Macbook air 2018 screen brightness

[raqball]

lets be fair here... what you and the other people are asking for is a mbp at the mba price point...

Nope.....

Apple cut corners with the CPU and GPU and I was fine with that. The crappy screen is where I drew the line..

For $100 less I do expect some corners to be cut but they went overboard here....

Like I said, if you are happy with what they've offered and at the price they are offering it at, then rock on and enjoy your new machine..

 

[macnmac]

Nope.....

Apple cut corners with the CPU and GPU and I was fine with that. The crappy screen is where I drew the line..

For $100 less I do expect some corners to be cut but they went overboard here....

Like I said, if you are happy with what they've offered and at the price they are offering it at, then rock on and enjoy your new machine..

cut corners lmao

 

[raqball]

cut corners lmao

Laugh all you want but it has a Y (read: m=mobile) processor and a 617 GPU.... Fine for home use or students? Sure.. But don't pretend they didn't cut corners by using them..... Now add in the subpar screen.... So yes, they cut 3 corners to shave $100 off the price. If you don't see that, then cool!

You are either:

a) Trying to justify your purchase
b) Trying to convince yourself of something other than reality
c) Are truly happy with the offering

All of the above are fine and it's your money not mine so rock on and laugh away.. In the real world, every review out mentions these things and people are returning them because of these things and the cruddy washed out screen...

I can't think of another Apple release that resulted in so many returning after a few days of use..

 

[macnmac]

Laugh all you want but it has a Y (read: m=mobile) processor and a 617 GPU.... Fine for home use or students? Sure.. But don't pretend they didn't cut corners by using them..... Now add in the subpar screen.... So yes, they cut 3 corners to shave $100 off the price. If you don't see that, then cool!

You are either:

a) Trying to justify your purchase
b) Trying to convince yourself of something other than reality
c) Are truly happy with the offering

All of the above are fine and it's your money not mine so rock on and laugh away.. In the real world, every review out mentions these things and people are returning them because of these things and the cruddy washed out screen...

I can't think of another Apple release that resulted in so many returning after a few days of use..

you, like those other people have no idea how to manage your expectations... you have this idea that it has to
be xyz and unfortunately for people like you will never be happy because what you are after is not attainable... i too want to own a car that performs like a ferrari and cost as much as a corolla... seems like nobody taught you how capitalism works, how for profit companies work, and the age old idea of “you get what you pay for”

 

[blairh]

lets be fair here... what you and the other people are asking for is a mbp at the mba price point...

You do realize the MBA retails for $1,200 and the MBP $1,300? And with sales and refurbs you can get a MBP for cheaper than a MBA or just $50 more? For all intents and purposes there is no different price point now between the MBA and MBP. The MBA IMO is a rushed and poorly thought out product that does not differentiate itself enough against the nTB MBP which has a far superior screen and can be had for less or barely more than a new MBA. The new MBA should have started at $1000. Retailing for $100 less versus a machine that is very similar with a better screen is worth criticizing.

 

[raqball]

you, like those other people have no idea how to manage your expectations... unfortunately for people like you will never be happy because what you are after is not attainable... seems like nobody taught you how capitalism works

I'll pass on responding to the obtuse comments.. Apologies that returning my Air has triggered you to the point where you feel the need to attack and insult others..

Enjoy your new machine..

You do realize the MBA retails for $1,200 and the MBP $1,300? And with sales and refurbs you can get a MBP for cheaper than a MBA or just $50 more? For all intents and purposes there is no different price point now between the MBA and MBP. The MBA IMO is a rushed and poorly thought out product that does not differentiate itself enough against the nTB MBP which has a far superior screen and can be had for less or barely more than a new MBA. The new MBA should have started at $1000. Retailing for $100 less versus a machine that is very similar with a better screen is worth criticizing.

At $999 it would def make more sense -v- the corners they cut and -v- the nTB price and performance...

 

[macnmac]

I'll pass on responding to the obtuse comments.. Apologies that returning my Air has triggered you to the point where you feel the need to attack and insult others..

