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Macbook air 2018 screen brightness

manhattanmania said:
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.
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I would argue $100 for the lifetime use of a laptop is a no brainer expense to pay for a better screen. Assuming all other things are equal of course.

I'm going by Apple retail pricing by the way. B&H currently has the base model MBP for $1250. Don't you think a much better screen is worth $50, again, if all other things are equal in your mind?

The issue isn't whether the MBA screen is good or not. It's just that they are charging you a lot at retail for something that is noticeably worse than another laptop that is very, very close in pricing. If the new MBA started at $1000 it would make a lot more sense. At $1200, it doesn't.
 
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redheeler said:
The 2017 MacBook Air also had the same display as the 2010. Not exactly sure what your point is here.
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You compared it to the 2012 rMBP display and said it was a six year old display. It was also essentially the same display used in the 2015 rBMP, so only three years old - not quite as bad. And it isn't the same display at all as the display in the 2017 MBA, which was/is a POS TN display. At least the MBPs we're talking about were retina displays.

However...I think we agree on the questionable use of a 300 nit panel in 2018.

After I posted above, I set up a 2017 rMB, 2015 rMBP and the 2018 rMBA. With brightness cranked fully up and power settings set the same, the rMBA actually appears to be dimmer than the other two, which is puzzling (or worse), since they're all said to be 300 nit displays. Something's off with the rMBA.

Which brings us back to your point - and I'm thinking it's actually worse than you originally posted. Sorry if this is wandering, it's been a long week.
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blairh said:
I would argue $100 for the lifetime use of a laptop is a no brainer expense to pay for a better screen. Assuming all other things are equal of course.

I'm going by Apple retail pricing by the way. B&H currently has the base model MBP for $1250. Don't you think a much better screen is worth $50, again, if all other things are equal in your mind?

The issue isn't whether the MBA screen is good or not. It's just that they are charging you a lot at retail for something that is noticeably worse than another laptop that is very, very close in pricing. If the new MBA started at $1000 it would make a lot more sense. At $1200, it doesn't.
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And that $1200 model has an essentially useless-to-most 128gb SSD. (Really, Apple???)
 
My 2 Cents:
I have been an original MB Air 11inch owner since it dropped and my last upgrade was to the Early 2014 variant.
I love it. Love the keyboard. Does everything just fine. But I have always wanted a retina display.
Im torn on this new one. I saw it in person at the apple store and it just has too many compromises that had me saying "Why not just spring for the difference and get the pro?"
And YES, the brightness is very noticeable. Not so much when comparing to Macbook or newer MB Pro.
But when you put it next to my old 11 inch Air, it is night and day. At 50% brightness mine is at the same level of the new 2018 Air.
At 100% its almost hard to look at its so bright but is great for outdoors.

So Im thinking this one is a big fat no for me.
Now thinking Im better off keeping my 11inch Air and spending my money on a new iPad.
Now the question is, 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 or new 11?
Apple does not make it easy......

nickyj79
 
blairh said:
Then get the 256 GB nTB MBP which is only $50 more than the 256 GB new Air.
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Tempted but unfortunatley you get the 2nd Gen butterfly keyboard with that one. Need to go to the 256gb with TouchBar to get the 3rd gen (quieter and supposedly corrected an issue with keys not working from debris getting under.) But then you are up to $1799.
Again, Apple making things way more difficult than id like. LOL

Best Buy has a Black Friday deal on them so think they are $200 off.
 
nickyj79 said:
Tempted but unfortunatley you get the 2nd Gen butterfly keyboard with that one. Need to go to the 256gb with TouchBar to get the 3rd gen (quieter and supposedly corrected an issue with keys not working from debris getting under.) But then you are up to $1799.
Again, Apple making things way more difficult than id like. LOL

Best Buy has a Black Friday deal on them so think they are $200 off.
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Basically this lol. For me the ntb was exactly what I wanted. It's a shame its been ignored this year. Given the new air's processor isn't all that far off from the 2017 ntb (and more or less ties the 2016 ntb), it definitely feels like I shouldn't hold my breathe for a refresh. Feels like the air was meant to take its place.
 
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nickyj79 said:
Tempted but unfortunatley you get the 2nd Gen butterfly keyboard with that one..
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The 3rd gen KB is fairing no better.. There is a long thread in the Pro section on 3rd gen failures.

