The Real Screen Update We Need: IPS

[jclardy]

So I went to the Apple store yesterday and was amazed by the new Macbook Pro. It looks awesome, but after using an 11" air for the past year there is no possible way that I am going back to a 15" beast.

The pixel density was amazing, but I think there was something else that was more impressive: the display being IPS rather than a TN panel.

I love my MBA but the screen has a viewing window of about 15 degrees, after that it becomes washed out. Viewing from a side is also not great. On the iPad, IPS is pretty much necessary as you are looking at the screen from every possible angle, which you don't do as much with a laptop. But even still the color reproduction is much better, which would be nice to have on a $1000+ laptop when they put it into a $500 tablet (Actually $400 if you count iPad 2 which they still sell.)

My question is: Do you think Apple will put IPS panels into the Air? It seems strange that iPhone and iPad have had this technology for the past 3 years, yet their more expensive laptops don't get the same upgrade?

I assume in the next two years that the Air will get a retina display, but will they also give it IPS? They gave the iPod Touch 4th gen a retina display but without IPS, so they have done it.

Personally I am fine with 1366x768 on my Air, but would love a display panel upgrade.

 

[KohPhiPhi]

I personally dont need retina resolutions on ultra mobile laptops (MBAs). All needed is a little bit of a standard resolution bump: 1400x900 for MBA 11", and 1600x1050 for MBA 13". That's all.

 

[dona83]

I dunno, my son was watching Toy Story on my wife's Air and I was watching at about 45 degrees up and to the right, I was amazed with how good the picture still looked in terms of brightness and colour contrast. I'm not sure about the 13" Air but the 11" Air has the best TN display in the business. You only start to lose visibility when looking at the screen from a downward angle. That's fine because from an ergonomic standpoint you should either look at a screen head on up to 15 degrees.

Of course my 2006 iMac with IPS is great, just that the pixels are starting to look big.

My work Dell Vostro is just horrible, deviate more than 15 degrees up or down and the screen is unusable. Left-right you lose 50% brightness but colour contrast is decent.

 

[socaltyger]

I agree. The lack of IPS screens on the MBAs is the main reason I am hesitant to run over and buy one. Once your eyes are accustomed to the color representation of IPS screens, it is tough to go backwards to a TN display.

Spent another 30mins at the apple store yesterday trying to convince myself that the new 13" air was fine.... but just couldn't do it after testing viewing angles back and forth between the IPS retina and TN air.

It's a bummer. It seems like apple will forego the normal ips screen and jump right into retina screens for next gen airs. I would love an air with an ips screen. It would be a better price/performance trade-off for me too.

I could live without the retina dpi, but not without an IPS display.

 

[tuxon86]

IPS may have an impact on battery life though.