Ok, I've just been going through some other threads here in the forum, and your solution to the problem is very likely at the end of this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1017281&tstart=15
In short, there may be some third party software that (presumably accidentally) turns on your display zoom function (it's normally turned off), resulting in this odd effect. You may also accidentally have hit the command-alt-8, the zoom-option short cut. (The poster in the aforementioned thread suspects Parallels: you don't happen to run that on your new MPB? I do, so perhaps it indeed is a bug in Parallels. Or even Windows. Would be hard to find out for sure though.)
Since you're new to the Mac world, here's how to turn it off: go to system preferences, find 'universal access' and turn off the Zoom option. Clear bright letters again!
Hope that works.
- Evert