LED-Based Laptops from Apple in 2007?

MacRumors · May 7, 2007, 11:55 AM

With confirmation from Apple that they would be pursuing LED-based screen technology in the coming future, there was speculation on which specific models would first see the new LED screens.

Digitimes claims that Apple is currently considering 13.3" and 15.4" panels from AU Optronics and Chi Mei Optotronics. These displays would ship in "second or third quarter of 2007" suggesting a relatively soon launch for the new displays:

Quote:

Sources recently said AUO and CMO will enter volume production for LED-based LCD modules (LCMs) in the second and third quarter, respectively, of 2007, with CMO being more aggressive in the segment since it will launch more models than AUO.

eenu · May 7, 2007, 11:56 AM

I wonder if these suffer from 'dead pixels'

flopticalcube · May 7, 2007, 11:57 AM

New MacBooks before September?

4np · May 7, 2007, 11:58 AM

I hope these will be included in the next revision MBP's... June?

mkrishnan · May 7, 2007, 11:58 AM

Erm... they use LED backlights instead of traditional ones. The backlight has never had anything whatsoever to do with dead pixels. Why would it be any different now?

This is something different from OLED panels that do not use LCDs. Here, the LCD is essentially the same one, from the same small handful of manufacturers, as ever, and now the backlight in the assembly is different.

Peace · May 7, 2007, 12:00 PM

Flash based with backlit LCD MBP at WWDC!!

EagerDragon · May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM

Sounds like a winner, but it does shows that the updated laptops including SantaRosa, 4 Gig memory (fully addressable) and LED will be here later rather than sooner.

No sense to make two revisions in 4 months.

hob · May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM

So this is the beginning of Apple's new green commitment...

masse · May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM

Bad. I need it before August.

eenu · May 7, 2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

Erm... they use LED backlights instead of traditional ones. The backlight has never had anything whatsoever to do with dead pixels. Why would it be any different now?

This is something different from OLED panels that do not use LCDs. Here, the LCD is essentially the same one, from the same small handful of manufacturers, as ever, and now the backlight in the assembly is different.

Well what i was presuming is that the screen is made up of LEDs and that you could have a dead LED.

skellener · May 7, 2007, 12:02 PM

How about ANYTHING in 2007???

It's May 2007!! Apple has only shipped one new computer all year (8-core). Most of the line hasn't been updated since Sept. 2006! C'mon already! There's no PPC excuses anymore. Let's see some new machines already!

Westside guy · May 7, 2007, 12:03 PM

"... in the coming future ..."?

As opposed to the non-coming future?

EagerDragon · May 7, 2007, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masse

Bad. I need it before August.

More like October before we see them.

Mydriasis · May 7, 2007, 12:03 PM

How does the power consumption of LED backlights compare to those used today?

AppleMan101 · May 7, 2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eenu

Well what i was presuming is that the screen is made up of LEDs and that you could have a dead LED.

it sounds like you've misunderstood the technology

4np · May 7, 2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mydriasis

How does the power consumption of LED backlights compare to those used today?

this has already been answered in sooooo many threads... power consumption goes down!

flopticalcube · May 7, 2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skellener

How about ANYTHING in 2007???

It's May 2007!! Apple has only shipped one new computer all year (8-core). Most of the line hasn't been updated since Sept. 2006! C'mon already! There's no PPC excuses anymore. Let's see some new machines already!

I agree and you can hardly call the 8-core an new machine. Just plop in two new CPUs. They didn't even spec bump/reprice anything.

psychofreak · May 7, 2007, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westside guy

"... in the coming future ..."?

As opposed to the non-coming future?

No, as opposed to the already-been future

emotion · May 7, 2007, 12:13 PM

14.1" widescreen macbook (the bezel is big enough to be shrunk to fit this in the existing design, and 14.1 is more common a size) and LED backlit would be nice to see.

the mbp is due a refresh first though. black anodized too please apple.

Diatribe · May 7, 2007, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4np

this has already been answered in sooooo many threads... power consumption goes down!

But I think he was more interested in percentages..

Power consumption goes down about 13% for the display but since the display is one of the major energy users in a laptop, this is quite a bit. Probably gonna up the battery life by a half hour or so.

whatever · May 7, 2007, 12:13 PM

Although this based on nothing, don't be surprised to see new Apple Laptops before the launch of the iPhone.

Now which line will be updated first. The pro or consumer. Updating the pro line could cut in to sales of the iPhone and an updated MacBook could cut into the MacBook Pro line.

However, since the new Final Cut Pro suite cannot run on either Mac Mini or MacBook, I wouldn't be surprised to see an updated MacBook.

Again this is based on nothing (but expect to see this happen before May 18).

mkrishnan · May 7, 2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eenu

Well what i was presuming is that the screen is made up of LEDs and that you could have a dead LED.

