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Macbook Al Screen

F

Fenix85

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 29, 2008
48
0
Hello everyone. I've lurked here ever since I bought my iPhone. I started with iPods moved on to the iPhone and finally switched from PC to Mac with a beautiful 24" iMac, and haven't regretted it once.

I've been wanting a laptop for a while now, specifically the Macbook, so I finally took the plunge. I did my research and read the reviews and the mild problems people have had with them. I looked at models in store and couldn't find anything wrong so I bought the 2.0 model.

Now that I've played with my Macbook for a couple days I have to say I'm disappointed with the display. I'm experiencing the same issue as others have had here. The display washes out from top to bottom. If I have a black backdrop or am playing a DVD with lots of dark scenes, Cloverfield for example, I get a bright greyish black lower screen. Other than darks everything looks decent.

So here's my questions:

Is this really a problem with all Macbooks or just some? I have the 9C8C screen does that make a difference?

I have an appointment with a genius tech tomorrow what could they possibly do. Would they replace the screen? I've read the Air screen are excellent would they be willing to put one of those in?

If your still reading I just want to thank you for your time.

I really love this machine but those blacks are killing me. I mean this is a $1300 machine we're talking about here.
 
Fenix85 said:
Is this really a problem with all Macbooks or just some? I have the 9C8C screen does that make a difference?

I have an appointment with a genius tech tomorrow what could they possibly do. Would they replace the screen? I've read the Air screen are excellent would they be willing to put one of those in?

If your still reading I just want to thank you for your time.

I really love this machine but those blacks are killing me. I mean this is a $1300 machine we're talking about here.
Click to expand...

1. Yeah it's a Macbook trait in general. All the consumer end Macbooks have the same quality screens. Only the Air and the Pro versions have decent black levels.

2. They won't replace your screen with the Air screen (we all wish!).

No amount of tweaking or calibration will get you an even black level across the screen. You have to decide if this is a deal breaker or not for you. I had to make the same decision, and decided to live with it. As a "workaround" I try to avoid using black colors for general use and when I do need proper colors and accurate blacks I output to an external monitor. Since you already have a 24 imac you could do the same for any serious work.
 
Calibration wont cure it, but a thread here with hardware calibrated color profiles did leaps and bounds for my "washed out" look. I still get a bit of "dark gray" on the edges of the screen if I'm not looking straight on, but black is black anywhere in the center.

edit:

but seriously, its a notebook. If its one's primary movie veiwing device, then one should have bought a desk top or DVD player for their TV instead.
 
No, Apple won't do anything about the screen. It is what it is, take it or leave it kind of deal.

If it bothers you that much, ask nicely, they may take it back (w/o restocking) and let you buy a MBA or MBP. But you have to be prepared to live with the different form factor/features.
 
It isn't a problem but normal as other posters said. Take it or leave it will most likely be your choices.
I chose to leave it and bought a MBP for the ports/functionality and have an Air form the smaller for factor portability. It's a shame since besides the display, the MB was an awesome machine.
 
So I went to the Apple store today and basically I'm sol. The technicians told me that lower quality screens are used on Macbooks vs Air & Pro in order to keep the price down and there wasn't much they could do. They acknowledged all of my issues and said they could send it out to be replaced but most likely I'd see no difference. The whole experience left a bitter taste in my mouth. This is a $1300 dollar machine were talking about worse yet the $1600 2.4 has the same issues.

I guess I'll be returning it and no more Apple products for a while. The whole thing just screams petty on Apple's part and really makes me question there business practices. I know many of you disagree but we're all entitled to our opinions.
 
you're entitled to your opinion. and you're free to take it back. just don't take it "personally"; they're not trying to screw you. they made a decision on the hardware, and the consumer is free to either buy it or not.
 
Did you not try out the computer before you purchased it at the store?


Fenix85 said:
So I went to the Apple store today and basically I'm sol. The technicians told me that lower quality screens are used on Macbooks vs Air & Pro in order to keep the price down and there wasn't much they could do. They acknowledged all of my issues and said they could send it out to be replaced but most likely I'd see no difference. The whole experience left a bitter taste in my mouth. This is a $1300 dollar machine were talking about worse yet the $1600 2.4 has the same issues.

I guess I'll be returning it and no more Apple products for a while. The whole thing just screams petty on Apple's part and really makes me question there business practices. I know many of you disagree but we're all entitled to our opinions.
Click to expand...
 
bozz2006 said:
you're entitled to your opinion. and you're free to take it back. just don't take it "personally"; they're not trying to screw you. they made a decision on the hardware, and the consumer is free to either buy it or not.
Click to expand...

Well said. Imagine if Apple put a nicer screen in the Al-MB (along with the firewire), they will have to raise the price too. Then people would complain the price of all Apple laptops being too expensive. At the end, they have to keep the price of MBs low, and offer significant advantages with MBA and MBP so people will spend the extra $ on them.
 
silverblack said:
Well said. Imagine if Apple put a nicer screen in the Al-MB (along with the firewire), they will have to raise the price too. Then people would complain the price of all Apple laptops being too expensive. At the end, they have to keep the price of MBs low, and offer significant advantages with MBA and MBP so people will spend the extra $ on them.
Click to expand...

