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2018 MBPro vs. MBAir Screen
- Thread starter Velin
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You are getting flamed for this.. Its incorrect. The new MacBook Air has the exact same resolution as the MacBook Pro, its only 300 vs 500nits.
Did you really need to create a new thread for this 
you don't like the screen of the new Air, that's fine but there are many people who will not even notice the difference. I really think this is starting to get blown WAY out of proportion now!
you don't like the screen of the new Air, that's fine but there are many people who will not even notice the difference. I really think this is starting to get blown WAY out of proportion now!
The funny thing is, these new Airs will sell like hot cakes come the holidays and next year when school starts up again. What people fail to realize is, the masses will see the screen as a screen. Like any other computer screen they have seen.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself what is a “problem” here on the forum, doesn’t necessarily translate to real world perception.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself what is a “problem” here on the forum, doesn’t necessarily translate to real world perception.
This!! what people on this forum call a "problem" really isn't in the real world, most people will buy these devices as there daily machines for everyday tasks, students will buy them (or there parents will) and they will love the portability, the retina screen will not be an issue. It's only an issue on this forum because people here make it one, they look at something that has less specs and think that it's "inferior" when in reality it's not, it's relative to the task you are using the device for, would i buy a Macbook Air to edit a 5K movie, of course not, would i buy one to do everyday tasks and edit the occasional home movie in iMovie, yes!
I'm going to a store later on today where i'm hoping to get hands on time with the new Macbook Air, i'll see for myself just how "bad" these screens really are.
I agree. Also a lot the complainers overlook the compromise. If I want to use my computer on Battery as I cannot access a power supply and need the battery length, I am going to turn down the brilliance on the macbook pro to try to keep it going.
Yeah, this is absolutely not true. First off all this is an Apple forum. Of course the members here are going to be more tech savvy than the average consumer. Second, I went to see the MBA in person and the difference in the screens simply stood out to me, and when I came to the forum I saw that many members had already seen this for themselves. There is no reason why we shouldn't be discussing the difference in the screens. Keep in mind the issue at hand is the pricing and the screens. If the new MBA started at $1,000 it would be less of an issue. But for $100 more you can get a screen that is far superior and a laptop that is barely heavier and essentially the same size. Nobody is saying that the average consumer won't like the new MBA. But it makes total sense that many members are seeing for themselves the difference and discussing it. It also leads to a bigger question of why the new MBA even exists to begin with given how similar the entry MBP is.
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What we are discussing on this forum makes total sense given how close in price these machines are. Also, this isn't a forum exclusive issue. Many popular reviews have pointed out how dim the MBA screen is. This isn't an 'issue' we have created on this forum. It's a very legit criticism of the new Air.
The fact that an average consumer won't notice the difference is irrelevant. I'd also argue that really isn't true seeing they can easily try out the MBA and MBP in stores and see if they notice the difference or not for themselves. I went to look at the new Air in person before the issue even arose on here and it was clear how much worse the MBA screen was. I would argue that many consumers will indeed notice how much better the MBP screen is in person once they demo both machines for themselves.
I have to politely dissagree with you, I have not long got back from the Apple store, I spent s chunk of time looking at both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, I really think this whole screen thing is overblown, is there a difference? Yes, is it that noticeable? No, from what I saw the screen on the Air looked great (much better than my 2011 MacBook Pro did before it died a couple months back). The only thing I could tell was that at max brightness the Pro was more brighter, but for me I never have my Mac at full brightness anyway, it hurts my eyes when writing for hours if I do.
Is the pro worth the extra money, that’s probably going to be down to what you do with it, if you’re a high end video editor who makes films then yes! If you’re the student who needs something for college or university, then no.
I’m happy that I went to the Apple store, I came out knowing that the new Air will be the machine that I’ll be ordering
it’s great to have finally made a decision of what Mac I’ll be getting. Each to their own tho, it’s why there are different machines, not everyone will agree!
The fact that the masses will not notice the difference IS relevant. Apple’s target consumer base isn’t the tech community or us on the forums. Their target base is soccer mom Colleen walking into the store looking for a MacBook for her son going off to college. She’ll see the lower price Air and buy it without second thought.
I didn’t say there wasn’t an issue, or this was an issue created solely on this forum. But you have to admit some of the “issues” on this forum can be exaggerated. Bottom line is Apple has a bunch of highly paid people on payroll that know what the MASSES will buy. They are a trillion dollar company for a reason.
There is probably a lot of truth in that. Unless you compare the rMBA display side by side to other Apple Retina displays, you'd probably be happy.
You are talking about two very different things. Us debating this screen, and the masses buying it because they won't notice the difference. Great, a more ignorant consumer won't know the difference and will blindly buy the new Air. Hooray for them. I don't think this forum is making this an 'issue'. I think we are doing what we always do, which is to point out something and discuss. You are implying that we are making it out to be a bigger issue that what it really is. I completely disagree. If the average consumer won't notice or care, there is nothing any of us can do about it. Hopefully the reviews pointing out the inferior screen will help some people make a smarter decision. But we also know a ton of people don't read reviews to begin with.