Enjoy your new machine..



At $999 it would def make more sense -v- the corners they cut and -v- the nTB price and performance...



Hehehe...

not sure why you or anyone else should feel attacked, i just pointed something out... now if you feel like youve been attacked, well...

 

[raqball]

not sure why you or anyone else should feel attacked, i just pointed something out... now if you feel like youve been attacked, well...

Your post speaks for itself and you appear angry.. Not sure why you've been trigged by people returning their machines or questioning the product but......... I'm moving on from your angry posts now and won't respond to them any further...

Corners cut:

1. CPU (it's a mobile processor)
2. GPU
3. Bluetooth
4. Screen (brightness and washed out look)

$999? Sure.... $1199? Nah! I could deal with 1-3 but drew the line at 4.. If you think sacrificing those are worth saving $100 then so be it. Like I said it's your money not mine..

And now back to the scheduled thread programming = Screen brightness.

 

[Velin]

lets be fair here... what you and the other people are asking for is a mbp at the mba price point...

No. This discussion is about the 2018 MBAir screen. Apple should first get the Air screen right -- because the current 2018 Air screen simply is not up to Apple standards. Anyone with portable Mac experience instantly knows the 2018 Air screen is dim and dull and inferior to every other Apple portable. Period.

We can then have a separate discussion about cost/price/value.

 

[torana355]

you, like those other people have no idea how to manage your expectations... you have this idea that it has to
be xyz and unfortunately for people like you will never be happy because what you are after is not attainable... i too want to own a car that performs like a ferrari and cost as much as a corolla... seems like nobody taught you how capitalism works, how for profit companies work, and the age old idea of “you get what you pay for”

You are just wrong. The reason being is Apple has priced the mba in the mbp territory. So naturally expectations rise. If Apple priced it at 1000 bucks like the old model it would be a completely different story.

To use your analogy its like the corolla has been priced at 200,000 bucks, you are going to therefore compare it to cars at that price point.

 

[lewchenko]

Went to see the new Air in person on Sunday and compared it directly to a MacBook Pro next to it.

Holy disappointing screen batman !!

It’s dim.

Noticeably so.
Whilst I much prefer the shape of the Air wedge, the screen is garbage. Hi res, yes. But bright it is not. So disappointed.

On top of the Y series processor, and extortionate 256Gb / 16Gb upgrade prices, plus questionable keyboard I have concluded this machine is not fit for purpose.

Just get the pro.
I’m now trying to decide whether a switch to a surface laptop 2 (superior screen and keyboard , cheaper, better cpu spec) or go for a pro (but that keyboard ..... ) Hobson’s choices galore these days if you stick with Apple.

 

[Velin]

I'm now trying to decide whether a switch to a surface laptop 2 (superior screen and keyboard , cheaper, better cpu spec)

Surface 2 laptop is a really good machine. Another quality machine is the Thinkpad X1 Carbon, amazing keyboard, very well built, light yet strong, get one with the HDR screen. Excellent portables.

 

[raqball]

I’m now trying to decide whether a switch to a surface laptop 2 (superior screen and keyboard , cheaper, better cpu spec) or go for a pro (but that keyboard ..... )

I have a Surface Laptop 2 in black. Gave my thoughts on it here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surface-laptop-2.2150708/

In a nutshell, stellar machine that demolishes the Air... But no MacOS....

 

[gollum]

Not scientific, all 3 at full brightness. The Pro is brighter in person, just not as much as some people make it out to be.

 

[Wags]

The brightness isn’t the entire issue. The color is a bigger issue. Look at the blue sky. Not as brilliant as the MBP.

 

[Kimcha]

I don’t think apple actually cut corners with it to save money (at least on the CPU and GPU front as those are not significantly cheaper).

I think the issue is the wedge shape which makes the MBA a highly compromised laptop.

The weight savings are negligible and the space savings are are non-existent when you put it next to the MBP.

