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Macbook Pro 2011 is so...BAD BAD BAD!
- Thread starter TomJak
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I see all of them, maybe except 1. Your display is fail. Take it to a Genius Bar. Or do a calibration. Fail much?
Wow! I just bought my MBP 15 in July. I sold a 2009 Lenovo and a 2011 Sony VAIO just to get this MBP. Both of those Windows laptops were OK but nothing like the quality of my new MBP.
I turn my Macbook on every morning around 9 AM and don't turn it off until about 10:30 pm. I play games and surf and do a bunch of stuff all day using Mac OS X and Windows 7 under bootcamp. I play Fall Out New Vegas under Windows 7 with Bootcamp for hours and hours and this laptop never quits because it's too hot. My other non-Apple notebooks all had problems doing that. I pick it up and tote it upstairs and down stairs and run it on battery most all day. And yes, I watch YouTube videos all the time during the day. This is the quietest and coolest laptop that I have ever owned.
I think you got a bad product and I would certainly take it back to Apple and get another one. Keep doing that until you get one that works to your satisfaction.
If you can't, then buy something else. Why gripe about something you don't like.
I turn my Macbook on every morning around 9 AM and don't turn it off until about 10:30 pm. I play games and surf and do a bunch of stuff all day using Mac OS X and Windows 7 under bootcamp. I play Fall Out New Vegas under Windows 7 with Bootcamp for hours and hours and this laptop never quits because it's too hot. My other non-Apple notebooks all had problems doing that. I pick it up and tote it upstairs and down stairs and run it on battery most all day. And yes, I watch YouTube videos all the time during the day. This is the quietest and coolest laptop that I have ever owned.
I think you got a bad product and I would certainly take it back to Apple and get another one. Keep doing that until you get one that works to your satisfaction.
If you can't, then buy something else. Why gripe about something you don't like.
I'm just curious, how much darker do you think the screen is compared to your 2008 model? Is it one notch, two notches, three notches, or whatever?
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I'm curious, by how much brighter (in terms of notches) was your 2009 model compared to 2011?
I've been wanting to get the 2011, but it just seems every time I go to the Mac store, the screens don't look as bright as my 2010.......
Forgive me, but the above statement screams "troll". Let everybody do their complaining, you do yours.
FYI, an overwhelming majority of users (88% in fact) report little or no problems with their 2011 MBP models.
My idle temps hovers between 35C - 45C The machine only gets loud when playing mid-level games or running flash heavy content. It is totally silent when streaming youtube clips up to 720p. On the contrary, my 2008 is quite a bit louder, but I suspect it is merely due to higher CPU strain.
The HDD in my 2011 model is totally silent. I can only hear it (though barely) when in a very quiet atmosphere and if I put my ear to the right palmrest. It sounds as though your HDD is not seated in its brackets properly.
The warm, slightly "yellowish", tint is not indicative of display quality. It is merely a style. Displays can be recalibrated to any style. If the default style is too painful for you to use, recalibrate it to your liking. The fact that you don't like the display style does not indicate that there is a flaw or a defect. The blacks are deeper than in 2008 model but that translates to more vibrant colors and better, higher contrast. I haven't noticed photos or videos looking too dark.
It's a laptop. If you're expecting 7.1 surround in a laptop, ditch Apple and contact Skynet
The 2011 model's speakers are certainly louder. As far as bass and clarity goes, I can barely tell the difference, but it seems to me that the 2011 has a slight edge there.
Many more Macbook Pro users use SD cards than CF cards. Alternatively, you can use a multi card reader, so what's the problem.
Some [actually most] owners "not minding" these "issues" proves that these aren't issues but personal preferences.
I won't. Return the machine. No point of pulling your hair out for something as trivial. There are plenty of other good laptops out there. I'm sure you'll find one you like.
How do you know that "they are not"?
Clearly??
I HAVE compared my 2011 model with 2008 one. I am afraid I still don't "know what [you're] talking about".
It is not Apple's fault that Adobe cannot include proper, efficient, hardware acceleration in their product.
Again, I am not experiencing this. In fact, the edges feel smoother than on an old 2008 model.
