Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook screen size
- Thread starter nkllr
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Hmm...
Yes, it's glossy.
No, there will be no matte version.
Yes, it's a far worse screen than the MacBook Pro's.
I've not heard of any light leak. See what Apple says.
I think that covers it.
It's 13.3". Size is relative. If you think it's small, it is. If you don't, it's not.
Yes, it's glossy.
No, there will be no matte version.
Yes, it's a far worse screen than the MacBook Pro's.
I've not heard of any light leak. See what Apple says.
I think that covers it.
It's 13.3". Size is relative. If you think it's small, it is. If you don't, it's not.
It's a perspective thing... When you go to an electronics store and see all the TV's on the floor (or wall)... you look at a 40" TV and it looks like a toy compared to all the "big guys", but when you get it home and put it in your smaller living room... a different story!
I found the same with computer stores... when most of the machines have 20 (and especially 24) inch screens, it makes the 13's look pretty weak. I know people say that the quality of the MB vs MBP screens are night and day, but when it's all alone sitting on your table (or your lap)... it seems to work nicely.
Just my 2cents.
--rob
It's also, in my most humble opinion, brilliant. I love it and the high quality resolution it gives. I don't do anything out of the ordinary (video editing etc) so I don't need massive screen resolution. I do most of my gaming on PC but the gaming I have done on Macbook has had very good resolution. Don't let the gloss concern you either: the only problems I've had with it have been in improperly lit rooms. (When I say improperly I mean inadequately spread light, or lots of light in one place but no another, thus creating disproportionate glare). I've never had light leak either. It's the screen is standard for a 13.3 inch system and not really 'small' per se. Enjoy your Macbook!
My previous 3 notebooks were 17" before my MacBook. They were nice and big. They were also heavy, battery draining and took up a lot of desk space. They don't even fit on the airlines tray. Big notebook - big bag.
I love my MacBook for it's portability. I would never consider a big notebook again.
I love my MacBook for it's portability. I would never consider a big notebook again.
I thought I wouldn't like the 13" size but it works perfectly for what I need. It even works fine for playing some basic games.
I am not a fan of 13" screens. I really wanted a 15" screen when shopping for a laptop. I was set on getting a Mac but could not justify spending the extra money for a MBP. Even though I am still hoping Apple one day expands their lineup, with pro and consumer models of all sizes, even if they came out with on today I would not get rid of my MacBook. It's just over a year old and it's by no means too small. It does everything I need it to and I plan on keeping it at least 4 years or until it dies, whichever comes first. When that time comes, I will see what kind of 15" options are out at that time. I would not worry about the size at all....
The 13.3 screen is overall great on my eyes. and I've jumped down from a 15.4 dell screen.
it's overall preference and how much portability do you need? i love being able to carry my MB and not have to feel that extra heft my old Insprion 1521 felt while carrying it. and i really can't tell much of a difference, i almost feel like i'm viewing my old 15.4 screen. but that's just me.
if your looking just for a desktop replacements, then the 15.4 and 17's are more suitable then.
it's overall preference and how much portability do you need? i love being able to carry my MB and not have to feel that extra heft my old Insprion 1521 felt while carrying it. and i really can't tell much of a difference, i almost feel like i'm viewing my old 15.4 screen. but that's just me.
if your looking just for a desktop replacements, then the 15.4 and 17's are more suitable then.
I came from a 14 inch iBook, so it's not a HUGE size difference. The 13 inch MacBook seems a ton smaller when it comes to portability, but honestly the screen itself doesn't feel too small once you're actually using it. I watch movies on it, I edit photos, etc. and I have never had any problem with the screen being too small.
It's a decent screen, I've had no problems with the fact that it's glossy. Compared to the MBP it's not as good, but it's still a nice screen. It's not like apple would just build a nice machine and drop a POS screen in. So, I don't think it's bad at all, I've heard of some nancies that complain, but I digress. I came from a 17" matte LCD, so at first I might have felt that it was small but it's actually not bad. When I go back to that 17" I think "wow this is actually pretty big".
Actually scratch that, I think it's an excellent screen. Maybe it's because I don't do big time design work or anything, but it's probably one of the better screens I've used. I can hear it now "Z0MG!!! did he just say that, h@ckz0rz, 133t, n00b!
But anyways, it's fine.
Actually scratch that, I think it's an excellent screen. Maybe it's because I don't do big time design work or anything, but it's probably one of the better screens I've used. I can hear it now "Z0MG!!! did he just say that, h@ckz0rz, 133t, n00b!
But anyways, it's fine.
I would put more emphasis on how big you would like your laptop. For me, I carry mine almost everywhere in my backpack, so portability is key to me, and I went for the MB. I would have liked the more powerful MBP but the larger screen size (and hence larger laptop) was a major turnoff.
For me, I prefer smaller laptops. I came from a 12" iBook, to the current Al Macbook, and it's a perfect fit for me. IMO, for my use, >14.1" is too large.