Yeah... that technology is coming, but it's not the one that Apple is talking about. I think it's forecasted to start dropping on notebook computers with smaller displays in the next four or five years. LED backlights are the technology that is here now, but they have not been available in high enough volume or large-size format for replacing every LCD's backlight with the technology so far.

I do believe that there are notebooks (Sony?) with this technology already being sold.

mrkramer · May 7, 2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flopticalcube

I agree and you can hardly call the 8-core an new machine. Just plop in two new CPUs. They didn't even spec bump/reprice anything.

Well if you don't consider that an upgrade then we haven't seen any updates for several years.

Diatribe · May 7, 2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

Yeah... that technology is coming, but it's not the one that Apple is talking about. I think it's forecasted to start dropping on notebook computers with smaller displays in the next four or five years. LED backlights are the technology that is here now, but they have not been available in high enough volume or large-size format for replacing every LCD's backlight with the technology so far.

I do believe that there are notebooks (Sony?) with this technology already being sold.

Yep, as soon as the quirks of OLED or similar display technologies are worked out (short life span for example) and they can be produced at a reasonable price they will be used in laptops. And THEN we will see huge gains in battery life, color reproduction, brightness, viewing angle, etc.

maxp1 · May 7, 2007, 12:20 PM

Aren't we half way through the second quarter already?

May 7, 2007, 11:57 AM	#3
flopticalcube macrumors 601 Join Date: Sep 2006	New MacBooks before September? __________________ iThink therefore iAm.

May 7, 2007, 11:58 AM	#5
mkrishnan Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Grand Rapids, MI, USA	Erm... they use LED backlights instead of traditional ones. The backlight has never had anything whatsoever to do with dead pixels. Why would it be any different now? This is something different from OLED panels that do not use LCDs. Here, the LCD is essentially the same one, from the same small handful of manufacturers, as ever, and now the backlight in the assembly is different. __________________ Mohan

May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM	#7
EagerDragon macrumors 68010 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: MA, USA	Sounds like a winner, but it does shows that the updated laptops including SantaRosa, 4 Gig memory (fully addressable) and LED will be here later rather than sooner. No sense to make two revisions in 4 months. __________________ Security is a state of mind, Nothing can ever be fully secured and be functional. Therefore iBricks are fully secured.

May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM	#8
hob macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: London, UK	So this is the beginning of Apple's new green commitment... __________________ see robmac.net for my work

May 7, 2007, 12:01 PM	#9
masse macrumors 6502a Join Date: May 2007 Location: MA/GA	Bad. I need it before August. __________________ MBP 2.53ghz 4GB ram \| 32GB 2G ipod touch \|1.33ghz PB G4 15" \| Ipod Nano 1G 4gb

May 7, 2007, 11:56 AM	#2
eenu Banned Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Manchester, UK	I wonder if these suffer from 'dead pixels'

May 7, 2007, 11:58 AM	#4
4np macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Netherlands	I hope these will be included in the next revision MBP's... June?

May 7, 2007, 12:00 PM	#6
Peace macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: On top of the Storm Peaks waiting for the Time-Lost Proto Drake	Flash based with backlit LCD MBP at WWDC!!

May 7, 2007, 12:02 PM	#11
skellener macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: So. Cal.	How about ANYTHING in 2007??? It's May 2007!! Apple has only shipped one new computer all year (8-core). Most of the line hasn't been updated since Sept. 2006! C'mon already! There's no PPC excuses anymore. Let's see some new machines already!

May 7, 2007, 12:03 PM	#12
Westside guy macrumors 68040 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The soggy part of the Pacific NW	"... in the coming future ..."? As opposed to the non-coming future? __________________ The fevered rantings found in this post are generated randomly. Any resemblance to coherent thought is completely coincidental.

May 7, 2007, 12:03 PM	#14
Mydriasis macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2005	How does the power consumption of LED backlights compare to those used today?

May 7, 2007, 12:13 PM	#19
emotion macrumors 68030 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Manchester, UK	14.1" widescreen macbook (the bezel is big enough to be shrunk to fit this in the existing design, and 14.1 is more common a size) and LED backlit would be nice to see. the mbp is due a refresh first though. black anodized too please apple.

May 7, 2007, 12:13 PM	#21
whatever macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: South of Boston, MA	New Laptops in May Although this based on nothing, don't be surprised to see new Apple Laptops before the launch of the iPhone. Now which line will be updated first. The pro or consumer. Updating the pro line could cut in to sales of the iPhone and an updated MacBook could cut into the MacBook Pro line. However, since the new Final Cut Pro suite cannot run on either Mac Mini or MacBook, I wouldn't be surprised to see an updated MacBook. Again this is based on nothing (but expect to see this happen before May 18).

May 7, 2007, 12:20 PM	#25
maxp1 macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2005	Aren't we half way through the second quarter already?

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