22 weeks old.
just gonna post this one more time and then its on you.
i know there can be hardware duds out there, so whatever specific grievances you have may well be totally legitimate. but you seem to be stuck arguing with people about the relative legitimacy of anecdotal cases of satisfaction or frustration. you aren't going to convince anyone who's happy with their machine that they shouldn't be any more than they're going to convince you that you should ignore the stuff thats bothering you.
the bottom line is you need to advocate for yourself where its actually going to make a difference. if the speakers sound bad, the screen looks bad, the system runs hot, seek a replacement, repair or failing all else, a machine that better meets your needs. its all you can really do! and all i can do is reassure you that having gone between the same two systems you have, it can be a positive experience.
i know there can be hardware duds out there, so whatever specific grievances you have may well be totally legitimate. but you seem to be stuck arguing with people about the relative legitimacy of anecdotal cases of satisfaction or frustration. you aren't going to convince anyone who's happy with their machine that they shouldn't be any more than they're going to convince you that you should ignore the stuff thats bothering you.
the bottom line is you need to advocate for yourself where its actually going to make a difference. if the speakers sound bad, the screen looks bad, the system runs hot, seek a replacement, repair or failing all else, a machine that better meets your needs. its all you can really do! and all i can do is reassure you that having gone between the same two systems you have, it can be a positive experience.
Well that one is probably my own
But it is obvious, I'm professional photographer, so I have a eye for that and I can compare side by side with calibrated professional display...in my opinion the default display profile on macbooks is so bad, you actually can't see any details in shadows. But I think this issue was also on my 2008 model...Apple just names something PRO and means consumer. I just don't like that average mac users wont see my photos properly.
Your late 2008 MBP would have shipped with a default gamma of 1.8. Beginning with Snow Leopard, Apple switched to a default of 2.2. What did you use when creating the profile for the late 08 MBP? I hope you're not comparing apples to oranges here and complaining about it. If you're running 1.8 on the older machine, clearly the blacks are going to look totally different on the new machine with a default profile that uses 2.2.
Apple displays are generally very good right out of the box, but the default profile is targeted towards the masses...as it should be. If Apple shipped displays that were calibrated with a high degree of precision from the factory, it would be a waste of time/money because most customers would not notice the difference and all pro users are going to calibrate on their own anyway.
It is not louder because it "plays more frequencies". You have no idea how sound reproduction works.
A subwoofer is a completely separate speaker. It may be positioned on the left side of the machine, but it most certainly does not play through the same speaker. It produces a low frequency sound that will reverberate through the body of the machine. Sure, if you put your ear up next to that side you will notice it more, but that's not how stereo sound works and that's not how producers mix their songs.
Stereo speakers are not meant to be heard one at a time. If you're sticking your ear up next to them individually to compare you are on a fool's errand. They are meant to be heard in unison, by two ears. There are two ways to detect the difference from the subwoofer. One is what I mentioned earlier (and what you are most assuredly doing) pressing your ear up to one and noticing the difference--the other is to be a canine. Considering that canines don't read or type, you obviously are not one and do not possess their auditory sense.
The subwoofer on this machine is not going to be like a real subwoofer. It's physically impossible. These kinds of frequencies require speakers with some size to accomplish the right effect. It's really more about "feeling" the bass than it is hearing it. You were correct when you said that it shouldn't really be called a subwoofer--at least from a sound perspective. It technically is, because it's a separate speaker designed to only play the lowest frequencies (there's nothing else to call that), but it won't work like an actual subwoofer. It's just there to give a more rounded overall sound and include some more of the low end. This is all that's possible with speakers of this size.
Please read my replies in red.
This isn't directed at the OP, so I hope you don't take offense.
[rant]
Problem with Apple owners(myself included) is they go out and research the hell out of it, download iStat and monitor the crap out of the temperature, CPU and fan speed every 5 seconds or so. They expect their CPU to be the coldest in the universe and their fans to run without noise when they hop onto MacRumors and see this other guy with the awesomest MacBook around with no flaws when in truth that guy was just really lucky(or is a real expert) and got in the 99th percentile with an absolutely flawless product.
Fact is, most of us in the 30-85th percentiles. Our Macs WORK FINE, but we just feel like we are in that 5th percentile who got absolutely FUBAR MacBooks. Its a crazy feeling, but yeah, thats the sad truth.
So just buy the Mac and enjoy it. You won't find a better notebook than this to be honest
[/rant]
This is simply one of the best posts I have read
If there truly is a problem, Apple will fix it. But for the most part people are just overreacting.
overreact - get things out of proportion, go over the top, blow things out of proportion, make a mountain out of a molehill, get upset over nothing, react disproportionately i.e.(use iStat to monitor every little thing constantly and freak out if their Mac is 5ºC higher then someone elses)
overreact - get things out of proportion, go over the top, blow things out of proportion, make a mountain out of a molehill, get upset over nothing, react disproportionately i.e.(use iStat to monitor every little thing constantly and freak out if their Mac is 5ºC higher then someone elses)
a lot, and i mean A LOT of the heat issues are to do with the desecrate graphics. when i am on the ati radon 6750 temperatures skyrocket. i use gfxstatus and force integrated intel hd3000 and my temps never go above 45.
also i notice the temperature threshold to activate the fan seems a lot higher. my 2009 would kick in the fan a lot earlier.
other than that, i have not noticed any other issues.
