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The MBA 13" Screen Bezel

V

VNJ85

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 29, 2015
11
1
I just received my MBA 13" and I had to do a double take as soon as I opened it.

Does anyone else think the bezel around the MBA 13" screen looks outdated?

I just upgraded from my 2010 MBP 17" to a brand new MBP 13". The first thing that popped out at me was the bezel around the screen. It feels like an antiquated design.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this?

Please don't misunderstand my intentions here, I love my new MBA... but the design just popped out as vastly under par for the device. I would hope they take a look at this aspect and think of a way to revamp it for the next model. Perhaps a black bezel like the rest of the MB/MBP lineup, or perhaps a bigger screen with less bezel space around the screen. The current bezel just gives the physical screen a crowded feel to it... it feels like something you would expect to see on an old PC laptop.
 
It's outdated because it was last redesigned in 2010. The real redesign is the new 2015 MacBook thats more "Air" than the current Air but Apple couldn't just ditch the MBA because it's got the ports, the power, and the battery life going for it that they couldn't match with the new MacBook just yet. Maybe in a few years, but not now.

It's also silver instead of black glass like the rest of the lineup but I kind of like it because it doesn't attract as many fingerprints and it's just different. I'll take my rMBP over it any day but for my work machine I love it.

I wouldn't mind if Apple went the way of the Dell XPS 13 which has nearly no bezel and looks amazing, but oh well. It does provide a bit of protection I guess.

Here's a perfect example of the XPS and the MBA:
y2FOu8C.png
 
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Unfortunately the bezel is just one of several ways that the Air now feels outdated compared to the rest of the lineup...
 
You only realized this after you purchased the computer? ;)

Personally it doesn't matter to me one way or the other. I look at the screen when I use the computer, not the bezel.
 
zhenya said:
Unfortunately the bezel is just one of several ways that the Air now feels outdated compared to the rest of the lineup...
Click to expand...

The unibody MacBook [Pro] had a black glass bezel and that was released before the MBA.

So if anything the silver bezel is more recent and up-to-date. :)
 
motrek said:
The unibody MacBook [Pro] had a black glass bezel and that was released before the MBA.

So if anything the silver bezel is more recent and up-to-date. :)
Click to expand...
If you ordered the unibody Macbook pro with the higher res antiglare display, it also came with alu bezel.
 
motrek said:
The unibody MacBook [Pro] had a black glass bezel and that was released before the MBA.

So if anything the silver bezel is more recent and up-to-date. :)
Click to expand...

Ha! It certainly doesn't look that way! I feel like my wife's Air is like looking at the screen through a picture frame.
 
I actually like it and wish it were on my model. It's 10x better than glossy black embedded behind a glass panel. Some of the AG 15'' MBP models from back in the day have that same bezel as well.

It's much better than other options trust me.
 
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I guess I'll go against the grain of this thread and say that I prefer the more aesthetic black rather than the silver bezel. Just looks so purrrrty. It's what's kept me from buying a MBA after my MBP15 (non-retina) was stolen :/. The new MB is a freakin rip considering its specs and lack of ports (wtf were they thinking). We should refer to it as the M2B, as you should only get it if you have Money 2 Blow. Hoping for a MBA revamp in the fall. Will even wait for it to launch in the Spring if I have to. What I realized after starting my first full-time job is that I can go without a computer at home, so I got time to wait.
 
I do wish they would have had a space gray version come out for the 2015 model. I do prefer the black but after a month or so I don't really notice anymore.
 
BrettApple said:
It's outdated because it was last redesigned in 2010. The real redesign is the new 2015 MacBook thats more "Air" than the current Air but Apple couldn't just ditch the MBA because it's got the ports, the power, and the battery life going for it that they couldn't match with the new MacBook just yet. Maybe in a few years, but not now.

It's also silver instead of black glass like the rest of the lineup but I kind of like it because it doesn't attract as many fingerprints and it's just different. I'll take my rMBP over it any day but for my work machine I love it.

I wouldn't mind if Apple went the way of the Dell XPS 13 which has nearly no bezel and looks amazing, but oh well. It does provide a bit of protection I guess.

Here's a perfect example of the XPS and the MBA:
y2FOu8C.png
Click to expand...

I really like the look of the XPS 13, however the bottom bezel just kills it. It's thicker than the MBA bezel and just ruins the whole look in my opinion.
 
Personally, I like the silver bezel very much. Also, I wish the keys were painted to match as in the pre-unibody MBP.
 
BrettApple said:
It's outdated because it was last redesigned in 2010.
Click to expand...
The bezel has pretty much remained unchanged since the original MacBook Air was released in 2008. In fact, if anything, the bezel on the late 2008 MacBook Air I'm posting this with is a tiny bit smaller than the current Airs.
motrek said:
The unibody MacBook [Pro] had a black glass bezel and that was released before the MBA.

So if anything the silver bezel is more recent and up-to-date. :)
Click to expand...
Incorrect. The original MacBook Air was released some months before the unibody MacBook Pro.
 
redheeler said:
The bezel has pretty much remained unchanged since the original MacBook Air was released in 2008. In fact, if anything, the bezel on the late 2008 MacBook Air I'm posting this with is a tiny bit smaller than the current Airs.

Incorrect. The original MacBook Air was released some months before the unibody MacBook Pro.
Click to expand...

Good point. I forgot about the original MBA.
 
It could be a bit smaller but I prefer it to the black/glass of other models.
 
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