The Black Bezel Mystery

[MBX]

We all know it's there because Jony Ive & Steve Jobs want all the product like to look like the iMac. But why must it be so big?
It really must be just an "aesthetics" decision and that's why the new MBP is a little wider as well, to make up for the Bezel thickness. There seems to be no real functionality whatsoever.

Shouldn't the motivation be in the reduction of the border/ bezel around the screen and not an increase?

 

[wentwj]

psst... there's electronics under the casing.

In all serious I don't know, but I'd be mighty surprised if the width wasn't due to the space/heat constraints of putting the electronics in the machine, and not becuase Jony or Steve want a bezel to be X cm think.

 

[nope7308]

Hey, it could be worse... have you SEEN the Asus N10?!?!

 

[MVApple]

It probably has to do with having to make the case bigger to fit the electronics in it. As a result the top casing that houses the screen is also bigger, but its not big enough to be able to put a bigger screen and they are stuck with having to put in a bigger bezel.

 

[MBX]

Hey, it could be worse... have you SEEN the Asus N10?!?!

Yeah but that one is a 10'-incher. Usually such smaller screens have bigger bezels but come on not 15'4'-inchers or 17''ers.

It looks to me they just did that to have the even proportions of the bezel to be like on the imac.

Really lame.

 

[MBX]

It probably has to do with having to make the case bigger to fit the electronics in it. As a result the top casing that houses the screen is also bigger, but its not big enough to be able to put a bigger screen and they are stuck with having to put in a bigger bezel.

And why would the case get bigger if they reduced some of the things and chips do get smaller as well as them getting rid of fw400 port?

 

[nope7308]

And why would the case get bigger if they reduced some of the things and chips do get smaller as well as them getting rid of fw400 port?

Agreed.

I don't know about you guys, but I actually don't mind the bezel. I think it kinda looks nice

And although the N10 is a netbook, I challenge you to find an uglier bezel. The Eee PC had a smaller screen and a smaller bezel. I like Asus, but I don't know what they were thinking when they designed the N10...

 

[MVApple]

And why would the case get bigger if they reduced some of the things and chips do get smaller as well as them getting rid of fw400 port?

I don't know but that's a good question. I wonder if maybe the nvidia chipset is larger than the intel one. I do know that Apple reduced the size of the battery in the macbook pro, so I think that would suggest space constraints. Otherwise why not keep the same size battery and give users longer battery life?

Maybe the chipsets got smaller but maybe Apple didn't try as hard to fit it into a smaller caseing this time. The Sony Vaio TT is a full fledged laptop but its about the size of a netbook. It's super expensive though because of the effort needed to fit it all into a small casing.

 

[doug in albq]

It is because Apple will go to great lengths to hide that camera staring at you in the face.

Anyone under 30 might not be able to understand the need to hide the potential invasion of privacy that the camera represents. No, this has nothing to do with "surfing porn in your underpants."

Most of us people over the age of 30 were required to read George Orwell's "1984" in high school. We not only read it, but we understood what the book represented. One of the principals was the loss of personal privacy, and how technology was used to steal that privacy. I suggest some of you youngsters go read it.

the Anti-Leary: trust no one under 30!

 

[nope7308]

It is because Apple will go to great lengths to hide that camera staring at you in the face.

Anyone under 30 might not be able to understand the need to hide the potential invasion of privacy that the camera represents. No, this has nothing to do with "surfing porn in your underpants."

Most of us people over the age of 30 were required to read George Orwell's "1984" in high school. We not only read it, but we understood what the book represented. One of the principals was the loss of personal privacy, and how technology was used to steal that privacy. I suggest some of you youngsters go read it.

the Anti-Leary: trust no one under 30!

1984 is still required reading in both high school and university. If you're so concerned about 'Big Brother' then why are you are on the internet? Google probably knows more about you than your own mother. Unless you want to abandon all technology and live in the stone age, you're a fairly transparent identity.

 

[wentwj]

Really? Do you all just think laptop enclosures are just wide open spaces?

And really? 1984? Hiding cameras? Maybe if you don't understand how computers, cameras, and electronics work would you be a afraid of a camera on your display that you have entire and complete control over (and if I'm not mistaken, still a green light any time the camera has power).

Is there asthetic value to the bezel? Sure, but I'd bet good money that at there is some dimension (either length or width) where they needed the extra space, and thus they just went and made the bezel a constant width.

Laptops in general are packed tight for space, and usually the components are far closer than they should be for heat constraints. Even if the extra width adds a little to heat dissipation, I'm fine with it, but again, I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't a technical reason for adding to the width.

 

[compuguy1088]

1984 is still required reading in both high school and university. If you're so concerned about 'Big Brother' then why are you are on the internet? Google probably knows more about you than your own mother. Unless you want to abandon all technology and live in the stone age, you're a fairly transparent identity.

Depends on the school....I recall having to read Brave New World....

 

[pimentoLoaf]

You don't want it too thin, front to back. Flimsy screens are not safe happy screens.

 

[MVApple]

Well I wouldn't go around being too paranoid, but there is a virus going around that takes control of your camera and microphone. It works through flash and the usual scam is duplicating a youtube page and telling the user that he/she needs to download some software to view that video. After you download the virus it takes you to the real youtube page tricking you yet again.

I don't know if this affects mac users but it definately affects pc users.

Oh and about the whole 1984 book thing, well I wouldn't believe everything I read.

Theres a big difference between being aware and cautious and being paranoid.

 

[MBX]

I still strongly believe that Jony Ive did the bezel in it's dimensions because of aesthetics only.

Look at the new glossy HD display. It's bezel grew too! It's now thicker than previously. And the black ring is in constant with and height proportions too.