Macbook air 2011 screens still poor?

[johnhurley]

You can configure a base 3 series BMW to be more expensive than a 5 series, but you're still getting their entry level sedan.

Just because someone can force some kind of bizarro world comparison between computers and automobiles does not mean that one "should".

Maybe we should try a comparison between macbook airs and supermodels next ... wondering what the base version supermodel is exactly?

 

[macau]

I got my 2011 MBA 13” just after it was released. The LCD is not as good as a top-end MBP, but considering the price of the MBA, and it’s other benefits I’m not that disappointed. From my experience using this LCD over the past few months…

Pros:
- high resolution. Really useful when using applications like Xcode and FCP. Initially I struggled with the smaller text, but I soon adjusted.
- vibrant colors.
- glare is not as excessive as the 13” MBP

Cons:
- DVD viewing is not as good as I thought it would be. The video seems dark to me. The blacks are pretty black, but the whites aren’t as white as I’d expected even at maximum brightness. It’s like as though the display struggles with a wide variation in image brightness. This is only on video. With text editing and web browsing the brightness is fine.

- Color accuracy. The colors seem a big exaggerated. This can be an issue if I need color accuracy


The ultimate MBA display for me would be a high res antiglare LCD, of the same quality as the top-end 15” MBP’s . But I doubt that’ll ever happen. Need to remember that this is a low-end product, and for the price it’s excellent. Plus the small/light form factor is a big advantage over a 15” MBP. There’s always going to be compromises. Overall the MBA 13" is a great machine.

 

[Buildbright]

I thought I was picky. The screens are amazing compared to other laptops. I love mine like so many others. So please buy your Macbook Pro and spend twice as much for very little more. Ill just sit here very happy with my Air and money in my pocket.

 

[erasr]

I agree with the guy who said 'definitely not Apple quality'.

I have a MBP and side by side the MBP wins hands down. People I know who have used Apple laptops for years and years say the same. Not sure how some people think the Air is actually better apart from it's resolution compared to the 13" Pro!

I have a new Air, but I'm awaiting news on the new Pros (next year) and I will sell the Air to buy a Pro again as my old Pro is now my girlfriends.

 

[WytRaven]

I'm hoping this post is dripping with sarcasm, beacuse if not, you are one of the most delusional people I've ever seen post on a forum.

The OP is talking about Macs. I'm talking about Macs. This is a Mac forum. I can only assume you are making some comparative reference to PC land. I believe that puts you in the realm of delusion, not me.

 

[Neon01]

I'm generally pretty picky about displays. I have a fully calibrated and color managed workflow (I'm not a professional photog, but I'm a bit of a obsessive compulsive) with only IPS displays for my desktop PC. The MBA 13" is my first Mac, and I have to say I'm impressed with the quality of its TN panel. The viewing angles are quite good - leagues better than most laptop displays, and color reproduction isn't terrible as well. It does suffer from some minor backlight bleed (though I have to say, IPS panels are usually not the best at this either), and the blacks aren't as deep as they could be for a TN panel (which is to say, usually better than IPS, actually), but overall it's a very useable display.

Sure, color fidelity isn't as nice as the panels in the MBPs, but it's also a hell of a light thinner and matte as well (I hate glossy, despite the overall better contrast it yields). Plus, the PPI is great, which is in stark contrast to the 13" MBP PPI.

 

[ecib]

I honestly don't understand the bad reputation that the 13-inch MBA has on here. I'm fully aware of the fact that it's worse than the MBP's screen

And that is why it has a 'bad reputation' according to some people. What is one of the number one threads that pop up here? It's the 'Should I go with a MBA or MBP' thread.

The MBA, when compared to it's nearest competitor for purchasing dollars, has a screen with worse viewing angles, and quite noticeably inferior color and contrast, but with higher resolution.

I have a MBA. It has a great screen. I would never think in a million years that it was a shoddy component. But guess what? My girlfriend has a MBP, and when I *compare* the two, yes, the MBP screen blows the MBA screen away when looking at media. You don't even need to place them side by side, -it's apparent just using the MBP after you're used to the MBA.