1. get gfxstatus
2. get smcfancontrol and manually do things.
also i notice the temperature threshold to activate the fan seems a lot higher. my 2009 would kick in the fan a lot earlier.
other than that, i have not noticed any other issues.
1. get gfxstatus
2. get smcfancontrol and manually do things.
I did your test in a room that has light shining on my screen ( i got an Anti-Glare screen though ).
I see all black boxes perfectly except the first one.
Maybe if I do this test in a dark room, I would see the first black box too
I just cant stop wondering what some people try to write here regardless of their knowledge of the technology.
1. I dont think that having 70C is normal almost in idle, using integrated HD3000, just browsing web and chating (no flash). It wont kill CPU, but it will kill my hands (or lap).
2. The right speaker is just louder, it is designed that way. I think this is major flaw which should never be done in stereo speaker. I consider myself audiophile, had owned a lot of speakers and audio gear. I certainly know how the things works here...
I just didnt have any problem listening to background music or watching movies on my late 2008 macbook. Now I just have, the sound is not as good. That is the fact.
3. The disk is louder than it should be. At least mine. Also the noise changes if I put my hand on the enclosure (like it was some crappy chinese hardware).
4. The display profile is really bad with no calibration. Te people who claim they see all the black squares: You just have to look from exactly from front of your display, i.e. 90 degrees from it. Shifting towards any other angle will cause colors to shift due to TN panel used in macbooks (yeah, pro machine uses worse screen than phone or tablet )
My professional and expensive display cant distinct last 2 squares. My macbook with default profile wont distinct up until 11th square. That is why I was talking about blacks being too pronounced. You cannot possibly see all the squares. If yes, you just think you can.
5. I am not from US, I am in Europe, Czech Republic. It is not so easy too just replace my machine and that is why I tried to solve my problems through this forum first. I will of course try to have it replaced, but just wanted to know some facts about the issues I am experiencing.
Thats it. If you think I just made all this up, suit yourself. I hoped for help, not for calling me troll. Apple always made some stupid decisions in their technology, if you dont think so, you are just unaware average consumer.
1. I dont think that having 70C is normal almost in idle, using integrated HD3000, just browsing web and chating (no flash). It wont kill CPU, but it will kill my hands (or lap).
2. The right speaker is just louder, it is designed that way. I think this is major flaw which should never be done in stereo speaker. I consider myself audiophile, had owned a lot of speakers and audio gear. I certainly know how the things works here...
I just didnt have any problem listening to background music or watching movies on my late 2008 macbook. Now I just have, the sound is not as good. That is the fact.
3. The disk is louder than it should be. At least mine. Also the noise changes if I put my hand on the enclosure (like it was some crappy chinese hardware).
4. The display profile is really bad with no calibration. Te people who claim they see all the black squares: You just have to look from exactly from front of your display, i.e. 90 degrees from it. Shifting towards any other angle will cause colors to shift due to TN panel used in macbooks (yeah, pro machine uses worse screen than phone or tablet
)My professional and expensive display cant distinct last 2 squares. My macbook with default profile wont distinct up until 11th square. That is why I was talking about blacks being too pronounced. You cannot possibly see all the squares. If yes, you just think you can.
5. I am not from US, I am in Europe, Czech Republic. It is not so easy too just replace my machine and that is why I tried to solve my problems through this forum first. I will of course try to have it replaced, but just wanted to know some facts about the issues I am experiencing.
Thats it. If you think I just made all this up, suit yourself. I hoped for help, not for calling me troll. Apple always made some stupid decisions in their technology, if you dont think so, you are just unaware average consumer.
It sounds like you may have a dud so either exchange it or just take it back. The 14 day refund policy is pretty amazingly decent IMO. Few other manufacturers offer customer service like Apple. In fact, do any?
My 2011 15" exhibits none of the issues you mention however (1) and (2) - if noticeable - can usually be eliminated by replacing the HDD with an SSD, if you want to spend a little more. I only hear the fans crank up when gaming.
My 2011 15" exhibits none of the issues you mention however (1) and (2) - if noticeable - can usually be eliminated by replacing the HDD with an SSD, if you want to spend a little more. I only hear the fans crank up when gaming.
I just cant stop wondering what some people try to write here regardless of their knowledge of the technology.
1. I dont think that having 70C is normal almost in idle, using integrated HD3000, just browsing web and chating (no flash). It wont kill CPU, but it will kill my hands (or lap).