With the 2nd gen KB at least you get the 4-year KB replacement warranty... Will Apple will add the 3rd gen to that 4-year program? Unknown, but I bet they won't unless they are forced to do so via lawsuits..
 
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raqball said:
The 3rd gen KB is fairing no better.. There is a long thread in the Pro section on 3rd gen failures.

With the 2nd gen KB at least you get the 4-year KB replacement warranty... Will Apple will add the 3rd gen to that 4-year program? Unknown, but I bet they won't unless they are forced to do so via lawsuits..
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at least it better than 2nd gen
 
blairh said:
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.
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Might also have twice the wifi potential than the nTB MBPro.
 
newellj said:
However...I think we agree on the questionable use of a 300 nit panel in 2018.

After I posted above, I set up a 2017 rMB, 2015 rMBP and the 2018 rMBA. With brightness cranked fully up and power settings set the same, the rMBA actually appears to be dimmer than the other two, which is puzzling (or worse), since they're all said to be 300 nit displays. Something's off with the rMBA.

Which brings us back to your point - and I'm thinking it's actually worse than you originally posted. Sorry if this is wandering, it's been a long week.
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You perceived it to be dimmer than the 2012 - 2015 rMBP at max brightness (auto brightness turned off)? That's a shame. I have a 15" Mid 2012 Retina MacBook Pro, and using it outside on a sunny day is difficult for sure.

The newest 15" MacBook Pro has a brighter display with a better color space, but Apple opted for a higher-than-native default software resolution to try and cover up the fact that the physical resolution (2880x1800) has remained unchanged since 2012.

So it just seems like Apple should be putting better displays in Mac laptops to justify the cost these days, after all the 2012 rMBP was truly innovative as the best display ever put in a laptop at the time, but now we're seeing the same resolutions and other specs being passed off as current in 2018 when that's simply no longer the case. Even the iPad Pro has surpassed the pixel count of the 15" MacBook Pro.
 
raqball said:
The 3rd gen KB is fairing no better.. There is a long thread in the Pro section on 3rd gen failures.

With the 2nd gen KB at least you get the 4-year KB replacement warranty... Will Apple will add the 3rd gen to that 4-year program? Unknown, but I bet they won't unless they are forced to do so via lawsuits..
Click to expand...

The problem with that is people only report when there are problems, how many people have brought the 3rd generation keyboard, how many of those have had issues with it vs how many who haven’t? Obviously that’s a question we can’t answer, overall we just don’t know if the 3rd gen is any better or not.
 
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redheeler said:
You perceived it to be dimmer than the 2012 - 2015 rMBP at max brightness (auto brightness turned off)? That's a shame. I have a 15" Mid 2012 Retina MacBook Pro, and using it outside on a sunny day is difficult for sure.
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Yes, that's how it looks to me. And yes, I agree, in bright sunlight, the 300 nit display is almost useless.

The newest 15" MacBook Pro has a brighter display with a better color space, but Apple opted for a higher-than-native default software resolution to try and cover up the fact that the physical resolution (2880x1800) has remained unchanged since 2012.
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Wasn't aware of that. :-/

So it just seems like Apple should be putting better displays in Mac laptops to justify the cost these days, after all the 2012 rMBP was truly innovative as the best display ever put in a laptop at the time, but now we're seeing the same resolutions and other specs being passed off as current in 2018 when that's simply no longer the case. Even the iPad Pro has surpassed the pixel count of the 15" MacBook Pro.
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Yeah. I really like this rMBA and would be tempted to sell the rMB and the MBP, but when I look at the displays side by side it's far less tempting. At a price point that's only slightly off the MBP, we should get an equivalent display. (I wonder if there are power or physical dimension issues that led to the display choice for the rMBA?). OTOH I will say that if I weren't comparing them side by side I'd probably consider the rMBA display as "fine" or "perfectly good." Dunno, still on the fence.
 
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Dave245 said:
The problem with that is people only report when there are problems, how many people have brought the 3rd generation keyboard, how many of those have had issues with it vs how many who haven’t? Obviously that’s a question we can’t answer, overall we just don’t know if the 3rd gen is any better or not.
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That is true - but it is worrisome that people can still experience double presses/stickiness etc on the new gen (multiple use reports, some who have replaced multiple times in the past few months). Does concern me about how the machine will last 3-5 years.
 
