of the 12" down, since miniaturization often costs *more*.
What blows me away is how crappy my old 19" CRT looks next to the iMac. It's all dull and grey, and I used to think it was pretty good.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if the 15 and 17" Powerbooks had slightly more expensive LCDs in them than the 12". Apple probably had to work hard to keep the cost of the 12" down, since miniaturization often costs *more*.
Let's see to answer your questions..
1) In regards to the 12 inch pb's portability, while the difference in weight is not very noticeable the difference in over all size certainly is. The 15 inch really is noticeably larger, not only when you're trying to carry it somewhere, but also when you're using it. It's just a far more compact machine and takes up much less desk and lap space when you're trying to use it in a remote location like an airport or airplane. It's great for traveling for that reason, you can take it just about anywhere.
2) My girlfriend's 12 inch is a rev. c, she bought it a few days just after the most recent upgrade.
If I had to make a guess as to what causes the disparity in quality between the two models I would say that the 12 incher's LCD probably has a lower dpi than the one in the 15 inch. Now don't get me wrong, the 12 inch is a great machine, but if you need a notebook with a stellar LCD i would definitely recommend the 15 or the 17 inch.
1) In regards to the 12 inch pb's portability, while the difference in weight is not very noticeable the difference in over all size certainly is. The 15 inch really is noticeably larger, not only when you're trying to carry it somewhere, but also when you're using it. It's just a far more compact machine and takes up much less desk and lap space when you're trying to use it in a remote location like an airport or airplane. It's great for traveling for that reason, you can take it just about anywhere.
2) My girlfriend's 12 inch is a rev. c, she bought it a few days just after the most recent upgrade.
If I had to make a guess as to what causes the disparity in quality between the two models I would say that the 12 incher's LCD probably has a lower dpi than the one in the 15 inch. Now don't get me wrong, the 12 inch is a great machine, but if you need a notebook with a stellar LCD i would definitely recommend the 15 or the 17 inch.
Finiksa said:
exactly what I was going to say. Rev. A and B 12" PBs use the same screen as the ibooks. Rev. C 12" PBs use the same screen as the 15" PB - only smaller. The quality is the same.
edit - ah, didn't see your reply, that your gf has a rev. C. Well, any difference between a 15" and a 12" rev. C would have to come from differences in dpi, as you suggest. Because the screens are otherwise the same.
has nothing to do bewteen those 2 cards. they both are resonably good and can display the same amount of colors. If the screens are truly different is the lcd not the card.rapps said: