LED-lit Displays in Upcoming 15'' MacBook Pros?

[justflie]

My main hope for a new MBP would be a better GPU. I guess, given some of the above posts, this might be difficult to do in such a thin notebook. This LED-lit display has my interest perked a little bit. I'm going to be waiting until Leopard and the next rev. of the macbook pro to buy one. Hopefully LED's will be in the cards by then. Anyone in the Massachusetts area wanna buy my iMac when that happens?

 

[manu chao]

Solution to fading blue: Adapt the color profile once in a while. Apple could make that automatic, so every few weeks of your screen being on, it turns up the blue a notch. The only bad thing about OLED is you can't read it in bright sunlight. That's what's cool about LCD, you can even read it with the backlight off, when there's enough natural light reflected by the panel. You can even shine a maglite through the Apple logo of your Macbook, it lightens up the screen quite a bit.

Solution to anybody worried about color accuracy: Calibrate your screen, for best results repeat every two weeks.

 

[4np]

iTV is already incorporating the HDMI port; will the revised MBP's have a HDMI port as well? Or will Apple push iTV as the HD device and never introduce a HDMI port in their other products?

A blue ray drive would also make sense, both for backup purposes (for example: video editting and digital photography require a lot of backup space) and playing HD media.

In comparison: the Sony Vaio AR series is in the MBP price range and does offer blue-ray drive, TV tuner (nice but could do without), high resolution screen (1920x1200), GeForce Go 7600 (not standard) and a HDMI port... Note that this is a 17" notebook though.

 

[Alchematron]

Blu-Ray

Blu-Ray plus LED gets my vote!

Anyone else want Blu-Ray?

 

[robphoton]

Problem with LED backlit display

While it is true you can have a thinner notebook and extended battery life with an LED backlit display, there are significant problems too.

First, in order to get the extended battery life you must use white LEDs because the colored LEDs are on average only about 1/3 as efficient. White LEDs provide far inferior color reproduction, yet are the most common backlights in cell phones and small portables.

The second problem with an LED backlit display is it does not have as long a life as a fluorescent backlit display. LEDs can have long life, but the low cost electronics supporting them do not. LED backlights on portables can have life as short as 5,000 hrs, while flourescent backlights may be 10X longer.

Most people may never log 5,000 hrs of use on their lap top during the life of the laptop, but I think they will be very annoyed at the poor color. The color can be improved by using different phosphors on the white LED, but the efficiency is worse, and battery life gets worse. Most people seem to want greater battery life over good color.

 

[Analog Kid]

re: OLED, not ready for prime time/economy of scale, but the fading blue issue has recently been worked out...unless you use your laptop everyday of they year and spend more than 8hrs each and everyday, otherwise don't sweat the 'limited' blue spectrum of the OLED when they finally go into production).

Rules out OLED for me...

I did two years of lighting research in california. I played with many different types of LED, and made prototypes etc.... You say "less power, run cooler, and last longer than CCFLs."

I would say yes to "less power and last longer than CFLs". Indeed, LED is amazing. But run cooler? I'm not quite sure about that.

Less power means it runs cooler... Heat might be localized differently, but less power means less heat (assuming you want the same brightness).

 

[Analog Kid]

The second problem with an LED backlit display is it does not have as long a life as a fluorescent backlit display. LEDs can have long life, but the low cost electronics supporting them do not. LED backlights on portables can have life as short as 5,000 hrs, while flourescent backlights may be 10X longer.

What exactly is failing? LEDs require much less support than CCFL...

 

[oldwatery]

While it is true you can have a thinner notebook and extended battery life with an LED backlit display, there are significant problems too.

First, in order to get the extended battery life you must use white LEDs because the colored LEDs are on average only about 1/3 as efficient. White LEDs provide far inferior color reproduction, yet are the most common backlights in cell phones and small portables.

The second problem with an LED backlit display is it does not have as long a life as a fluorescent backlit display. LEDs can have long life, but the low cost electronics supporting them do not. LED backlights on portables can have life as short as 5,000 hrs, while flourescent backlights may be 10X longer.

Most people may never log 5,000 hrs of use on their lap top during the life of the laptop, but I think they will be very annoyed at the poor color. The color can be improved by using different phosphors on the white LED, but the efficiency is worse, and battery life gets worse. Most people seem to want greater battery life over good color.

Are you saying this is a step backwards

 

[SWC]

It's a non-issue; you already have the functionality on all shipping MacBooks and MBPs, tapping two fingers on the trackpad.



For four buttons and scrolling? Is this a trick question?

[/QUOTE]


I'm perfectly happy with the two finger right click I have grown to perfer it actually and find myself trying to use it on my work laptop too often but it all comes down to ego. The mighty mouse was a way to do a multi button mouse without having more than one physical button.

 

[truz]

I hope they offer this screen in there 12" widescreen model for the macbook pro (if they release one that is). I'm in great need of a laptop right now, but I'm trying to hold off for a 12" macbook pro as I need a small screen when I'm on the go with dedicated graphics.

 

[Zadillo]

I hope they offer this screen in there 12" widescreen model for the macbook pro (if they release one that is). I'm in great need of a laptop right now, but I'm trying to hold off for a 12" macbook pro as I need a small screen when I'm on the go with dedicated graphics.

What sort of dedicated graphics are you expecting to find in a 12" MacBook Pro (or any other 12" notebook for that matter)?

-Zadillo

 

[Boxer]

I am interested to see how these turn out. Anything will be better than the inconsistant quality that they have been putting out in the last few months. Luckily my last one is perfect. Can't say that about the first two.

 

[digitalbiker]

While it is true you can have a thinner notebook and extended battery life with an LED backlit display, there are significant problems too.

First, in order to get the extended battery life you must use white LEDs because the colored LEDs are on average only about 1/3 as efficient. White LEDs provide far inferior color reproduction, yet are the most common backlights in cell phones and small portables.

The second problem with an LED backlit display is it does not have as long a life as a fluorescent backlit display. LEDs can have long life, but the low cost electronics supporting them do not. LED backlights on portables can have life as short as 5,000 hrs, while flourescent backlights may be 10X longer.

Most people may never log 5,000 hrs of use on their lap top during the life of the laptop, but I think they will be very annoyed at the poor color. The color can be improved by using different phosphors on the white LED, but the efficiency is worse, and battery life gets worse. Most people seem to want greater battery life over good color.

What are you talking about? The LED is only used as a white backlight source. Color is provided by the LCD. The liquid crystal display when charged controls the color spectrum. LED's are placed behind the LCD and only used as a light source. They are not used to generate color. Also no phosphorous is used in these displays. The LED is a light emitting diode, and the LCD chnages spectrum depending on charge.

From reading your post I really don't know what the flip you are talking about. Either you are confusing the technolgy with something else. Or you are posting FUD to create post activity.

 

[MrCrowbar]

Solution to anybody worried about color accuracy: Calibrate your screen, for best results repeat every two weeks.

Oh, I actually don't care. the colors change when I move my head anyway, so why bother?
Those calibration units are pretty expensive. I had to use them quite a bit when I was at a newspaper company and the pictures on photoshop had to be just like the printouts on beige newspaper. Adding a little cyan actually makes white seem even more white on newspapers.

 

[soapsuds]

What are you talking about? The LED is only used as a white backlight source. Color is provided by the LCD. The liquid crystal display when charged controls the color spectrum. LED's are placed behind the LCD and only used as a light source. They are not used to generate color. Also no phosphorous is used in these displays. The LED is a light emitting diode, and the LCD chnages spectrum depending on charge.

From reading your post I really don't know what the flip you are talking about. Either you are confusing the technolgy with something else. Or you are posting FUD to create post activity.

Huh? LCDs can only remove or reduce various frequencies that are present in the backlighting (white light is basically an equal proportion of all visible frequencies). They can't add light or change the frequency of existing light. If the backlight changes color, that will effect the ability of the display to reproduce color. For instance, if it turns yellow, that means that blues will not be full intensity even if it is recalibrated. LEDs can only emit a single-frequency color. "White" LEDs are actually a blue LED that excites a phosphor coating which in turn gives off white light. The phosphor can degrade over time.

 

[synth3tik]

Hummmm, that might be just enought to push me into selling my powerbook for a Macbook pro

 

[4np]

I don't understand that everybody here is getting so enthousiastic about leds. Sure I want the display to look good but as far as I care it can be leds or regular backlights. I'm interested to the spec changes I can really use (blue-ray, high res, gpu etc) instead of lighting and lighting. Sure, if it saves a lot of battery and it works as well as a regular backlight that's fine with me of course but the other specs have my real interest...

 

[UKFletch]

ok, ok, but WHEN....

The problem is (as always) are they going to stealth this upgrade (or upgrades) out, or will they make a big song and dance. During the keynote SJ did say that it wasn't about that Mac that day, and there was also a report that there would be some more news SOON.

So I ask, when is "soon". I am in the market for a MBPro, but will need one is about 4 weeks when the wife steals my Dell for her OU course. So, if March is soon, I could wait a week or so, if it's June/July, then I will have to buy, and then read NO MORE sites ever, to avoid that robbed feeling.

Anyone any ideas when they may reveal the deal???