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SoApple said:
Is it an issue as some reviews have pointed out ....
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Short answer: yes. If you have significant experience with prior MBAirs and prior or current MBPros, you will instantly see how dim and dull the 2018 MBAir screen is. Within a few seconds of looking at the machine in-store, you absolutely could tell it's nowhere near as bright as other models. In fact at first I thought there was something wrong with the display model. Tried to jack up the brightness, only to determine it already was at 100% and looking dim.

Came here to see what others were saying -- and it's not good.
 
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from ifixit's recent teardown of the 2018 Air...

"A few more Torx screws later, the display is free! This new Retina panel is almost the same as the one found on the MacBook Pro line, differing mainly in peak brightness (a mere 300 nits vs. the Pro's 500) and P3 color gamut support."
 
Dave245 said:
The problem with that is people only report when there are problems, how many people have brought the 3rd generation keyboard, how many of those have had issues with it vs how many who haven’t? Obviously that’s a question we can’t answer, overall we just don’t know if the 3rd gen is any better or not.
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Sure but the issue does persist with the gen 3 KB's and that is troublesome.. Someone in that thread on on gen 3 replacement # 3 I believe.....

I assume at some point Apple will be forced to add the gen 3 to the gen 2 extended 4-year warranty list but there is no guarantee they will.. What we do know for sure is that gen 2 KB are covered for 4 years and to me, that's huge reason to consider the gen 2....
 
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raqball said:
Sure but the issue does persist with the gen 3 KB's and that is troublesome.. Someone in that thread on on gen 3 replacement # 3 I believe.....

I assume at some point Apple will be forced to add the gen 3 to the gen 2 extended 4-year warranty list but there is no guarantee they will.. What we do know for sure is that gen 2 KB are covered for 4 years and to me, that's huge reason to consider the gen 2....
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It’s definitely there, that’s undeniable but to what extent we just don’t know. If Apple don’t add gen 3 to the 4 year warranty list, maybe we can assume it isn’t as bad a problem as it was with the first and second gen. either way it’s a gamble, if you buy the new Air it’s got butterfly keyboard and if you buy the Pro it has.
 
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Dave245 said:
It’s definitely there, that’s undeniable but to what extent we just don’t know. If Apple don’t add gen 3 to the 4 year warranty list, maybe we can assume it isn’t as bad a problem as it was with the first and second gen. either way it’s a gamble, if you buy the new Air it’s got butterfly keyboard and if you buy the Pro it has.
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That was part of my reason for getting the nTB - gen 2 - covered for 4 years...

I just don't trust that gen 3 is any better.... My Air with gen 3 felt the same and sounded the same. The same exact KB issues are rearing their ugly head in the gen 3 KB thread that's ongoing...

I hope for all the Air and 2018 Pro buyers that Apple is forced to add them to the extended warranty list. These machines are not cheap and replacing a KB is very expensive.
 
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raqball said:
That was part of my reason for getting the nTB - gen 2 - covered for 4 years...

I just don't trust that gen 3 is any better.... My Air with gen 3 felt the same and sounded the same. The same exact KB issues are rearing their ugly head in the gen 3 KB thread that's ongoing...

I hope for all the Air and 2018 Pro buyers that Apple is forced to add them to the extended warranty list. These machines are not cheap and replacing a KB is very expensive.
Click to expand...

Might be wise that I pick up Apple Care+ then.
 
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raqball said:
Yeah if I would have kept the Air I would have without a doubt.. With the 4 year on the nTB I am thinking about passing on it...
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It’s a difficult one, here in the U.K. we have 6 years of warranty with defects within the product, the only problem is it’s up to us as the consumer to prove it! So sometimes I think Apple Care+ isn’t worth it, BUT I did find out that the Apple Care+ also covers for 2 accidental damages, with a portable laptop that might be a good idea.
 
Conspiracy Theory:
Definitely a decrease in brightness with the latest MBA. Like I said in previous post, my 2014 Macbook Air 11inch is leaps and bounds brighter.
Im hearing talk of the latest iPad Pro also not being quite as bright as last years.

My thoughts are that in order for Apple to continue to tout battery life along with improvements they are having to place governors on screen brightness as a result.

thoughts?
[doublepost=1541964237][/doublepost]#batterygate
#Brightgate
 
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