I'd be happy to pay for a better screen and firewire on a Macbook Al, actually.
 
Fenix85 said:
So I went to the Apple store today and basically I'm sol. The technicians told me that lower quality screens are used on Macbooks vs Air & Pro in order to keep the price down and there wasn't much they could do...
Click to expand...

Wow, at my Apple store, the blue shirts kept telling people that they were the same screens, and that the only difference were that the pros were bigger. I kept wanting to jump up and down and yell "Bullsh#%!".

Part of the screen problem could be solved if Apple quit doing its sleight of hand, and admit the difference on the screens. The MB's look identical to the Pros, and the price for the 2.4 is pretty close to it. They emphasize the similar look, chips and manufacturing process. What they gloss over is the screen difference. They only differentiate the models by screen SIZE, firewire, express slot and the extra graphics chip.

The legacy MB's were plastic. I think people naturally had lowered expectations from a plastic laptop than they did from the pro aluminum one. Apple's always scrimped on the screens in their consumer level laptops. Look at the screen on a 12" ibook and compare it to a 12" powerbook; the ibook will look blocky and pixelated compared to the pb.

If the people on the sales floor started telling people that it has the same LED backlighting as the Pro, and it was the best screen ever on a Macbook, and it had ALMOST the same quality screen as the Pro, a lot of these problems would diminish. Call the MBP displays ultra or premium, or whatever, and use it as an opportunity to upsell people to the pros. Whatever. Just be (at least slightly) honest about it.

Apple did the same thing when the 20" iMac went from plastic to aluminum. Steve Jobs came out on stage, said they were dropping the price on the new 20", and people rejoiced. What he didn't say was that they were putting a lower quality display in it and using software to compensate.

I don't mind the cheaper displays, Apple needs some way to differentiate its different models and justify the price points. What I do object to is the sleight of hand it uses in presenting lower quality displays as the equals of their more expensive bretheren.
 
MB screen actually better than MBA - for some purposes

Fenix85 said:
.

Now that I've played with my Macbook for a couple days I have to say I'm disappointed with the display. I'm experiencing the same issue as others have had here. The display washes out from top to bottom.
...

Is this really a problem with all Macbooks or just some? I have the 9C8C screen does that make a difference?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is true that the blacks are not even, and not rich, on the new MB. For watching videos, the MBA has a better screen.

But keep in mind that MBA screens have their own problems if you are reading or doing text-based work intensively. The RevA MBAs suffer a kind of "graininess" that makes reading difficult for some people, causing headaches and eyestrain. (I can't comment on the RevBs.)

I owned 2 of these RevA MBAs, and had to return them because I was going nuts trying to read them.

I presently have an aluminum MB that does not have this problem. My eyes and head are no longer suffering.

I'd like to think that this is an objective criterion for evaluating this situation - since it is my body talking and not me. I write for a living, and couldn't work with either of the MBAs that I owned, or any MBA that I've spent time with in a store.

So the MB screen is better - for this purpose.
 
In all honesty, the average user won't notice any problems with the macbook screen, as far as im concerned its perfect and brighter and clearer than my older macbook. its only a small portion of picky computer geeks (no offense people, i love this site) who post these issues online. im pretty sure 99.9% of macbook owners have no problem with their screens.
 
i just purchased the 2.0 macbook on friday and i did notice the issue at hand but to me its not that big of a deal to me. if it ever gets to the point where it bothers me like the OP ill just use my imac.
 
Just FYI,

My wife just got a brand new Dell XPS M1330, which is a really nice PC laptop. It has an discrete graphics card etc, and is top of the line for a consumer laptop.

HOWEVER, the display on hers is the same, if not worse then the macbook aluminum. So don't just think it is apple trying to screw you over. they all do it.

Granted...her PC costed less for better specs then a macbook, but I guess you could argue it doesn't have OSX
 
clyde2801 said:
Wow, at my Apple store, the blue shirts kept telling people that they were the same screens, and that the only difference were that the pros were bigger. I kept wanting to jump up and down and yell "Bullsh#%!".

Part of the screen problem could be solved if Apple quit doing its sleight of hand, and admit the difference on the screens. The MB's look identical to the Pros, and the price for the 2.4 is pretty close to it. They emphasize the similar look, chips and manufacturing process. What they gloss over is the screen difference. They only differentiate the models by screen SIZE, firewire, express slot and the extra graphics chip.

The legacy MB's were plastic. I think people naturally had lowered expectations from a plastic laptop than they did from the pro aluminum one. Apple's always scrimped on the screens in their consumer level laptops. Look at the screen on a 12" ibook and compare it to a 12" powerbook; the ibook will look blocky and pixelated compared to the pb.

