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What do you think of the 20" Aluminium iMacs display quality then? Comparable to MacBook Pro?

Sorry for off-topic.

From what I can remember, nearly as good as the Pro. I couldn't compare them side by side, so can't really say.

I've not compared/looked at the 20" iMac at all really - my mate has a 24" iMac, and that has a beautiful screen. I've read comments there slating the 20" screen, so maybe it isn't as good, I don't know. I'd need to compare with my own eyes..
 
I was at Best Buy today, checking out MacBooks and talking to a guy who works for Apple and does presentations for the Best Buy store.

I def want a MacBook now, more then ever, but if I had the money I would get the Pro instead. They had the 2 side by side and the pro's screen is soooo much better. I noticed the table in Best Buy was kinda low and there was no stool in front of the laptops, so I couldn't get a good angle on the MacBook without kneeling, and even viewing the screen directly had a noticeable difference between the bottom of the screen and the rest of it. The Pro's screen is noticably better.

However, the Pro starts at $2000, the MacBook I really like is $1300.

At first I felt the MacBook was a little small for me (I'm 6'6 with large hands) but I got used to the size quickly, and I think it's a tremendous size to take it to class and stuff.

The screen is not perfect, but honestly, it's still a nice screen. The problem is that the Pro has a BETTER screen, so in comparison, the MacBook's is crappy. However, compared to my old Acer, the MacBook looks great.
 
I'ts crap... the MBP doesn't just blow it out of the water, even for example Lenovo and HP offerings also have better screens than the MB atm, especially the viewing angle is horrible. It's not the end of the world, but it does limit some of your usage:

I use my whitebook as a professional tool and it's very annoying to have a colleague/client look at the same screen, one of us (me^^) will have to sit off center which makes it close to unreadable. I usually grab a MBP from storage if it's really important. My HP 6710b (curse that POS!) had at least much much better viewing angles.

But to be fair, it's not a "pro", so I guess it's normal that it's sub-optimal in a pro environment. That said, it does explain why the MB's can hold their own (and more!) on any other HW based comparison, the inevitable corner was cut with the screen.

The upside is that next time I can claim a higher class Apple for my work, I have good reasons now :D

On a side note: for movie viewing, when you are at home you might be able to hook up a tv or standalone LCD monitor. It doesn't solve the issue for mobile movie buffs, but for those like me who use their laptops professionally mobile, but at home as just a desktop replacement it's an easy solution (cheaper than buying an MBP and usually you end up with an even bigger screen
 
How can I get one with the LG screen?

It is luck to be honest, but the ones I brought on line all came with mainly LG screens. The store ones were mainly samsung, especially the ones at white city store. I have gone through approx 11 macbooks buying and selling them. I love the small factor but the screen just pushes me to sell. I am happy with my current macbook pro. I right now have two macbooks of both specs at home and one macbook pro. One macbook has a samsung screen, the other LG, my macbook pro has an LG screen.

I will try and post photos of all three together.
Edit: Here are some photos.
 

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Here are some more... If anyone wants any comparison shots just ask.
 

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Which one has the LG screen?

Holy Shittlebums! The MBP screen is gangsta! :p

The one in the middle, is the LG, the samsung one is on the end of the RHS. Looks washed out still after calibration. This is the samsung screen
 

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I will try and post photos of all three together.
Edit: Here are some photos.

Wow great photos. The first shot is why a lot of people are mislead into thinking the screen is good. Apple is very smart and they use a default desktop background that hides the flaws. To the untrained eye you won't notice anything wrong with the default background. The reason is you don't know what it's SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE or WHAT THE COLORS ACTUALLY SHOULD BE so it all seems fine. I have my external calibrated S-IPS monitor as a reference though, so I know what it's "intended" to look like. The colors on the Macbook are plain off, especially near the corners and the top/bottom of the screen compared to what it should look like.

The shots near the bottom reveal the flaws. When you put a dark background or movie on the screen, the lower quality becomes apparent. Most people know what the color black is supposed to look like. You don't need a calibrated reference monitor to know that. So when you look at dark blacks, they just look wrong on the Macbook. It looks like a milky haze is over the screen and the black just looks washed out, no matter what the viewing angle.

Look at how dark the black is on the MBP in those shots even at any viewing angle. The "truer" black is what gives the other colors more contrast in comparison and why there is a quality gap between the MB and the MBP/MBA screens.
 
Thanks for the comparison shots. The last shot says it all. All three are being viewed straight on, so we can avoid the argument that it's the viewing angle.

In the end, the question is: are you okay with the milky blacks and washed out colors? To me, it's unacceptable, which is why I use a MBA. Honestly, I don't really need the portability and would loved to have saved the extra money but I just don't think I'd ever be happy with the screen.