I think the size is just right. Keeps the overall size of the computer smaller, and I'm all about portability.
When I moved from a 15-inch screen that was 1024x768 to a 13.3-inch running 1280x800, the overall size of the screen didn't affect me at all - I was happy for the extra pixels.
When I moved from a 15-inch screen that was 1024x768 to a 13.3-inch running 1280x800, the overall size of the screen didn't affect me at all - I was happy for the extra pixels.
Same here and I hated the 13.3 inch screen for a long time and was going to get a Pro for the bigger screen. When I went to the Apple store I felt the Pro was overkill for me and got the Macbook. I am so happy I got the Macbook now and the screen size isn't a issue at all.
I prefer the 13" form factor myself.... I guess it comes down to how portable do you want it to be? At home I have a main RIG w\32" monitor an HTPC and a bedroom rig so the 13" MacBook is strictly for when I'm on the move and 13" is the sweetspot for that imo. I tried using an Eee netbook and yuck, too small and build quality was garbage in comparison to the unibody so aside from cost it was a no brainer for me to choose a 13" unibody.
I couldn't help myself and last week bought a 13 inch 2.4 macbook to go with my overall setup...I previously had a 15 inch 2.2 MBP and sold it so I could buy an iMac. My experience of the 15 inch is that although there is more screen estate and better resolution (matte screen was fantastic), it's just isn't that portable carrying it on long journeys, all depends what you use the laptop for. If it's for viewing and doing some serious video & photo editing, I would recommend getting the MBP series or even an iMac. IMHO, if it's just for office suite, a bit of photo editing, surfing the web and playing music and last year's games, the Macbook Alu 2.0 should be sufficient. It's got a half decent GFX card.
The MB's screen size isn't too small. I've been using cheap PCs with 15.4" screens for the past 3 years. After buying my MB with a 13.3" screen... I think it's better. It doesn't take as much space and it's LED backlit. The screen will be fine for basic tasks and some light gaming.
The size depends on what you are doing. But after having many 15-17" PC laptops, I found that the MacBook has the perfect size if you buy a monitor for it. I think that 13" is probably the most portable, yet useful size. Whenever I'm home, I hook it up to my 26" monitor where I do my main stuff, and have my MacBook open for iTunes, MSN etc. To be honest, I can't imagine getting a bigger laptop now, as I don't need it.
I also had the same question b4 getting my BlackBook. It does take a while getting used to it, especially if you used to working on bigger screens. But after a while it's perfect!
And considering all the rage about netbooks now...those screens would be way 2 small imo...so the 13" is just right.
The only issue that i occasionally have is when working on big spreadsheets...a bit extra scrolling, but I can live with that. And usually type word docs using 125% magnification.
Just spend some time in the Apple Store playing around on the Macbook...type up random docs in Pages/Word, and see if it works 4 you. Its perfect 4 the internet as well. And the glossy screen is awesome, especially when watching movies Its crystal clear
Good Luck!
And considering all the rage about netbooks now...those screens would be way 2 small imo...so the 13" is just right.
The only issue that i occasionally have is when working on big spreadsheets...a bit extra scrolling, but I can live with that. And usually type word docs using 125% magnification.
Just spend some time in the Apple Store playing around on the Macbook...type up random docs in Pages/Word, and see if it works 4 you. Its perfect 4 the internet as well. And the glossy screen is awesome, especially when watching movies
Its crystal clearGood Luck!
Having had my aluminum MacBook for over two months now, I must say that this is one beautiful notebook. Previously, I liked using my wife's black MacBook that I had to borrow once in a while to do some work in the local library.
The newer MacBook's LED screen is much better than the older MacBook and it is nice to have the backlit keyboard to be able to type in low light situations. A screen size of 13.3" is just about perfect for portability. I used to have a 15.4" HP notebook a couple years ago and it was horrible to carry around. I will never purchase a MacBook Pro for that very reason. Since I have a Mac Pro at home, I don't need a MacBook Pro on the road. The MacBook suffices quite nicely for all the things I need to do on a daily basis.
The newer MacBook's LED screen is much better than the older MacBook and it is nice to have the backlit keyboard to be able to type in low light situations. A screen size of 13.3" is just about perfect for portability. I used to have a 15.4" HP notebook a couple years ago and it was horrible to carry around. I will never purchase a MacBook Pro for that very reason. Since I have a Mac Pro at home, I don't need a MacBook Pro on the road. The MacBook suffices quite nicely for all the things I need to do on a daily basis.
Looking at the 13" under the bright lights at BestBuy next to the MBPs and 20" and 24" iMacs it looks quite small, but I was really surprised once I got it home and in my lap how much bigger it seems. For general carrying around and lap use I wouldn't want anything bigger. A MBP might be better if you were going to leave it on a desk more than use it on the go, but for something truly portable the 13" is great.