But I think that this post has the right answers. For the money, it should be much better. It's almost beyond imagining how after leaving the MBA with a POS TN display all these years, Apple updates to Retina and give is something I didn't think was possible - a POS Retina display.
As a writer myself, I often use my MBP and iMac at full brightness if not one or two notches less at most. If you don't need to use your machine in that manner, kudos.I have to politely dissagree with you, I have not long got back from the Apple store, I spent s chunk of time looking at both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, I really think this whole screen thing is overblown, is there a difference? Yes, is it that noticeable? No, from what I saw the screen on the Air looked great (much better than my 2011 MacBook Pro did before it died a couple months back). The only thing I could tell was that at max brightness the Pro was more brighter, but for me I never have my Mac at full brightness anyway, it hurts my eyes when writing for hours if I do.
Is the pro worth the extra money, that’s probably going to be down to what you do with it, if you’re a high end video editor who makes films then yes! If you’re the student who needs something for college or university, then no.
I’m happy that I went to the Apple store, I came out knowing that the new Air will be the machine that I’ll be ordering
It's not just the brightness, it's also the color gamut and contrast.
The MBP screen is hugely different than the MBA screen. If you don't agree or don't care, it's your money. Mazel. But if we are talking screens I don't see any reason why most people would not pay a little more for a better screen. I personally think it's a huge difference to my eyes. Whites are proper whites for writing on the 500 nits screens, definitely not the case otherwise.
It’s all apart of the same conversation. Just because you don’t agree with part of the conversation doesn’t nullify it.
The screen is subjective. Some will have problems with it, others won’t. Most will not notice a difference. The ones who do notice it, there are many other MacBooks to choose from. No need to turn blue arguing why the screen doesn’t meet your expectations. Apple isn’t going to change it. Either buy it or move onto something else that’ll better suit your needs. It’s your money.
I have no idea what your point is. This is a forum where we discuss these things. You are coming in here saying the average consumer won't notice or care. Um, okay? What does that have to do with anything? We shouldn't discuss this topic because the soccer mom won't notice? I'm sorry if she won't. It's entirely irrelevant to our discussion. It's not a part of the same discussion whatsoever.
It's not about my expectations. We are talking about these screens as a community. Apple isn't going to change it? What does that have anything to do with anything? Should we all stop talking about the MBA screen because Apple isn't going to change it? What are you even getting at? I'm not in the market for a laptop. I'm simply here expressing my opinion about something, as I've done for over 10 years. Please don't tell me to move on. Again, this forum in a place for us to discuss Apple products. Don't tell me or anyone else what to do.
Ok you’re absolutely right. Have a great day! Or don’t, I don’t want to tell you what to do.
When writing I don’t concentrate on the brightness of the screen, or the whiteness of the screen either, when writing I’m engaged with the story I’m telling. I really don’t think the 300 nit screen is an issue, especially when writing.
Everyone is different, I know some people who like their brightness all the way up, one of my friends who edits for a living does exactly that. As for the colours, I couldn’t tel much of a difference, the Air still looked great, colours looked full and vibrant to me.
Each to their own but i really do think that this whole brightness and colour thing has been blown out of proportion.
It's not about concentrating on the screen. It's what you have directly in front of you and how your eyes perceive it. I'm someone who at times will spend countless hours in front of my screen. Since getting my MBP and iMac it has been a world of difference compared to my previous Macs. Why is that? Well there are several reasons but mainly the brighter screens are far easier to look at for long periods of time. A white background is truly white on a bright screen. My eyes strain to look at the screen for long periods on dimmer screens. I have to sometimes use dimmer screens now and the difference between the two is night and day for me. It might not affect you the same way. Or maybe you don't use your screens as bright. But your personal usage is irrelevant when discussing the importance of a bright screen for the general consumer.
I completely disagree. I don't think this is being blown out of proportion one bit. Every day I'm seeing new members chime in here that they are seeing the difference for themselves too. It's a huge deal at this similar price points to the MBP.
I’m happy that I went to the Apple store, I came out knowing that the new Air will be the machine that I’ll be ordering
You will enjoy your purchase. I’ve been through two MBPs both with issues. However the new Air is solidly built. Absolutely no screen issues for me. Lightweight and a great extension to my iMac.
So far no complaints. I have the percentage indicator turned off. It’s lasting almost two days with light usage, unless I’m using the iMac as an external monitor.
Rarely does it get warm. And when it’s connected to the iMac, it does get a bit warm but not as hot as the MBPs would get. And I’ve yet to hear the fan.
What will soccer mom notice exactly if not a good screen? Should Apple downgrade the RAM or SSD speeds 10%? Maybe Apple should have stuck to 5W and not configure it to 7W? None of those would impact soccer mom as much as a screen if you ask me.