However, if you are looking at those pictures and you don't see what the big deal is, there's your answer.
 
Well, not exactly, as the screens are slightly atilt. But fair enough, because if you were on your bed with the laptop above you, that's about the kind of angle you'd have the screen set at.
 
Can I ask what you are doing buying and selling all those macbooks?!?!
I might be wrong, but I think it's called "making money".

Plenty of people buy Macbook pros for like 1650ish (or any other ridiculous price) on ebay and other sites including rebates and sell them off to other people at like full price or so....
 
Can I ask what you are doing buying and selling all those macbooks?!?!

Off course you can, I buy a macbook for my traveling machine, use it for a few days ora week then it bugs me so I sell it and get a 15". Then I miss the keep thinking I should have given it a more fair chance. So I buy another one and so the vicious circle caries on.

I always make sure I break even, I never sell for a profit.
 
Well, not exactly, as the screens are slightly atilt. But fair enough, because if you were on your bed with the laptop above you, that's about the kind of angle you'd have the screen set at.

No the mb are at 90 degrees. I went for straight on rather then any angles. To make it fair as a possible.
 
No the mb are at 90 degrees. I went for straight on rather then any angles. To make it fair as a possible.

My eyes are ****ed up then, they just looked slightly, just slightly forward.

Oh, I see, it's because the camera not exactly at "screen level". It's slightly above. I bet if it was at screen level, the pics would look different.

Now, I don't know how lazy you are, but would you mind taking that same pic with the cam a little bit lower?
 
Off course you can, I buy a macbook for my traveling machine, use it for a few days ora week then it bugs me so I sell it and get a 15". Then I miss the keep thinking I should have given it a more fair chance. So I buy another one and so the vicious circle caries on.

I always make sure I break even, I never sell for a profit.

You WERE kidding, right?
 
No actually drives my wife up the wall, I am forever changing machines, the longest I have ever owned one machine is 4 months. Though i plan to keep the 15" this time and hope apple bring out a netbook. I have given one of the macbook to my younger brother. so I have one left. So yeah I will take some more photos and use a tripod this time for level.

To be honest unless you have the screen level, or in line of sight of your eyes, it is poor. Simple as, I have brought and sold enough to know.

Here are some more photos:Macbook is at full brightness and macbook pro is at one notch above min. Also I have taken shot of macbook screen angle for your benefit.
 

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No actually drives my wife up the wall, I am forever changing machines, the longest I have ever owned one machine is 4 months. Though i plan to keep the 15" this time and hope apple bring out a netbook. I have given one of the macbook to my younger brother. so I have one left. So yeah I will take some more photos and use a tripod this time for level.

To be honest unless you have the screen level, or in line of sight of your eyes, it is poor. Simple as, I have brought and sold enough to know.
So let me get this straight, you've gone through ELEVEN macbooks? WTF.
No trying to be arsy, but are you like compulsive about owning a computer for long periods of times?

Wanna give me a deal on a Macbook? Seriously though. :)
 
I get the technology itch and am fortunate enough to break even, so the way I see it I get a new computer to play with. I was worser when I was younger as it was all technology. My wife and I was speaking over it it is more likely well above 11, as my wife says 11 is being very conservative. Any other pics just ask.

Also if you are undecided get the macbook pro. It is so much more of a machine.
 
I get the technology itch and am fortunate enough to break even, so the way I see it I get a new computer to play with. I was worser when I was younger as it was all technology. My wife and I was speaking over it it is more likely well above 11, as my wife says 11 is being very conservative.

Heh I can relate. I'm up to double digit numbers by now too. Probably around 20 or more but I'm afraid to count them all.
 
I get the technology itch and am fortunate enough to break even, so the way I see it I get a new computer to play with. I was worser when I was younger as it was all technology. My wife and I was speaking over it it is more likely well above 11, as my wife says 11 is being very conservative. Any other pics just ask.

Also if you are undecided get the macbook pro. It is so much more of a machine.

How portable is the pro compared to the Macbook?
how about the weight?
 
Heh I can relate. I'm up to double digit numbers by now too. Probably around 20 or more but I'm afraid to count them all.

That number is just macbooks, bear in mind I have been doing this since 2003. I have gone through into several digits the number of computers I have owned.

As for portability, I travel with mine every day and notice no difference.
 
I do not believe this statement could be said with the default Apple calibration settings.
Did you calibrate the screen?

i did not do any calibration. I bought it, took it home, loaded my stuff on it and have been happily working on it ever since. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm saying that I suspect I am not the only one in the world who are very, very happy with the machine as is.

vanilla
 
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