13" MBP screen bezel is as chunky as a donkey's behind

[uiop.]

Here's a thought, ever thought about USING it rather than looking at it? Isn't that what people do with computers or is it your intention to decorate your table with it?

Well if people had that mindset, OS aside, they'd go out and buy an HP or something.

 

[Stetrain]

Well, as someone who has used a Unibody Macbook (which by the way has the exact same bezel and dimensions, this is nothing new), and I never really notice the bezel thickness. The edges of the screen line up with the edges of the keyboard depression and it just seems natural.

I'd love a larger screen with the same footprint, but than it wouldn't be a 13" anymore

 

[reallynotnick]

I'd love a larger screen with the same footprint, but than it wouldn't be a 13" anymore

It's 13.3" as of now, why can't we have 13.7543" or something and call it a 13"

 

[Sounds Good]

The width of the computer would have to be trimmed down to make smaller and fit...

A smaller body would be fine with me!

 

[Philflow]

It is a big bezel. I guess 14" would have fitted too.

 

[Sounds Good]

It is a big bezel. I guess 14" would have fitted too.

That's a shame... really.

 

[mathieuheartmac]

The 13" aluminum macbooks have the same size bezel as the white macbooks. It just looks different because it is black and a different color than the rest of the computer.

Personally, I like it better than the white plastic. But- I have one so I guess I would like it better.

 

[Philflow]

That's a shame... really.

Yeah try comparing the footprint of a Alu Macbook with Sony Z. Big difference I expect.

 

[harcosparky]

Complete crap. The sizing of the bezel has NOTHING to do with the bottom half.

Actually it does, given that the bottom half and top half should have the same outer dimension.

To get a smaller bezel around the screen, Apple would have to decrease the outside dimension of the top and bottom case.

How much could they shave off the bottom case??? What else would they have to shrink down in size? Keyboard? Trackpad?

Using Your Logic I Could see you saying this ....

Look at the larger notebooks ... I hate the 17" notebook because it has all that chunky looking aluminum around the keyboard/trackpad.

Maybe you want them to shrink it all down to the size of those Limited Use netbooks we see in the stores ???

 

[seb-opp]

Complete crap. The sizing of the bezel has NOTHING to do with the bottom half. What difference does it make that it differs from the base and visa versa? When you close it you don't see it anyway. For all the "great design" that Apple is known for, it seems a detail like making the bezel proportional and elegant to the form factor should not have been overlooked not only from a usability point of view (making as much needed screen real estate available on the smallest laptop in the line up) as well as aesthetics.

The classic 15 & 17" MBPs are examples of when the industrial designer got this right.

The width of the screen lines up with the curved indent surrounding the keyboard. This is my opinion makes it ascetically pleasing. The screen is in proportion with the keyboard.

Making a custom sized screen would make macs even more expensive verses PCs, plus repairs would be more expensive as if this happened, there would probably be only one supplier of this custom screen.

 

[Sounds Good]

Yeah try comparing the footprint of a Alu Macbook with Sony Z. Big difference I expect.

13.3" MBP
Height:
0.95 inch (2.41 cm) / Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm) / Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 4.5 pounds (2.04 kg)
1280 by 800

13.3" Sony Z
* 12.4"(W) 1.0 - 1.3"(H) x 8.3"(D)
* 3.42 lbs.
1366 x 768 or 1600 x 900

 

[Philflow]

Footprint, going by notebookjournal's measurements:

MB 325 x 227 =73775 mm2

Sony Z 313 x 209 = 65417 mm2

 

[mikey.f]

As someone said earlier, the bezel on the 13" unibody macbook (pro) is exactly the same size, if not a little smaller, as on the white polycarb. macbooks...

 

[Ping Guo]

I was at Best Buy yesterday checking out the new screen on the 13" MBP, and looking at the huge bezel all I could think was "wasted space".

Why couldn't they make the body slightly thicker, rearrange the internals a little, and then shave off the bezel and extraneous aluminum space on the sides of the keyboard? Seeing how portability is one of the main reasons why buyers like the lil' MBPs, why not reduce the footprint even more? The full-size keyboard and giant touchpad can stay. I like the looks of the 13" otherwise, but the screen somehow seems too small for the size of the laptop, and it throws off the overall aesthetic.

Imagine a 13" edge-to-edge display and reduced form factor. I would gladly accept a few mm in added thickness for this.

 

[shambo]

People use your brain. The size of the screen isn't the only thing apple thinks about. What about the guts of the computer. The only reason the bezel is so large is because the motherboard and the other things can only be so small. The motherboard can be really small but the battery, HDD and opttical drive has a standard size thats why the bezel is slighty bigger so the lid and the bottom half fits together instead the lid being small then the bottom. You can have your small bezel if you are willing to lose the optical drive or smaller 1.8" HDD or smaller battery.

Make the screen bigger then.

 

[JoeG4]

Sitting here typing this on a plastic macbook, I agree.. don't like the bezel.

THIS THING REMINDS ME OF A 15 YEAR OLD TOSHIBA!

 

[MultiFinder17]

One thing I always loved about the PowerBooks since the Titanium G4 was the thin screen bezels. They were absolutely lovely, and I wish they still made the bezels thin like that. However, it won't work with the current design. Such is life. We will live on.

But for the record, my 12" PowerBook has a far thinner bezel

 

[midgetsanchez]

It's true.

13" = Ugly.

17" =

 

[cababah]

People complaning about cosmetic designs...

If you like it, buy it.

If you hate it, don't buy it.

If you buy it and then hate it, you have no reason to complain at all.

 

[macDonalds]

People complaning about cosmetic designs...

If you like it, buy it.

If you hate it, don't buy it.

If you buy it and then hate it, you have no reason to complain at all.

What if you steal it and don't like it?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

It's really thin, around half an inch. The glossy display is stunning and there isn't much difference between it and the matte. Matte will still show reflections, as ALL displays so. You just won't see it like a mirror, the matte will spread out the light across the display. I prefer something better and cheaper than something overrated and not needed.

 

[cababah]

What if you steal it and don't like it?

Stealing while lid is closed? That is understandable. Whining allowed.

Stealing while lid is open (allowing you to see bezel) and then proceeding to close and steal is still no reason to whine.

 

[SkyBell]

Make the screen bigger then.

People have been asking for a 13" MBP forever. I think that's the one thing they wouldn't sacrifice.

 

[mrj412]

I guess I am too busy looking at the screen while using my MBP and not the bezel ... Get over it

This is my new rather snarky response to this topic ... What do you think?

 

[Poirot818]

It's really thin, around half an inch. The glossy display is stunning and there isn't much difference between it and the matte. Matte will still show reflections, as ALL displays so. You just won't see it like a mirror, the matte will spread out the light across the display. I prefer something better and cheaper than something overrated and not needed.

This is the second time you've said that. Do you even own a 13" MBP? The bezel is 11/16 to 12/16" (0.75") thick. Your "estimate" is 150% of the real thickness. That's like telling people that the MBA and 13" MB/MBP are the same weight. I wish the bezel was half an inch thick.