So that's it. It just has a worse screen (excluding resolution) of two notebooks that people are constantly choosing between. Great on it's own, not so much by comparison.

 

[TheRealDamager]

The OP is talking about Macs. I'm talking about Macs. This is a Mac forum. I can only assume you are making some comparative reference to PC land. I believe that puts you in the realm of delusion, not me.

Then no Mac laptop should be called "Entry level", when there exist LOTS of options that are half the cost or less of the cheapest Mac laptop".

 

[entatlrg]

LOVE the screen on my MacBook Air. Just the right balance of glossy and easy to read in bright light.

Far prefer it over the the ultra reflective glossy MBP screens and over the MBP AG screen - don't like the 'screen door' effect.

No windows laptop comes close to any of the three screens Apple offers.

It's ridiculous to criticize the MBA display, imo.

 

[Aras87]

No windows laptop comes close to any of the three screens Apple offers.

It's ridiculous to criticize the MBA display, imo.

What ?

Sony Z, Samsung 9,lenovo x220 ips, dell 1080p displays, hp radiance displays etc...

MBA display is considered average compared to displays I counted above.

 

[Poindexter333]

I bought the Rev A MBA almost the day it came out, and now I have the latest 2011 MBA. I hesitate to compare the two side-by-side- with the first panel being literally 3 years old at this point, but IMHO the new panel fails miserably compared to the first panel. Still! Samsung/Samsung for the latest MBA. And yes I have tried calibration after calibration.

If you move your head a fraction the picture changes. I hate the white balance (color). There seems to be no pure white or pure black, and the white looks gray/blue no matter what the settings. I am constantly adjusting the screen angle and brightness to match what I'm looking at. Gr. The text seems to cause headaches, and colors, quite plainly, suck compared to the first screen- which I thought was one of the best Apple had ever included in their laptop range (having never owned a Pro- I went from the TiBook DVI/667 (which I loved and used every day since 11/01!) to the MBA Rev A, and now the MBA Rev E 7/11.

Can anybody make a better comparison between the Rev A screen and the current Sammy 13" panel on the latest Rev E? I want to make sure I'm not caught in a nostalgic haze for the first MBA. TIA.

I almost thought to bring it back, but what would I replace it with? Certainly not a Pro, as I really need the form/size factor, and the speed and the SSD made a huge difference compared to the Rev A.

I have not chased Apple upgrades since the Mac II, first the LCII, then IIsi ($3,400!!!) and so on...

I am disappointed, but there are no real alternatives. I wouldn't use a PC laptop for free.

 

[stevenpa]

Just used a 15 inch MBP for a while these past few days and it just seems like the MBA is lacking colors. The screen isn't bad, but its missing something compared to the MBP

 

[robvas]

Just used a 15 inch MBP for a while these past few days and it just seems like the MBA is lacking colors. The screen isn't bad, but its missing something compared to the MBP

I agree, it's not as good as the MBP but it's not 'bad'. And it's so much less glossy which is a huge improvement. The resolution is also so much better!

 

[briand05]

I have the LG display on the 13 I just bought. I had a 13" MBP earlier this year. The main difference is the MBP has more saturated colors, otherwise the screens are pretty comparable imo. It's definitely not a "poor" screen, try watching a video on a typical cheap windows laptop and the "blacks" look gray even in the middle of the day. Those terrible 1366 x 768 15.6" screens with terrible contrast and black levels that you see on almost all the windows laptops at best buy even ones going for 700 - 800 dollars, those are poor screens.

 

[Internaut]

It's fine. In fact it's fabulous compared to what I had

I'm finding my screen fine for handling photos but intend to get a decent external monitor (probably a Dell) in the new year. All I've done is use one of calibration web sites and at level 7/8 + the LCD's defaults, what I see is very close to my reasonably well calibrated monitor at the office and the final print in terms of brightness, saturation and contrast.

With my 2008 white MacBook, I found I had to keep half an eye on the histogram while editing photos whereas now, I can just use the photo itself.

 

[OneMike]

for the screen to still be poor, it'd have to originally have some issues. everything has been great for me.