I choose this as the winner of the 'strange post of the day' contest....
Screen brightness is not only about someone's eyes.... There are people with 20/20 perfect vision who need a very bright screen.....
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Macbook air 2018 screen brightness
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I choose this as the winner of the 'strange post of the day' contest....
Screen brightness is not only about someone's eyes.... There are people with 20/20 perfect vision who need a very bright screen.....
Kinda off topic, but it's one nitpick of mine. 20/20 vision isn't perfect human vision. It's average vision for a middle aged person. The reason I mention this is because in this forum lots of people keep seeing stuff like "I have perfect 20/20 vision and I can't see any problem with that screen".
Well above average vision would be 20/15 and perfect would be something like 20/7. Also, when people get glasses, often times they are corrected to better than 20/20 vision.
The MBA (MacBook Air) is a head scratcher for sure. I am looking to upgrade an early 2015 retina MacBook (rMB), I really need that second USB-C port. Back then, I passed on the MBA and went with the rMB due to the retina screen since I work with photos requiring excellent detail and the rMB is powerful enough to drive the software. With the rMB, I gave up the mag-safe charger, 2 USB ports, SD card slot, lightning connector, and larger size for the hi-def screen and slightly more portability.
I went to the Apple Store and the MBA screen is noticeably dimmer, much more so than rMB, and very pronounced. It's a MBA deal killer for me. My only choice is a 13" non-touch bar Mac Book Pro (nTB MBP) with a much higher spec screen brightness. The 0.25 pound weight difference is negligible.
To me, effective positioning of the MBA within the line up is really simple. Let the MBP and portable rMB be the wireless, limited port models as they exist with different missions. Position the 13" MBA with updated retina screen as the student or old school oriented throwback model with mag-safe, USB port, and 2 lightning ports and confusion is eliminated.
I went to the Apple Store and the MBA screen is noticeably dimmer, much more so than rMB, and very pronounced. It's a MBA deal killer for me. My only choice is a 13" non-touch bar Mac Book Pro (nTB MBP) with a much higher spec screen brightness. The 0.25 pound weight difference is negligible.
To me, effective positioning of the MBA within the line up is really simple. Let the MBP and portable rMB be the wireless, limited port models as they exist with different missions. Position the 13" MBA with updated retina screen as the student or old school oriented throwback model with mag-safe, USB port, and 2 lightning ports and confusion is eliminated.
Thank you for this refreshing common sense filled post. I have to say I'm just amazed by the words I'm reading on this forum and the Apple subreddit regarding the difference between the MBA and MBP screens. You know if the new MBA started at $1000 I'd be more forgiving, but given at retail it's only $100 less than the nTB MBP, I feel the MBP is a clear winner unless you need/want that T2 chip or an extra hour of battery.
I think Apple was going to discontinue the MBA and then they got a ton of pushback. Here's the thing: they simply should have given us a 14" MacBook with a second USB-C port. Problem solved. Discontinue the MBA, 12" and 14" MacBook for average consumers, Pro line for people who need more. Easy. Done.
Instead this new MBA is a total head scratcher like you say. Physically it's very similar to the 13" MBP. The weight difference is essentially gone. Nothing 'Air' about this machine.
Okay so if it's not super light and portable what is it compared to the nTB MBP? Doesn't offer any more ports. Inferior screen. T2 chip, v3 keyboard, and a little more battery life. That's it. What a mess.
In your scenario I would get the nTB MBP refurbished from Apple.
Well, they effectively did, more or less. They gave us a 13" MacBook with a second USB-C port, with the same Y class of CPUs.
However, the weird part is they made the screen less bright. And unfortunately, the pricing of both the MacBook and the 13" MacBook (Air) are a bit too high.
I think you're confused here. The Pro and old Air were effectively the same weight. The MacBook Pro is 3.02 lbs where as the old Air is 2.96 lbs, a difference of only 2%.
The new Air at 2.75 lbs is 6% lighter than the old Air, and 9% lighter than the Pro.
Yup.
Yes, but you said the difference between the Pro and Air is gone with the new model, implying there was more of a difference before.
My point was there previously was no effective difference between the old Air and Pro, and there is actually more difference now than there used to be (although that difference still isn't very big).
Maybe you're thinking about the old Air vs. very old MacBook Pros. However, the old Air and MacBook Pros have been about the same weight for years.
What I meant originally is that the weight difference between the new Air and the current MBP is negligible.
So it's looking like essentially the display out of a Late 2012 13" Retina MacBook Pro. Apple is charging a $200 premium for 6-year-old display tech now replacing 8-year-old display tech?
The MacBook Air's display looks to have a slightly better contrast ratio and backlight uniformity. The other specs (resolution, color space, max brightness) are approximately the same.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Apple-MacBook-Pro-13-Retina-2-5-GHz-Late-2012.84584.0.html
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-MacBook-Air-2018-i5-256-GB-Laptop-Review.357481.0.html
[doublepost=1541870953][/doublepost]Uniformity will vary between individual units, so it's difficult to judge how much better the new Air is compared to the old Pro on average.
But overall, the display is not much of a noticeable upgrade from a 6-year-old 13" MacBook Pro, and is not 4x the pixels of the old Air either.
Loved everything about my new Air, except the screen(colors)
Tomorrow, after 3 days, returning the Air at my local Apple Store
Tomorrow, after 3 days, returning the Air at my local Apple Store
With paying €1600 I want a much better colored and brighter screen.
The display shows dull colors...almost washed out.
