I'll bet you everything you own times 50 that I could tell the difference between a 768p and 1080p screen within 5 seconds of looking at it in BestBuy.
IPS and TN is even easier; takes less than 1 second to notice the IPS superiority there.
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It's 2015 and macbook air still doesn't have 1080p
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I'll bet you everything you own times 50 that I could tell the difference between a 768p and 1080p screen within 5 seconds of looking at it in BestBuy.
IPS and TN is even easier; takes less than 1 second to notice the IPS superiority there.
No it doesn't - lousy resolution, lousy viewing angles. It's technology from 2010, never been updated since. The competition and even Apple itself have moved to gorgeous high-res screens but the MBA remains the ugly, large-bezeled duckling of the ultrabook world.
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Honestly, if you can't see the difference between 1280x800 and retina res you are, indeed, blind.
As Apple's scaling options only has the optimal performance at 2x, what you want will be a 2880*1800 display instead of a 1080p one...
You guys are seriously kidding yourselves if you think the MBA screens are even remotely competitive today. Since moving to a hiDPI laptop myself, it is glaringly obvious how outdated the screen on my wife's MBA is. Remember when the iPhone 4 was released and suddenly every other screen you'd ever seen on a phone was suddenly subpar? That's where the MBA sits today, this time on the wrong side of that equation.
I think the MBA is still a nice machine although the screen isn't that good and it's thicker than some other laptops. I know Apple has a habit of keeping outdated technology since they market it very well.
Example of thin laptop: http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews...nd-netbooks/asus-zenbook-ux305-1264384/review
Another one (almost same thickness): http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews...ps-and-netbooks/lenovo-lavie-z-1278904/review
I'm not accusing you of anything; I'm responding to statements and questions you've directly posited, as quoted in my actual post. To wit:
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Also, 1080p has been an industry standard for a while - though admittedly that appears to be shifting - at least in part as it is indeed the native resolution for high-definition video and a long-standing sweet-spot for gaming resolutions and performance. Granted, these are not inherently the targeted uses for ultrabooks such as the Air or XPS 13. However, there are two inarguable facts:
1) 1920x1080 is a higher resolution than 1440x900 and
2) Some people prefer working with more pixels and/or higher resolutions
There are so many reasonable uses beyond consuming media. 1080p doesn't have to be a "magic number" as you've indicated, but it is of higher quality and provides more flexibility than lower resolution screens, whether you as an individual would or could take advantage of it or not.
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I'm not sure I understand your quote. UI scaling can occur at any resolution - or at least it can technically; whether Apple or other hardware/software vendors support it is another matter entirely. The MacBook Pro actually has the ability to scale 2880x1800 to 1440x900, 1680x1050, and 1920x1200, which makes it incredibly versatile. It also does it quite well; the "optimal performance" or "best for retina" settings are for direct 1:2 scaling, which requires less horsepower. Nevertheless, it's not only possible, it's excellent. See this article for a little more info: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6023/the-nextgen-macbook-pro-with-retina-display-review/6
Generally, I'm not advocating for retina on MacBook Airs. Personally (and despite my indication above that 1080p is not inherently a "magic number"), I do find 1080p my personal sweet spot on 13" laptops, and I share concerns that a high-retina screen will have a negative impact on battery life. However, I do consider the current 1440x900 and 1366x768 TN panels in the current Airs to be a tremendous compromise considering the Airs' cost, overall quality of build, and ranking as top-tier notebooks.
Read your own posts for context. You were talking about watching video. Of course you can tell what resolution it is when you're up close reading text or whatever.
Also, who mentioned IPS vs. TN?
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Nonsense. You have to pay at least $600 for a PC laptop with a better display than what the MBA gives you. I'd say the vast majority of PC laptops use worse displays. So yes, some of Apple's competition is now using better displays, but you're trying to make it sound like anything you can buy now is better, which is absolutely false.
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And 1080p @ 13.3" isn't considered high-DPI by any definition so what you're saying is pretty irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
If you learn to shop around you can get a laptop with a better display for less than $600.
This isn't a deal forum so I'm not going to say anymore about that.
Where, anywhere, in my post, did I mention 1080p??
The original post says very clearly - that the MBA doesn't have even 1080p.
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Actually , Apple uses higher grade TN panels than most companies but even a high end TN panel isn't a match a mid end IPS panel.
Oh snap, you totally burned me for not parsing/remembering every single nuance of a post that was made last week and 60+ posts ago to a thread that has 1080p in the title.
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Who cares if it's a deal forum or not, of course you can post at least one link to such a machine in order to prove your point... right?
