Retina Screens 15 vs 13

[NocturnalJazz]

I've gone through 4 haswell 15" screens since launch through exchanges due to screen issues. Are 13" models seeing any problems?

Thinking of giving up in the 15" and just getting a 13" in store.

Thanks for your time and insight.



Most recent exchange:

 

[ducatiti]

I've gone through 4 haswell 15" screens since launch through exchanges due to screen issues. Are 13" models seeing any problems?

Thinking of giving up in the 15" and just getting a 13" in store.

Thanks for your time and insight.



Most recent exchange: Image

This is the route I ended up taking. After, 3 tries I gave up and bought the late 13" Haswell 2.4/16/256 for $1249 (mid spec). I will wait for the next major release and sell my existing 13" in probably a year or so for a minimal loss.

Have you noticed that there are almost no complaints about the screens on the 13's? My guess is because they are mostly LG screens.

 

[NocturnalJazz]

This is the route I ended up taking. After, 3 tries I gave up and bought the late 13" Haswell 2.4/16/256 for $1249 (mid spec). I will wait for the next major release and sell my existing 13" in probably a year or so for a minimal loss.

Have you noticed that there are almost no complaints about the screens on the 13's? My guess is because they are mostly LG screens.

$1249 is super cheap. How did you do that? Are you satisfied with the 13" screen or does it just not hurt as much at that price?

My screens were as follows:
1. Samsung
2. LG
3. LG
4. LG

 

[ducatiti]

$1249 is super cheap. How did you do that? Are you satisfied with the 13" screen or does it just not hurt as much at that price?

My screens were as follows:
1. Samsung
2. LG
3. LG
4. LG

$200 off from BB Elite Event, and $50 Best Buy Educational Discount (need .edu email address)

Happy with the 13", found the 15" to bulky in a way that I will end up hitting something walking around the house. Didn't need that much raw power anyways but rather bragging rights 🙂 It's nice to have the latest and greatest but at $2600, I would rather wait for Broadwell with a better discrete graphics card. I think the mid spec 13" is really the best bang for the buck.

But the 15" base is currently $300 off at $1699, I'm thinking of getting that one instead 🙂

Help me 🙂

 

[NocturnalJazz]

$200 off from BB Elite Event, and $50 Best Buy Educational Discount (need .edu email address)

Happy with the 13", found the 15" to bulky in a way that I will end up hitting something walking around the house. Didn't need that much raw power anyways but rather bragging rights 🙂 It's nice to have the latest and greatest but at $2600, I would rather wait for Broadwell with a better discrete graphics card. I think the mid spec 13" is really the best bang for the buck.

But the 15" base is currently $300 off at $1699, I'm thinking of getting that one instead 🙂

Help me 🙂

Where did you find that deal? I can't find it on the lower models.

 

[cpnotebook80]

I just bought my 13" rmbp 8/256/2.4 for 1400$ at apple store. I work for University so ed discount and a 50 gift card. This is in Toronto so had taxes too on top of it but not bad i guess. I was working on a 13" mba borrowed machine for like 3 weeks. Needed something portable and 15" was bit too much for now. Maybe in couple of years.
The screen looks great. Set on best for display so i haven't played with the settings. What does everyone recommend on settings?

 

[Quu]

It does seem like the 13" screens are better. I'm really mad at Apple over these problems.

For me it has been LG, Samsung, Samsung. Awaiting my 4th unit as we speak. If it's not perfect I'm getting a refund and not buying anything. I'll just stick with my old 2009 17" MBP another year.

 

[thekev]

If it's not perfect I'm getting a refund and not buying anything. I'll just stick with my old 2009 17" MBP another year.

None of them are really "perfect". To Apple many of those complaints are probably deemed "within spec". If anything is faulty, it's the design. They have to accommodate a potential range of sourced part and the available consistency within assembly, then engineer around that. There are some technologies they could implement to help with certain uniformity issues.

 

[Quu]

None of them are really "perfect". To Apple many of those complaints are probably deemed "within spec". If anything is faulty, it's the design. They have to accommodate a potential range of sourced part and the available consistency within assembly, then engineer around that. There are some technologies they could implement to help with certain uniformity issues.

The last one I returned to Apple was inspected by them due to it being a replacement that I had returned for the same fault as my first one (yellow blotches on the display). They confirmed to me via my support liaison who has handled all my replacement machines that it was faulty and that they were very sorry.

Now if that display was by their own admittance not within their own specifications (faulty as they put it) and I've had three like it, something tells me they aren't doing their QC job correctly.

I mean I've posted this in another thread but look at the "white point" of my last display: http://i.imgur.com/ih8tmNW.png

Does that in any way say to you normal? I mean what planet would that be within spec? Maybe if I was colour blind and only saw black and white that'd be normal 😛

These displays are just not being manufactured correctly and I wish they'd just own up to it or do something about it. Making us go through replacement after replacement to get a normal display is just crazy. I've had several iPhones, iPads (including the new Air) and four Apple laptops before getting an rMBP and all had great displays nice uniform colours and perfectly white whites. This is a huge departure in their quality control in my opinion.

Sorry to derail the thread with my own issues OP 🙂

 

[pendragon1984]

None of them are really "perfect". To Apple many of those complaints are probably deemed "within spec". If anything is faulty, it's the design. They have to accommodate a potential range of sourced part and the available consistency within assembly, then engineer around that. There are some technologies they could implement to help with certain uniformity issues.

Well, Apple's within spec aint what I'm willing to pay for. They need to work to get the quality of their screens up. I went through 4 15" rMBP's before I could find one with a screen that met my standards. It's not like my standards are crazy. I was quite happy with my 3 year old 13" macbook pro's screen.

 

[thekev]

Now if that display was by their own admittance not within their own specifications (faulty as they put it) and I've had three like it, something tells me they aren't doing their QC job correctly.

That it comes up that frequently to me means that they designed something that is problematic to manufacture in sufficient quantities. It may be that it's cheaper to handle that way if a customer expresses dissatisfaction. They aren't stupid though. The rmbp has been out more than a year. If they could release enough while only letting the perfect ones out, they would do so.

Well, Apple's within spec aint what I'm willing to pay for. They need to work to get the quality of their screens up. I went through 4 15" rMBP's before I could find one with a screen that met my standards. It's not like my standards are crazy. I was quite happy with my 3 year old 13" macbook pro's screen.

Yeah I didn't suggest you should. I understand it. I can tolerate maybe one failure. If the second isn't up to par I lose interest, as that is only an out of the box check. There may be later problems.

 

[kawalerzysta]

My mid spec 13 inch is perfect, have no complaints.

 

[cpnotebook80]

My mid spec 13 inch is perfect, have no complaints.

yes and mine is 2 weeks old from coconut battery stats.
im glad some apps are retina like adobe cc and office 2011.

 

[hugo525]

It does seem like the 13" screens are better. I'm really mad at Apple over these problems.

For me it has been LG, Samsung, Samsung. Awaiting my 4th unit as we speak. If it's not perfect I'm getting a refund and not buying anything. I'll just stick with my old 2009 17" MBP another year.

I returned 3 13" rMBPs because the screens are not uniform.