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16:9 displays?

DHagan4755

DHagan4755

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 18, 2002
2,365
7,290
Massachusetts
Would Apple ever change from the 16:10 aspect ratio displays used in the current MacBook Pros to the 16:9 aspect ratio displays I see in just about every other notebook out there right now? I was reading about the "retina" displays coming out in Apple's competitors and they're all 16:9, including the IGZO displays that Sharp is supposedly producing in 11-, 14-, and 15.6-inch varieties.

What does everyone think?
 
Apple can order there displays in 16:10. I think the customer base of the MacBook Pro wants 16:10 rather than 16:9. 16:9 works well for movies sure, but for everything else it's anti-productive. There is a reason why Apple is still using 16:10 displays while everyone else has switched to 16:9.
 
DHagan4755 said:
Would Apple ever change from the 16:10 aspect ratio displays used in the current MacBook Pros to the 16:9 aspect ratio displays I see in just about every other notebook out there right now? I was reading about the "retina" displays coming out in Apple's competitors and they're all 16:9, including the IGZO displays that Sharp is supposedly producing in 11-, 14-, and 15.6-inch varieties.

What does everyone think?
Click to expand...

My iPad Mini and MBA 2011's displays are 4:3 and 16:10 respectively, but they are all great machines. If suddenly Apple opts for 16:9 then that's great, however I couldn't care less.
 
I hope Apple keeps their only 16:9 display being the 11" MBA. It's alright on such a small display but it's not preferable on the 13" and 15" displays. Who knows what Apple will do but I for one am hoping their display ratios don't change.

Apple orders enough displays that one would think they can order them at any ratio they want.
 
ValSalva said:
I hope Apple keeps their only 16:9 display being the 11" MBA. It's alright on such a small display but it's not preferable on the 13" and 15" displays. Who knows what Apple will do but I for one am hoping their display ratios don't change.

Apple orders enough displays that one would think they can order them at any ratio they want.
Click to expand...

The smaller the display, the worse 16:9 is.
 
cube said:
The smaller the display, the worse 16:9 is.
Click to expand...

Agreed. My 11" Air has a 16 x 9 display. But I still manage to use it just fine. It's a tradeoff I made for small size and I'm happy with it.
 
If Apple switches to 16:9 on the pro line, I'll most likely buy the older generations (2012-2013), and then switch back to Windows PCs.
 
I think it's obvious that Apple thinks that 16:10 is a better ratio for most laptop displays. It would have been cheaper to go to 16:9 a long time ago when other manufacturers did the same thing. Even with their newer completely custom order retina displays they still chose to go 16:10.

I think it's great, notebooks with 16:9 displays can feel really cramped somtimes with menubars, toolbars, and status bars all taking up vertical space.
 
fratey said:
If Apple switches to 16:9 on the pro line, I'll most likely buy the older generations (2012-2013), and then switch back to Windows PCs.
Click to expand...

Go ahead. You'll be much worse off, since Windows insists upon using as much vertical space as possible with rulers. ;)
 
cube said:
The smaller the display, the worse 16:9 is.
Click to expand...

chabig said:
Agreed. My 11" Air has a 16 x 9 display. But I still manage to use it just fine. It's a tradeoff I made for small size and I'm happy with it.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It's a trade off for such a small form factor as the 11" MBA. It works on the 11" MBA but the gain in portability on the bigger laptops would just not worth it.
 
ValSalva said:
Exactly. It's a trade off for such a small form factor as the 11" MBA. It works on the 11" MBA but the gain in portability on the bigger laptops would just not worth it.
Click to expand...

I would say the gain in portability is more important the larger the notebook is because you shave off more weight out of a heavier laptop.
 
Agree with many others here... for watching videos, 16:9 is nice. But for actually being productive, you need some height!

I switched to a 1200p external monitor and even that bit of extra height compared to a 1080p monitor was noticeable and useful.
 
chabig said:
Go ahead. You'll be much worse off, since Windows insists upon using as much vertical space as possible with rulers. ;)
Click to expand...
Considering I spend 95 percent of my time in Adobe software – which is identical between the different operating systems – or using Finder/Explorer, where Explorer hands down (and sadly) wins – it does not bother me the least. I use whatever tool helps me get the job done.
 
astroboy907 said:
Wouldn't be that much weight. A few ounces at most. I'd rather go to the gym a few more times...
Click to expand...

I did not mean that the tradeoff would be acceptable, just that thinking about it makes more sense for larger displays.
 
esskay said:
Agree with many others here... for watching videos, 16:9 is nice. But for actually being productive, you need some height!
Click to expand...
Agree here too. And since it seems Apple is all about kiddie "consumption" these days, I am genuinely surprised they haven't adopted the 16:9 display to better accommodate the latest episode of Honey Boo Boo.
 
Hopefully not. I don't like the 16x9 resolution. Fine for movies, but not as good for spreadsheets.
 
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