I just did a quick search of Amazon and all the laptops I see are either over $600, or they're Chromebooks (I think most people will agree those are not "real" laptops), or they have screens that are 15.6" or 17" which basically have the same pixel density as the current MBAs.
So... help us out?
You sum it up perfectly. Nothing more really needs to be added.
And we're discussing the Macbook Air screen (which is a TN panel) and comparing it to competitors (which are often IPS).
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You need to see an ophthalmologist. And I'm not joking. There must be something seriously wrong with your vision.
Yes and it has many other shortcomings compared to the MBA. I've tried a couple of 500-600 windows machines recently and the one's that have better displays either have bad battery life, terrible trackpads, or are heavy and cheap plastic.
Basically while the MBA screen is clearly sub par for a 2015 notebook, it's other strengths such as build quality, battery life, and overall design still make it a great machine in 2015.
It is the perfect college notebook. Most users don't care about the display quality anyway.
IPS more important than pixel density
900p to 1080 p will make little difference compared to a move to IPS over TN.
No one here would say that it isn't about time the macbook air was upgraded screen wise that is pretty much a given and it is expected this year.
You have to realise though that using older parts and keeping the design the same has lowered the prices on macbook airs drastically since they were released.
A new one with IGZO screens at 1800p redesign smaller bezels broadwell processors etc will be more expensive...
900p to 1080 p will make little difference compared to a move to IPS over TN.
No one here would say that it isn't about time the macbook air was upgraded screen wise that is pretty much a given and it is expected this year.
You have to realise though that using older parts and keeping the design the same has lowered the prices on macbook airs drastically since they were released.
A new one with IGZO screens at 1800p redesign smaller bezels broadwell processors etc will be more expensive...
I didn't realize how subpar the MBA's screen quality was until I took a look at a rMBP. After realizing the difference I couldn't unsee it. I can now see the pixels on my MBA; it's driving me nuts. It doesn't really matter when I'm watching videos; then again, I have a bigger laptop I can watch videos on more comfortably, and iPad Air. These days I've been just in bed watching videos on my new 6+ instead. I mainly use MBA when I want a quick browsing, and doing homework, essays and powerpoints; basically for a typical college use.
Ever since I saw the difference in clarity of retina screen and my MBA screen I can't help but keep seeing those awful pixels whenever I read texts and such. It's hurting my eyes a bit, until they adjust to it after a while of usage. Happens every time. I'm seriously considering a switch to rMBP and sell my MBA as soon as I get the money to.
Battery life is nice, but it's really not that big of a difference when both rMBP and MBA run for such a long time. I usually never get my MBA battery past 60%.
Ever since I saw the difference in clarity of retina screen and my MBA screen I can't help but keep seeing those awful pixels whenever I read texts and such. It's hurting my eyes a bit, until they adjust to it after a while of usage. Happens every time. I'm seriously considering a switch to rMBP and sell my MBA as soon as I get the money to.
Battery life is nice, but it's really not that big of a difference when both rMBP and MBA run for such a long time. I usually never get my MBA battery past 60%.
And some say that there are no wonders.
"Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:8)
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I too hope they up the res on the Air. It takes me a bit to adjust going from the retina Mac's I have to the non retina's. Hell I can even slightly tell a difference between my g/f's 6 and my 6+. But I'm not as anal as some of you are in here. I get by with the old tech when I need to. The thing I notice most is eye fatigue on the older screens more so than the retinas.
Excellent post! The screen on the mbas isn't bad though. It's bright and very nice to look at.
Well, that's YOUR OPINION, and you are certainly entitled to it. I for one don't feel the need to constantly upgrade to the latest. The MBA screen looks perfectly fine just as it did when it was released. It has lousy nothing. Internet jockey hyperbole aside, the rMBP is a solid ALTERNATIVE to the MBA if you want the higher resolution and don't mind a tiny extra weight, a tiny extra girth and a tiny less battery life. Pick your poison.
Not putting retina on the Airs is a marketing decision. If they came out with the Macbook (12") with retina and updated the Airs to retina, no one would even touch a 12" Macbook. I think they will make some significant changes to the Airs in the next refresh and many of those changes will derive from the new Macbook. This allows them to have a clear distinction between the Macbook and Air lines NOW, allow the public to infatuate themselves with the new Macbook, and then when these changes are replicated to the Airs, many of the Macbook buyers will jump back to the Air line. If nothing else, this keeps the revenue stream running at full tilt.
Tim Cook is a brilliant marketer and this is the way I see this shaking out.
Tim Cook is a brilliant marketer and this is the way I see this shaking out.