The wedge shape has absolutely no end-user benefit or purpose.

The only benefit it has is for APPLE. It’s nothing, but a marketing tool so that they can sell more devices by using the MBA brand.

But at the same time it comes with significant compromises for the end-user: too thin for proper cooling, which is why they have to use a Y CPU and a smaller battery.

This is why apple didn’t update the MBA together with the 2016 MBPs.

The ntb-MBP was the successor of the air, but the target market was probably not buying it because the price and MBP brand intimidated them.

So apple created the rMBA, which is an inferior product from a tech perspective, but appeals to the mass-market.

 

[0014]

Can people please STOP comparing the Air Screen to the Pro?!

You are comparing a 300nit sRGB screen to a 500nit P3 screen. Of course the Pro is going to look better.

Regardless of what Apple should/shouldn’t have done or what price point they have the device positioned at. You can’t compare two different technologies and expect the inferior to match the superior!! It’s pointless and, to be blunt, bloody stupid to do so!

The only screen you should compare the Air with is the MacBook as that has the same screen.

The other arguments about price, the pro being better value for money, CPU, GPU etc may well all be valid.

But, I’ve said this numerous times already and will say it again. My early 2015 rMBP has a 300nit sRGB screen. You will not have any issue with a MBA screen unless it is defective. The rest is subjective because you know/have seen a better screen.

The screen quality argument only works if you are comparing like for like.

 

[Velin]

The only screen you should compare the Air with is the MacBook as that has the same screen.

Disagree. A portable screen is a portable screen is a portable screen. I don't care what the name of the device is -- no offering should have an inferior panel. It is both wise and appropriate to make direct comparisons. Comparative differences are the definition of evaluation, judgment, and determining value.

Using entirely appropriate comparative judgment, the MBAir's panel is inferior.

But, using your yardstick, the 2018 MBAir still fails. Many of us have seen both screens. The Macbook screen is brighter and more vivid. Same with the 2011 MBAir -- brighter than the 2018. Totally unacceptable, because the latest one is unacceptably dim and dull. No matter how you slice it and dice it, this latest machine = not up to Apple standards. And definitely not worth $1400 (the only one to consider with a base of 256GB SSD).

 

[Ma2k5]

....
The only screen you should compare the Air with is the MacBook as that has the same screen.
....

Although I don't disagree with this statement, it is strange that 2 years ago at the MBP Keynote, they touted the non-touch Bar as the Air replacement almost, comparing it to the Air in power/dimensions etc - I mean if we removed the "Pro" moniker from it, you wouldn't argue with them that it should have a "Pro" moniker on it, given it's CPU and GPU fall short of what Apple historically use for their Pro devices.

If they failed to meet battery life demands, I would have at least hoped the colour/brightness matched the 12" MacBook though (as you have mentioned as a valid comparison). I mean they didn't make the 12" MacBook dimmer/washed out to get a higher battery life so why the Air? It's a larger screen but it also means it houses a larger battery due to having a larger body.

By the way, the nTB had great battery life in my experience. Two years on, they added a wedge (which would limit space) to make the new Air, but Apple R&D I would have thought, given it's two years on, worked out how to get more battery in a smaller space by now no? They took away the CPU and the 500 nit display (to increase battery life), to add a wedge and called it the new Air?

 

[Geert76]

For me it's quite simple;

Apple used minimum specs and an "okay" screen and maximized margins on this Air, by pricing it similar to a Macbook Pro while the latter has superior specs and Retina screen....again, for nearly the same price

 

[0014]

Disagree. A portable screen is a portable screen is a portable screen. I don't care what the name of the device is -- no offering should have an inferior panel. It is both wise and appropriate to make direct comparisons. Comparative differences are the definition of evaluation, judgment, and determining value.

Using entirely appropriate comparative judgment, the MBAir's panel is inferior.

