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NEW Macbook screen quality?

T

T-Mac

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 6, 2007
84
0
Tennessee
I am ready to buy a new Macbook (my first Mac). I have seen a couple of conflicting posts on here about the screen quality of the recently updated version. One poster thought it was better than previous models, another indicated it was worse.

If you have the new MB, please post your opinion of the screen quality with details. I'll be going to my local Apple store soon and would like to know what to look for.

Thanks for taking the time to help!
 
Just picked up a 2.2 black macbook. I am not sure on the screen. The viewing angles kind of suck. Up and down is the problem. If you tilt the screen back to far you can't read it, if its tilted to forward you can't read it, it has to be just right. Not sure how it compares to other apple laptops though. It seems bright enough but also seems kind of funny looking. I can't explain it though. You have to see them.
 
i have a new macbook and I was soooo dissapointed that they didnt update to led because the old macbooks screen was awful. Now that i have been using it I am happy to say it is much better than i thought it would be.
 
My new SR MacBook's screen a little worse than the previous refresh.. Viewing angles look to be bout the same, brightness is the same, but my LCD looks more washed out (lighter colors blend in together, lack of contrast) versus my last model.. It's not bad enough to make me want to return it.. still keeping it. Blacks look great on the new one (as did my last one) but whites are more yellow than my last model. My Dell has a Samsung screen and the whites put the MacBook to shame.

Jay
 
BEASTMAN said:
i have a new macbook and I was soooo dissapointed that they didnt update to led because the old macbooks screen was awful. Now that i have been using it I am happy to say it is much better than i thought it would be.
Click to expand...

I had the same reaction, I was upset at first, but still bought one, and now happy I did. I love it so much! Best computer I have EVER bought, and the screen to me, looks fantastic. I don't think you will be let down, apple makes good products that last and are fun/ user friendly.
 
I set one up for my boss today, I think the previous model screen was more consistant. I noticed quite a bit of bleeding, and it also looked pretty dingy next to my SR MBP. Then again I can't say that it was calibrated very well either. But the backlight bleed killed me.
 
crzdmniac said:
I set one up for my boss today, I think the previous model screen was more consistant. I noticed quite a bit of bleeding, and it also looked pretty dingy next to my SR MBP. Then again I can't say that it was calibrated very well either. But the backlight bleed killed me.
Click to expand...

Not exactly what I wanted to hear before spending $1,300. Consumers expect successive revisions to get better, not worse. Looks like my long wait to become a Mac owner will continue.

Thanks to all for the replies, good or bad.
 
Diversion said:
My new SR MacBook's screen a little worse than the previous refresh.. Viewing angles look to be bout the same, brightness is the same, but my LCD looks more washed out (lighter colors blend in together, lack of contrast) versus my last model.. It's not bad enough to make me want to return it.. still keeping it. Blacks look great on the new one (as did my last one) but whites are more yellow than my last model. My Dell has a Samsung screen and the whites put the MacBook to shame.

Jay
Click to expand...

Is your screen calibrated ?
 
Cybergypsy said:
Like this much better then the MBP, IMHO
Click to expand...

It's a personal preference, after having both a macbook and macbook pro, there are things that I liked about both. For one, I prefer the macbook keyboard to the keyboard on the MBP. But to me, the display has a much more consistent backlighting, and it's also a couple "clicks" brighter. It's pretty easy to see side by side, but how often will you see it like that? Probably not often. That said, when the LED backlight comes out for the MB it would be a welcome upgrade, minus yellowing issues that is. Side note, I haven't looked at any other of the new macbooks except for the one I saw today, it's always possible that it was one of the "bad" ones. Not that it's aweful or anything.
 
/V\acpower said:
Is your screen calibrated ?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but the Calibration utility is nothing more than color adjuster for the GPU.. it's not really improving upon the LCD display. I'd rather view my LCD in it's native output without adjusting it via software. Just like Nvidia's Control Panel.. you can tool around with the colors and what not, it's not really calibrating anything.. you can just adjust it via "software" it's not a hardware change. If it were a hardware change, i'd think differently about it.

