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jw3571

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 21, 2010
157
2
I have a 2010 MBA which I've really loved, however the screen quality always left a little to be desired. I'd like to upgrade to a retina display. I'd rather not have to go to a MBP since I love the size of the MBA. Will the next MBA have a retina display? I asked a apple store employee and he thought they'd never put a retina display in a MBA because it would make it too large. Opinions?
 
I have a 2010 MBA which I've really loved, however the screen quality always left a little to be desired. I'd like to upgrade to a retina display. I'd rather not have to go to a MBP since I love the size of the MBA. Will the next MBA have a retina display? I asked a apple store employee and he thought they'd never put a retina display in a MBA because it would make it too large. Opinions?

They want you to buy a rMBP.

(And then, when they reduce the size of the next MBA that also has a retina display, they'll want you to buy that too).
 
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It's the last screened device Apple makes that has not received the Retina screen. I'd be highly surprised if the next MacBook Air did NOT have Retina. I'd be less surprised if they dropped the MacBook Air all together.
 
It's the last screened device Apple makes that has not received the Retina screen. I'd be highly surprised if the next MacBook Air did NOT have Retina. I'd be less surprised if they dropped the MacBook Air all together.

The MacBook Air has been heavily advertised in the past. Whenever Windows Ultra-Books are reviewed or talked about, the Apple MacBook Air is almost always referenced. The new iPad has the 'Air' suffix....

There is no way the MacBook Air name is going away right now.
 
They have to launch a retina macbook air. Clearly the current display makes the MBA 11" the worst display of any 11" ultra thin pc on the market

I think Apple should have been ashamed of the 2013 MBA refresh. I only bought one because I needed a larger hard drive.
 
Will the next MBA have a retina display?

Why yes! I was just talking to Jony Ive the other day and I asked him that very question. He confirmed that it would, and also told it would be OK to post this information on all of the internet forums I frequent. ;)
 
Why yes! I was just talking to Jony Ive the other day and I asked him that very question. He confirmed that it would, and also told it would be OK to post this information on all of the internet forums I frequent. ;)

I'm glad that it isn't just a rumor any more!
 
I think Apple should have been ashamed of the 2013 MBA refresh. I only bought one because I needed a larger hard drive.

You must have been really disappointed when you learned that your 2013 MBA doesn't even have one.
 
They have to launch a retina macbook air. Clearly the current display makes the MBA 11" the worst display of any 11" ultra thin pc on the market

I think Apple should have been ashamed of the 2013 MBA refresh. I only bought one because I needed a larger hard drive.

coming off a rMBPro to an 11" Air I for one couldn't be happier.
my screen is manufactured by AU Optronics and seems to be way superior to the LG or Samsung displays.
the introduction of Mavericks improved display calibrations.
the new processors and SSD's make it a blinder of a machine.

unsure why you're not happy with yours … …
perhaps take your complaints to Apple and they may replace it for you
 
What is so terrible about the MacBook Air display? It looks alright to me.

By itself, it is not bad. I thought it was great when i bought mine in 2010. It's been three years since it has been upgraded and technology is always moving forward. The competing screens (and those of the iPads) are now much better.

The retina screens are amazing. I want one on my next ultras-portable. I'm holding out until Apple improves the display of the MBA (11" size).
 
It's the last screened device Apple makes that has not received the Retina screen. I'd be highly surprised if the next MacBook Air did NOT have Retina. I'd be less surprised if they dropped the MacBook Air all together.

Haha. That's funny. MBA line being dropped. It's Apple's cheapest computer AND the best selling.
 
It's the last screened device Apple makes that has not received the Retina screen. I'd be highly surprised if the next MacBook Air did NOT have Retina. I'd be less surprised if they dropped the MacBook Air all together.

No it's not. Neither the iMacs nor the Thunderbolt Displays have retina screens.
 
Well if they do release a retina version I hope it does not affect the battery usage
 
Well if they do release a retina version I hope it does not affect the battery usage

Exactly.

If I wanted a laptop with a hi-res display that got half the battery life of the mid-13 Air, I'd just get the mid-13 rMBP.

Until they can have the rMBP display in an Air shell with 12+ hours of battery life, I'll be just fine with 1440x900. I feel pretty confident that quite a few other Air owners will feel the same way.
 
If I wanted a laptop with a hi-res display that got half the battery life of the mid-13 Air, I'd just get the mid-13 rMBP.

This is the bottom line for all these inane discussions of retina screens for the MBA ... and for all the equally-inane discussions of the purported 12" retina MBA!

Every laptop design is a study in compromise. The MBA excels at two things: longevity and portability. I am the first to admit that it is not a power user's dream. I don't think many of us expect it to be.

I agree that the retina displays are stunning ... but there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the current MBA displays. Forcing a dual-core processor to push four times the pixels will undoubtedly come with a cost – one that quite a few of us will probably be unwilling to pay.
 
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They want you to buy a rMBP.

(And then, when they reduce the size of the next MBA that also has a retina display, they'll want you to buy that too).

Of course they do! They're in business to sell computers, not to be your financial advisor. I'd be disappointed in them if they DIDN'T have that mindset.
 
Of course they do! They're in business to sell computers, not to be your financial advisor. I'd be disappointed in them if they DIDN'T have that mindset.

I wasn't being critical of Apple's overlapping cycles. It just seems that some people don't understand how the current 13" MBA could exist and be so similar to the 13" MBP. The MBA is simply due for an update.

I bet that the new 2014 version will be noticeably thinner and lighter. Then people will start complaining saying 'It is way too expensive!'' :)
 
coming off a rMBPro to an 11" Air I for one couldn't be happier.
my screen is manufactured by AU Optronics and seems to be way superior to the LG or Samsung displays.
the introduction of Mavericks improved display calibrations.
the new processors and SSD's make it a blinder of a machine.

unsure why you're not happy with yours … …
perhaps take your complaints to Apple and they may replace it for you

My machine works perfectly. My issue is the resolution of the screen isn't great. It should have a 1080p display.
 
What is so terrible about the MacBook Air display? It looks alright to me.

It looks fine till you use another screen and realize what you're missing.

I have a 2007 Macbook Pro and it's screen is miles ahead of the 2013 MBA. The colours are better, the screen is brighter, it has more uniform backlighting, and the viewing angles are far, far, far superior to the MBA.

I don't even want to compare it to my Dell U2412 IPS monitor because that thing completely trashes my 2007 MBP's monitor.
 
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