But, using your yardstick, the 2018 MBAir still fails. Many of us have seen both screens. The Macbook screen is brighter and more vivid. Same with the 2011 MBAir -- brighter than the 2018. Totally unacceptable, because the latest one is unacceptably dim and dull. No matter how you slice it and dice it, this latest machine = not up to Apple standards. And definitely not worth $1400 (the only one to consider with a base of 256GB SSD).

Sorry but that’s a stupid argument that a portable screen is a portable screen. That’s like saying all Samsung TV’s are equal. They’re not. You can get a decent one and an outstanding one around the same price point.

Would you compare a BMW 340i and BMW 335d and complain the 335 wasn’t as fast or the 340i didn’t have the same fuel economy? Both are different technologies.

Why should no offering have an inferior panel? What is going to attract people to buy the Pro’s if they have poor panels, on the flip side what is going to attract people to buy the MBA if it is priced higher due to the better panel?

People buy the pro for the enhanced screen and capability to edit large photos and videos. You don’t buy a MBA to do that anything other than the odd photo/video on an infrequent basis and mainly office apps and surfing.

I haven’t given any yardstick apart from to compare like for like.

So the comparisons should be between the MacBook and 2017 MacBook Air

The only argument i agree with on the MBA vs MBP nTB is that it makes better financial sense to spend an extra $100 to get the Pro laptop. But to say the screen is inferior is ridiculous as it’s not. 3yrs ago the same screen was lauded as fantastic and was the screen you got on the pro laptop. The Air didn’t have that screen but nobody seemed to complain then it was a lower spec. I think Apple will drop the nTB soon which will then make the lineup a lot easier to decide between.

 

[DSTOFEL]

lets be fair here... what you and the other people are asking for is a mbp at the mba price point...

Not at all! I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the 2018 air had a screen that was at least on par with the base Macbook. See the post back on Page 3 comparing these two. The Air is far dimmer than the Macbook and appears washed out and dull in comparison.

 

[CheesePuff]

Not sure if it has been brought up, but the previous non Retina MacBook Air is also 300 nits.

 

[RichHI]

Yeah that's my understanding too. I typically run my 2015 on about 4 dots (perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 brightness). Just turned it up to fill brightness for a laugh - might need to run to the car and grab my sunglasses.
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People always need something to complain about.

I wonder if people have true tone turned on. I noticed on my Iphone X that it does not suit me, making things warmer and darker.

Tend to agree on people worrying about nothing. Waiting for one of the click bait bloggers to post a video saying it is their job to drop it out of a third story window and cracking the screen...

 

[blairh]

Can people please STOP comparing the Air Screen to the Pro?!

You are comparing a 300nit sRGB screen to a 500nit P3 screen. Of course the Pro is going to look better.

Regardless of what Apple should/shouldn’t have done or what price point they have the device positioned at. You can’t compare two different technologies and expect the inferior to match the superior!! It’s pointless and, to be blunt, bloody stupid to do so!

The only screen you should compare the Air with is the MacBook as that has the same screen.

The other arguments about price, the pro being better value for money, CPU, GPU etc may well all be valid.

But, I’ve said this numerous times already and will say it again. My early 2015 rMBP has a 300nit sRGB screen. You will not have any issue with a MBA screen unless it is defective. The rest is subjective because you know/have seen a better screen.

The screen quality argument only works if you are comparing like for like.

This is complete and utter nonsense. When two machines are so close in price, of course we are going to compare them.

Your 2015 MBP is completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. The standards are not set 3 years ago. They are set NOW. In 2018 you can get a great screen for $1,300 Apple retail pricing. $1,100 refurbished. So why shouldn't we complain about a machine with a far worse screen that is essentially identical in size but only $100 less at retail? It makes all the sense in the world to compare these screens when the price points are so similar. If the new MBA started at $1,000 retail there would be a lot less vitriol on this forum about the differences because the price would reflect the difference in quality.
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Not sure if it has been brought up, but the previous non Retina MacBook Air is also 300 nits.

And that matters in what way now? We are talking about the current lineup and pricing. Not what the MBA used to be.