But I guess it's also a personal preference together with what you expect for a €1600 laptop
Can anyone that actually has both a pro (2016-2018) and new air say what full brightness on the air compares to with the pro? Does the pro feel the same at 50% brightness? More, less? I have a 2016 ntb that I don't ever use at full brightness, and I think anyone considering the air but are worried about the brightness could easily have that cleared up if they could just turn their pro screen down to what the air feels like it maxes at to see for themselves.
I agree on brightness vs. MBP, and the paper specs bear that out - 300 vs 500 nits. On *paper,* the rMB and rMBA are the same - 300 nits. I now have both, and I'm not convinced there's a brightness difference, but to my eyes there is a very clear color temp difference out of the box. The MB display is much bluer/whiter than the rMBA, which has a pronounced yellow cast. This was true in the store (multiple units) and in the one I purchased. OBTW - the MB and MBP displays I compared side by side in the Apple Store had the same color temp (again, multiple units). So based on the six or seven units I could compare, the MBA is the outlier, though I think the color temp is more evidently different than the brightness.
[doublepost=1541884397][/doublepost]
Slightly more fair to Apple, the 2013 and 2015 rMBPs had the same display. Apple kicked up the brightness in the 2016 rMBP.
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I didn't try to compare brightness slider settings in the store, but I compared quite a few rMBA units with 13" MBP units and the MBP is way brighter. OTOH, my early 2015 MBP and 2017 rMB both have a 300 nit max Retina display and I have almost never cranked either of them up to full brightness. Personally, I don't see a 300 nit display on the rMBA as a problem, but YMMV a lot. I don't like the difference in color temp, though. (Yes, I could profile the display to adjust...but that would effectively prove that the rMBA display is an outlier.)
The dramatics in threads like this really get me. Yes, it’s a fact that the Air has a not-as-bright screen as the Pro. Does that make it a dull or bad screen tho? No. Would anyone who wasnt directly comparing notice? No. Laptop mag’s 234nit rating is an obvious outlier based on all the other reviews out there. Additionally it’s funny to see how something that was once “plenty bright” is now considered paltry.
I’m referring to Laptop mag. For curiosity, I checked to see what my late 2013 15” rMB Pro is rated at - around 300 nits. Back then Laptop mag loved that display and said it was plenty bright. Now a 300nit display on the Air is too dull?
Really what has happened is Apple put SPECTACULAR displays in the Pro line and now some are using TOP OF THE TOP as a baseline standard to compare against.
The display in the Air is great. The one in the Pro is even better. That doesn’t make the one in the Air *bad*.
Get it together folks!
I’m referring to Laptop mag. For curiosity, I checked to see what my late 2013 15” rMB Pro is rated at - around 300 nits. Back then Laptop mag loved that display and said it was plenty bright. Now a 300nit display on the Air is too dull?
Really what has happened is Apple put SPECTACULAR displays in the Pro line and now some are using TOP OF THE TOP as a baseline standard to compare against.
The display in the Air is great. The one in the Pro is even better. That doesn’t make the one in the Air *bad*.
Get it together folks!
When you are charging a similar price they should be equal... The Air already cuts corners with the CPU and GPU so cutting a 3rd corner with the screen is problematic for some, me included...
I could have dealt with the Y processor and the crappy GPU but not a cruddy, dim and washed out screen, sorry.....
I do miss touchID though......
No what makes the display bad is that compared to the three year old 12” screen it lacks detail and looks washed out.
No one is disputing the Pro should have a better screen.
Most of the comparisons made are to the Pro screen. The 12” commentary is subjective. Others have said the opposite.
Thank you. Great commentary!
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Thats your opinion and not Apples. It also not at all relevant to his point.
You are looking at this the wrong way. The price points between the MBA and MBP are too similar to not compare the screens. If the MBA started at $1000, I would feel differently. But it's only $100 less at retail. At that point, why wouldn't someone seriously consider the MBP instead? For $1200 to start, yes, you should expect a great screen.
Also, technology advances on all products across the board. TVs, laptops, tablets, etc. What was once considered great in the past no longer is. That applies to computer screens especially.
This is my point. The Air screen IS great. The Pro’s is just even better. And in terms of the $100 difference in price: $100 is $100. For you that means you should consider and lean toward the Pro. Fine! For others that $100 may be a big deal and now they can get a Retina Air in their range.
My wife got hers today. I have a 2017 MBP TB myself.
The brightness is fine. I set it up for her and the auto-brightness was around 70% when I worked on it. Didn’t appear dim or washed out at all. I turned the brightness all the way up and it got way too bright for my eyes. I couldn’t imagine a scenario besides outdoor use where the brightness on this thing is too dim. I think this is being blown out of proportions.
Also - coming from a 2. Gen butterfly keyboard on my MBP I gotta say that a LOVE the 3rd gen. The silicone barriers makes the keyboard less noisy and much softer to type on. I gotta find a way to convince my boss that I need an upgrade for a 2018 MBP TB.
All in all it seems like a great little machine - runs very smooth.
I would clearly recommend it for web, mail and office use.
The brightness is fine. I set it up for her and the auto-brightness was around 70% when I worked on it. Didn’t appear dim or washed out at all. I turned the brightness all the way up and it got way too bright for my eyes. I couldn’t imagine a scenario besides outdoor use where the brightness on this thing is too dim. I think this is being blown out of proportions.
Also - coming from a 2. Gen butterfly keyboard on my MBP I gotta say that a LOVE the 3rd gen. The silicone barriers makes the keyboard less noisy and much softer to type on. I gotta find a way to convince my boss that I need an upgrade for a 2018 MBP TB.
All in all it seems like a great little machine - runs very smooth.
I would clearly recommend it for web, mail and office use.