Jay
 
Well I have decided the screen sucks. After comparing it with my other laptops and having everyone I know look at it and say it is horrible I am taking it back for a refund. The problem is much like the problem with the ipod touch. When looking at the screen at an angle it turns to negative. I am also having problems with the fans jumping to 6850 rpms during little things like watching movies or using ichat. Do I just have a bad apple?
 
No problems here with my new Macbook. Actually, comparing it to my recent editions (1-2 year old) Dell and HP I think it looks great ! Nice contrast and vivid colors.....movies look really nice.
 
twombles62 said:
Um, it's that bad?
Have you seen the old macbook screens? Is it different/worse than them?
Click to expand...

I had the original macbook 2ghz black and I don't remember it being like this. If you look directly at the screen from the front it looks ok but washed out. Move you head to the left, right or look down or up and it goes negative or changes tint really bad. Could be defective. All I know is I have been getting a headache when I use it and that is why.
 
People! The 'washing out' you are seeing when tilting the screen is an effect of 'TN Film' panel technology. You'll see this on most laptop computers.

If you are used to a desktop LCD, you will tend to notice this more on a laptop because you are changing the viewing angle, whereas a desktop screen is usually a fixed angle.

I would imagine there are always differences of opinion in terms of what is acceptable for one person vs another, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for. Don't be put off by what others percieve as being of less than satisfactory quality. Judge for yourself if the unit you receive is acceptable to you or not. Simply return it for another unit if you are not satisfied.

There may well be differences in quality from one unit to the next, but this is most likely down to the component manufacturers own quality tollerances, but that is the trade off of keeping costs low for a consumer level device.
 
l33r0y said:
People! The 'washing out' you are seeing when tilting the screen is an effect of 'TN Film' panel technology. You'll see this on most laptop computers.

If you are used to a desktop LCD, you will tend to notice this more on a laptop because you are changing the viewing angle, whereas a desktop screen is usually a fixed angle.

I would imagine there are always differences of opinion in terms of what is acceptable for one person vs another, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for. Don't be put off by what others percieve as being of less than satisfactory quality. Judge for yourself if the unit you receive is acceptable to you or not. Simply return it for another unit if you are not satisfied.

There may well be differences in quality from one unit to the next, but this is most likely down to the component manufacturers own quality tollerances, but that is the trade off of keeping costs low for a consumer level device.
Click to expand...


No doubt but this is unlike any laptop panel. I have many laptops and they all change a little bit when looking at it from different angles but what is happening to the macbook screen is not normal. It goes into a negative film effect when moving your head around it. Same problem with the ipod touch screens. As far as getting what you pay for, mac laptops are damn expensive.
 
Diversion said:
I'm sorry but the Calibration utility is nothing more than color adjuster for the GPU.. it's not really improving upon the LCD display. I'd rather view my LCD in it's native output without adjusting it via software. Just like Nvidia's Control Panel.. you can tool around with the colors and what not, it's not really calibrating anything.. you can just adjust it via "software" it's not a hardware change. If it were a hardware change, i'd think differently about it.

Jay
Click to expand...

You are right, it is not a hardware change, but you are wrong in thinking that calibration does nothing.

Panel color calibration is one of the most important tasks for anyone doing graphics, design, or photography. Without it , your printed colors will be off.

Regardless, these are still TN panels sadly :( .


mwarner said:
Someone over at the apple insider forums just posted some side by side shots of the MBA to the MB....does not look good: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=92464&page=2
Click to expand...

The MBP does not use the same panel as the Macbook.

Take a look at this article were all 3 are compared. Granted it does not have the brand new air, however I doubt that the LCD has changed on the new models that much.

image.php
 
NC MacGuy said:
Those are my pic's originally posted at MacRumors and reposted by others.:rolleyes: Go to the thread of washed out MB screen in MB forums at MRumors for more pic's and comparisons.
Click to expand...

I knew I had seen those before! We gotta get free access to Macumors logo to watermark our photos with Screen names ! ;)

image.php
 
I can remember a week ago when i spoke to apple on the chat thing on the store page


I said to them im looking at the previous generation and they kept asking me why and why

i said im not keen on the screen and it may course a problem for me and he said

'Well... you can always purchase are apple external displays'


Erm how about take a hike
 
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