Fletch

 

[Zadillo]

I don't understand that everybody here is getting so enthousiastic about leds. Sure I want the display to look good but as far as I care it can be leds or regular backlights. I'm interested to the spec changes I can really use (blue-ray, high res, gpu etc) instead of lighting and lighting. Sure, if it saves a lot of battery and it works as well as a regular backlight that's fine with me of course but the other specs have my real interest...

I'm not sure if you were actually looking for an explanation for why people are enthusiastic about this, but I will tell you why I am at least:

1) I got a C2D MacBook Pro and thought it was an excellent laptop overall, except for one thing; the backlighting on it was uneven and distracting (when looking at it straight on, the right half of the screen was darker than the other; it was impossible to view a single solid color uniformly across the entire screen). I found this same problem in a replacement and just about every other MacBook Pro at the Apple Store, and thus had to return it. This was disappointing because aside from the screen, it was about as close to perfect as a laptop as I've ever seen.

2) I have already seen and been wowed by the LED backlighting in Sony's TX Vaio laptops, and their premium SZ Vaio laptops. The screens were brighter and more evenly lit, and looked much better to me than the comparable Apple laptops. I would even go so far as to say I was almost considering buying a Vaio for the screen, even if it meant giving up OS X.

So, in conclusion, I'm excited about this because, if Apple does use this screen technology in the upcoming MacBook Pro revisions, it will basically fix the one major issue I have with them, and will make them just about as close to the perfect laptop for me as exists on the market right now.

 

[L3X]

I'm with you Zadillo.

 

[rt_brained]

Hurry up and release the new MBP's before I blow all my money on hookers and crack.

And MetRx bars (One must eat healthy to remain healthy.).

 

[EGT]

This upcoming revision won't include Santa Rosa will it?

If it's a similar logic board/processor to the current MBP, I wonder if they'll add any other new features apart from LED displays. Case redesign, magnetic latch, easier removal/installation of HDD? These are all fairly plausible and it would be one hell of a computer.

And then when Santa Rosa comes with 800MHz FSB, larger RAM capacity .... WOW.

 

[Zadillo]

This upcoming revision won't include Santa Rosa will it?

If it's a similar logic board/processor to the current MBP, I wonder if they'll add any other new features apart from LED displays. Case redesign, magnetic latch, easier removal/installation of HDD? These are all fairly plausible and it would be one hell of a computer.

And then when Santa Rosa comes with 800MHz FSB, larger RAM capacity .... WOW.

I think it depends on when these revisions are due. Personally I would assume that Apple isn't going to do some interim update to the MBP between now and May/June (or whenever the Santa Rosa-based MBP's show up), so I would think these screen updates would coincide with the new Santa Rosa MBP's.

 

[4np]

I think it depends on when these revisions are due. Personally I would assume that Apple isn't going to do some interim update to the MBP between now and May/June (or whenever the Santa Rosa-based MBP's show up), so I would think these screen updates would coincide with the new Santa Rosa MBP's.

I agree, I think Santa Rosa plus other improvements will be in the next MBP revisions. On the other hand... Apple was quite slow to incorporate the C2D in the MBP range...

I'm not sure if you were actually looking for an explanation for why people are enthusiastic about this, but I will tell you why I am at least...

Zadillo, I can totally sympathise with your reasons However, the backlight distribution could also be fixed by changing the current (old style?) backlighting. Of course you won't hear me complain if they do introduce LED's but I'd rather see a fixed backlighting (with or without led's) and interesting hardware upgrades like Santa Rose, better GPU, High Resolution displays, blue-ray, etc...

But I totally agree the backlighting should be evenly distributed; it is unacceptable this occurs in a (pricy) Pro range notebook...

 

[Zadillo]

I agree, I think Santa Rosa plus other improvements will be in the next MBP revisions. On the other hand... Apple was quite slow to incorporate the C2D in the MBP range...



Zadillo, I can totally sympathise with your reasons However, the backlighting could also be fixed by regular backlighting. Of course you won't hear me complain if they do introduce LED's but I'd rather see a fixed backlighting (with or without led's) and interesting hardware upgrades like Santa Rose, GPU, High Resolution displays, etc... But I totally agree the backlighting should be evenly distributed; it is unacceptable this occurs in a Pro range (prixy) notebook...

I think the only reason Apple was relatively slower to incorporate C2D in the MBP range is because they were also making other improvements to the case design (specifically the changed vents, etc.). Pretty much every other laptop manufacturer just swapped out CD chips for C2D chips and called it a day, making it easier to release sooner.

Anyway, it's true that Apple could fix the issue with better standard LCD backlighting, but I would just as soon see them switch to the better LED backlighting anyway.

And again, I don't think Apple is just going to swap out the screens in some interim update. I think they will bring out this backlighting, if they do, to coincide with the rest of the expected updates to the MBP line (Santa Rosa, some case changes perhaps, etc.).