2. The right speaker is just louder, it is designed that way. I think this is major flaw which should never be done in stereo speaker. I consider myself audiophile, had owned a lot of speakers and audio gear. I certainly know how the things works here...
I just didnt have any problem listening to background music or watching movies on my late 2008 macbook. Now I just have, the sound is not as good. That is the fact.
3. The disk is louder than it should be. At least mine. Also the noise changes if I put my hand on the enclosure (like it was some crappy chinese hardware).
4. The display profile is really bad with no calibration. Te people who claim they see all the black squares: You just have to look from exactly from front of your display, i.e. 90 degrees from it. Shifting towards any other angle will cause colors to shift due to TN panel used in macbooks (yeah, pro machine uses worse screen than phone or tablet
My professional and expensive display cant distinct last 2 squares. My macbook with default profile wont distinct up until 11th square. That is why I was talking about blacks being too pronounced. You cannot possibly see all the squares. If yes, you just think you can.
5. I am not from US, I am in Europe, Czech Republic. It is not so easy too just replace my machine and that is why I tried to solve my problems through this forum first. I will of course try to have it replaced, but just wanted to know some facts about the issues I am experiencing.
Thats it. If you think I just made all this up, suit yourself. I hoped for help, not for calling me troll. Apple always made some stupid decisions in their technology, if you dont think so, you are just unaware average consumer.
1. You probably have a stray process eating away processor cycles, that is hot for idle. The unibodies are much cooler than the older non-unibody and mine is sitting at 51C with mail, safari, itunes, address book and ical running. Perhaps you're one of the few laptops that have a true problem and not an overly obsessive owner worrying that his machine isn't running at -20C in a 40C room with a handbrake render going on. The MBP doesn't over heat, the temperatures I've seen people with "heat problems" report and right dab in the normal operating range, people just worry too much.
2. What did you truly expect from laptop speakers? You claim to be an audiophile yet you can bare listening to music on this?
3. Boo-hoo. Hard drives are mass produced in china, quality assurance isn't what it used to be, and some drives are louder than others, even within the same model of the same brand. Even the quieter brands such as Hitachi have their duds, stuff happens, get over it.
4. My display is calibrated with the factory setting(never bothered recalibrating it because I don't do photo edition and color reproduction doesn't matter that much to me.). I can see all squares except the first row. Maybe yours needs some extra calibrating? I have a last before unibody MBP.
5. And whining on an internet forum will help your return/refund process how, exactly? No matter the locating, Apple usually stands by their terms of sales, ring them up, you must have phones in czech republic if you're able to come on here.
I really don't know what to tell you man, if you're this disappointed, just return the thing and buy something else instead of trying to fix the unfixable.
I just cant stop wondering what some people try to write here regardless of their knowledge of the technology.
1. I dont think that having 70C is normal almost in idle, using integrated HD3000, just browsing web and chating (no flash). It wont kill CPU, but it will kill my hands (or lap).
2. The right speaker is just louder, it is designed that way. I think this is major flaw which should never be done in stereo speaker. I consider myself audiophile, had owned a lot of speakers and audio gear. I certainly know how the things works here...
I just didnt have any problem listening to background music or watching movies on my late 2008 macbook. Now I just have, the sound is not as good. That is the fact.
3. The disk is louder than it should be. At least mine. Also the noise changes if I put my hand on the enclosure (like it was some crappy chinese hardware).
4. The display profile is really bad with no calibration. Te people who claim they see all the black squares: You just have to look from exactly from front of your display, i.e. 90 degrees from it. Shifting towards any other angle will cause colors to shift due to TN panel used in macbooks (yeah, pro machine uses worse screen than phone or tablet
My professional and expensive display cant distinct last 2 squares. My macbook with default profile wont distinct up until 11th square. That is why I was talking about blacks being too pronounced. You cannot possibly see all the squares. If yes, you just think you can.
5. I am not from US, I am in Europe, Czech Republic. It is not so easy too just replace my machine and that is why I tried to solve my problems through this forum first. I will of course try to have it replaced, but just wanted to know some facts about the issues I am experiencing.
Thats it. If you think I just made all this up, suit yourself. I hoped for help, not for calling me troll. Apple always made some stupid decisions in their technology, if you dont think so, you are just unaware average consumer.
I did your test again, this time with testing for various angles. Now the room is a bit darker than during the first test. This time I see all of the black boxes including from a wide range of angles. ( the test earlier I had some light shining on the screen cause of the window behind me, the only black box I couldn't see was the first black box )
But thanks for this test anyway. This busts the myth that Anti-glare screens have bad blacks.
edit: Just take your machine in and get it replaced by a new one. You got to be lucky that you get one of the outstanding Panels Apple uses ( Apple uses a wide range of different screens ).
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