MacBook: Screen Questions

[Shot22]

I'm entering college in the fall and am looking for a new laptop. Right now, I am leaning towards a MacBook, but I still wanted to know peoples' opinions about its screen...

1) Does the small 13.3" screen cause eye strain?

2) What problems do you have (if any) with the glossy screen?

3) What is the viewing distance for a movie? In other words, about how far away from the screen can you easily watch a movie?

4) How usable is the computer outdoors (in terms of viewability)?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[kperrone]

1) Does the small 13.3" screen cause eye strain?

I've had mine for about 6 months and it doesn't bother my eyes. I have very sensitive eyes but i usually have more strain on larger screens than smaller ones.

2) What problems do you have (if any) with the glossy screen?

Just smudges that easily come off..

3) What is the viewing distance for a movie? In other words, about how far away from the screen can you easily watch a movie?

Considering it's only 13" you obviously can't watch it from across a large room but who does that anyway.. I usually sit about 2-4 feet from mine and it's fine unless its a tiny widescreen movie then it's a little weird to watch.

4) How usable is the computer outdoors?

Because of the glossy screen if you are sitting in direct sunlight you will get a bad glare but if you are shaded it's not bad.


Hope this helps. Sorry I could not say more.

 

[Apple Ink]

I'm entering college in the fall and am looking for a new laptop. Right now, I am leaning towards a MacBook, but I still wanted to know peoples' opinions about its screen...

1) Does the small 13.3" screen cause eye strain?

2) What problems do you have (if any) with the glossy screen?

3) What is the viewing distance for a movie? In other words, about how far away from the screen can you easily watch a movie?

4) How usable is the computer outdoors?

Thanks for any replies.

1. - No but it has a strange viewing angle!
2. - None at all! Seriously. Just increase the brightness and all's fine!
3. - Anywhere if you've got a good set of speakers and Battery/AC source nearby
4. - Ultimate! Just grab hold of a nice sleeve of the many available!

 

[Shot22]

Thanks. Any more opinions would be great!

 

[marold280]

hi.
ive had mine since december. the screen doesnt cause eye strain, sometimes after using computers with bigger screens my eyes physically hurt. not the case with this. its excellent =]
glossy screen is awesome lol.
movies i would say about 2 meters? its a small screen so unless you are showing everyone then you can just have it in front of you .
i use mine outdoors all the time. the battery life is superior to windows pc's so ...there !
thats my opinion!
Harry

 

[hexonxonx]

I actually prefer to watch videos on my MB (or MBP) because they look allot more clear than they do on my Mac Pro running a 23" ACD.

The MB has a bad viewing angle that is noticeable most when viewing black or dark screens. If you move the laptop even an inch when watching a movie you will notice the bad viewing angle. The color isn't as bright as other laptops due to the MacBook not being as brightly lit.

It should be good enough for what you need it for though it is comparable to a $500-$600 Windows PC but with a premium price because it is Apple.

 

[Shot22]

I actually prefer to watch videos on my MB (or MBP) because they look allot more clear than they do on my Mac Pro running a 23" ACD.

The MB has a bad viewing angle that is noticeable most when viewing black or dark screens. If you move the laptop even an inch when watching a movie you will notice the bad viewing angle. The color isn't as bright as other laptops due to the MacBook not being as brightly lit.

It should be good enough for what you need it for though it is comparable to a $500-$600 Windows PC but with a premium price because it is Apple.

Is the lack of brightness an issue at all for you?

 

[bobjob186]

It's not really an issue, I only notice when I look at my 22" acer display and then move to my macbook screen and try to make it brighter only to realize that it's at the brightest setting. It's nowhere near bad though, go see an iBook LCD, you'll laugh your head off at how dim it is compared to the MacBook.

 

[priller]

I've never found the brightness a problem, I have mine on the lowest setting most of the time.

 

[hexonxonx]

Is the lack of brightness an issue at all for you?

It's not a problem at all although I think the lack of brightness is why some people complain that the display looks washed out. I originally passed on buying the MB and bought an iMac instead because of how washed out the display looked in store.

It does take some calibration to get it to look acceptable and the default factory settings are quite bad.

 

[Shot22]

Okay, so brightness clearly isn't a big problem. Any more opinions regarding my questions (above) would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ppnkg]

When you're mobile, the macbook is fine in all respects. Very handy little machine, great for working at the library or in a cafe etc

The bad viewing angle is a bit annoying at times, but mostly when you watch movies in full screen (black areas).

For academic work (writing etc), I got a larger external TFT (19'), it's more convenient when you do work at home. I just completed my phd thesis with this setup

 

[Shot22]

Do you guys have any problem using the MacBook as your only computer?