If the people on the sales floor started telling people that it has the same LED backlighting as the Pro, and it was the best screen ever on a Macbook, and it had ALMOST the same quality screen as the Pro, a lot of these problems would diminish. Call the MBP displays ultra or premium, or whatever, and use it as an opportunity to upsell people to the pros. Whatever. Just be (at least slightly) honest about it.

Apple did the same thing when the 20" iMac went from plastic to aluminum. Steve Jobs came out on stage, said they were dropping the price on the new 20", and people rejoiced. What he didn't say was that they were putting a lower quality display in it and using software to compensate.

I don't mind the cheaper displays, Apple needs some way to differentiate its different models and justify the price points. What I do object to is the sleight of hand it uses in presenting lower quality displays as the equals of their more expensive bretheren.
Click to expand...

Long-winded, but I agree.

I went from a (defective) unibody MBP to the unibody MB. Yes, the difference in screen quality was noticeable, but it was also expected. After the switch, I'm actually happier with the MB. To me, the high-end MB is a much better value than the low end MBP. In the end, you won't even notice the difference between the screens (it's not like you'll be doing a direct comparison on a day-to-day basis!).
 
bluesTank said:
My wife just got a brand new Dell XPS M1330, which is a really nice PC laptop. It has an discrete graphics card etc, and is top of the line for a consumer laptop.

HOWEVER, the display on hers is the same, if not worse then the macbook aluminum. So don't just think it is apple trying to screw you over. they all do it.
Click to expand...

The difference with the Dell XPS M1330 though is that it's been out for a very long time and is based on last generation technology. Staples over here has been clearing them out as discontinued products for like 800 bucks. That particular model is on the brink of being replaced with a newer model. The Macbook having a screen as bad as an outdated Dell is pretty sad.
 
nope7308 said:
In the end, you won't even notice the difference between the screens (it's not like you'll be doing a direct comparison on a day-to-day basis!).
Click to expand...

I could tell a difference in the screen, that's why I went from a 2.4 MB to a 2.4 MBP. Not as mobile as the MB, but I'd rather have the nicer screen.

I don't have to bring up the Gizmodo or other reviews of the MB. The people who review hardware for a living could tell the difference.

Glad you're not having any issues with your MB. Enjoy.
 
clyde2801 said:
Wow, at my Apple store, the blue shirts kept telling people that they were the same screens, and that the only difference were that the pros were bigger. I kept wanting to jump up and down and yell "Bullsh#%!".

Part of the screen problem could be solved if Apple quit doing its sleight of hand, and admit the difference on the screens. The MB's look identical to the Pros, and the price for the 2.4 is pretty close to it. They emphasize the similar look, chips and manufacturing process. What they gloss over is the screen difference. They only differentiate the models by screen SIZE, firewire, express slot and the extra graphics chip.

The legacy MB's were plastic. I think people naturally had lowered expectations from a plastic laptop than they did from the pro aluminum one. Apple's always scrimped on the screens in their consumer level laptops. Look at the screen on a 12" ibook and compare it to a 12" powerbook; the ibook will look blocky and pixelated compared to the pb.

If the people on the sales floor started telling people that it has the same LED backlighting as the Pro, and it was the best screen ever on a Macbook, and it had ALMOST the same quality screen as the Pro, a lot of these problems would diminish. Call the MBP displays ultra or premium, or whatever, and use it as an opportunity to upsell people to the pros. Whatever. Just be (at least slightly) honest about it.

Apple did the same thing when the 20" iMac went from plastic to aluminum. Steve Jobs came out on stage, said they were dropping the price on the new 20", and people rejoiced. What he didn't say was that they were putting a lower quality display in it and using software to compensate.

I don't mind the cheaper displays, Apple needs some way to differentiate its different models and justify the price points. What I do object to is the sleight of hand it uses in presenting lower quality displays as the equals of their more expensive bretheren.
Click to expand...

Actually I think they used the same screens on the Powerbook 12" and iBook, the difference was the 64mb vram chips on the Powerbook versus the 32mb vram chips on the iBooks.

I miss my old 12" screen. i am seriously wondering if I can upgrade the al macbook inner screen to a better, higher resolution lcd screen.
 
clyde2801 said:
I could tell a difference in the screen, that's why I went from a 2.4 MB to a 2.4 MBP. Not as mobile as the MB, but I'd rather have the nicer screen.

I don't have to bring up the Gizmodo or other reviews of the MB. The people who review hardware for a living could tell the difference.

Glad you're not having any issues with your MB. Enjoy.
Click to expand...

One thing I forgot to mention - the difference is quite noticeable if you don't properly calibrate the screen. When I picked up my MB, I found the screen to be 'washed out'. After experimenting with some of the colour profiles available on mac rumors, I finally found a configuration that was acceptable.

Yes, it was a pain in the ass, but it saved me a considerable amount of money :D

Enjoy your MBP - I'm sure it's an excellent machine (I can't comment because mine was a defective POS).
 
Everyone seems to be comparing the new MB screen to the MBP. How do the new MB screens compare to the white MB's screens?
 
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