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New MacBook Display is Horrible

I just got my new Aluminum MacBook last night, and it's going right back for refund this morning. The LCD is far inferior to my 1st generation MacBook display, and it's actually one of the worst displays I've seen on a modern notebook computer. I've been an Apple owner since I bought an SE/30, but Apple has screwed up badly here, and I find the new MacBook nearly unusable. (Please note, my current MacBook has a glossy screen; that level of glossiness is not the issue here.)

The issues:

1. The whole screen has an icky blue cast, and nothing in the display calibration settings will fix this. My old MacBook has a much more pure and natural looking white. I think Apple needs to work more on the LED back-lighting (or maybe they cheaped out on the MacBook LEDs).

2. The blacks on the new display are washed out. This is obvious on the start-up animation (with the multi-lingual "welcome" animations against the Leopard nebulae in space). It's not just an issue with black images, however, this propagates to everything looking less crisp. And it's not an issue of adjusting brightness or screen angle. In fact, if you try to adjust the screen angle to get some reasonably good blacks, you get parts of the screen where you have a metallic or posterized effect. I saw this in the store displays as well, but I didn't realize that it would occur under normal viewing angles vs. extreme situations.

3. Colors are not vibrant (nothing compared to my 1st generation MacBook). By not vibrant, I mean that different hues of blue, for example, are not distinct from one another. When I open Word, the splash screen has four different blue colors in the "feather" shape at the top right. On the old MacBook the blues are distinctly different and colorful, on the new MacBook they are much closer in hue and more dull. I think this is a result primarily of issues one and two above, but it may also have to do with other aspects of the inferior LCD on the Aluminum MacBook.

4. The new MacBook screen should be called "mirrored" not "glossy". My 1st generation MacBook has a glossy screen. It's good. I rarely have an issue with visible reflections from it. The new MacBook is a constant battle. One major problem is that the screen needs to be pushed farther back to get reasonable contrast, but this angle directly reflects ceiling lights at the user. It's also so significantly more reflective than the previous glossy screen that it picks up windows and floor lamps and everything else a lot more easily. It's a mess.

I hope this helps other folks avoid my mistake in seeking to upgrade from an existing MacBook. The new one is not any faster in day to day use (3D rendering excepted), and it has crippling issues with the display.

Aluminum MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 18, 2008 5:59 AM

195 replies

Nov 15, 2008 4:53 AM in response to kjk

I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me - that doesn't make them apologists in itself (didn't know that that was an insulting term??). But there is a distinction between someone those that say they like their screen, and those defending Apple's 'right' to put these lower quality panels in their notebooks without making this public on their website.

I ask those who defend Apple, why defend the indefensible? I say to those who love their screen, I am really happy for you, because in every other way, they are a fantastic computer and beat the crap out of PC's.

Yes, I am very interested in what people think about the new Macbook screens, call me 'obsessed' if you must.

But trying to belittle me is not going to deter me from expressing myself, or in trying to get Apple to deal with this issue - it starts with one. There is at least one major lawsuit underway against Apple over similar lcd panel issues.

As an Apple user who has bought many of their products since the beginning, this is the first time I have really objected to their approach, and I am letting the world know about it whether you like it or not.

I am far from being an Apple basher/hater - and I am certainly not trying to insult you, Apple, or anyone else. I would have called myself a Mac evangelist up until now - but it is time for a schism, and a dose of reality. Not everything Apple does is gold - just look at the MobileMe debacle. In this case, your "blind" faith is misplaced.

So stop 'obsessing' over my comments, and go enjoy your Macbook.

jayelwhy

Level 1

5 points

Nov 15, 2008 5:51 AM in response to sathinator

Howdy. Another FYI. Decided to pick up a refurb MBP 2.4ghz 200GB 15.4". After playing a few HD trailers, easy to see the difference between the screens of the Aluminum MB and the last gen MBP, viewing angle better and happier with display.

The refurb route was great. Got most of the features I wanted (good LED screen, backlit keyboard) with a couple of sacrifices (weight and easy access to HD).

My advice is to take advantage of Apple's 14 day return policy if you have any issues that will bother you in the long run. But, if you like the new MB, keep it. To each his own, right?

Apple's been great with returns, service and will be getting AppleCare soon. I'm happy passing my almost 4 year old iBook to my wife (her 1 year old HP died...of course)...

SZGuy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2008 10:34 AM in response to HopingForHelp

I just got a new MacBook this past weekend, and I had the same experience with the screen. I found it very irritating to use. The vertical viewing angle is extremely narrow -- so narrow that images look noticeably different depending on whether they are at the top of the screen or the bottom.

I was hoping to switch to this Mac from my old Thinkpad X41 tablet, which is now over three years old. But the Thinkpad LCD is so much better, I don't think I can part with it. To show some of the differences I took photos of the two machines side-by-side. You can check them out here:

http://tinyurl.com/5rjqn7

When viewed at the perfect angle, the Macbook is quite nice (you can see that the lamp in the Thinkpad is starting to go). But change the angle at all and the contrast on the Macbook changes dramatically. The Thinkpad looks almost perfect from any angle -- and that technology is at least four years old!

My understanding of LCD screens is that viewing angle is determined by the placement of the transistor in each LCD cell. I don't think this property be changed by calibrating the display or updating the firmware. I suspect that the Macbook display panel was chosen with features suitable for an LCD TV: very bright, good horizontal viewing angle, but poor vertical viewing angle.

Nov 18, 2008 4:17 PM in response to SZGuy

"very bright, good horizontal viewing angle, but poor vertical viewing angle."

It is essentially a very low contrast/definition (horrible) display that is very very bright. Apple wants you to think that brightness means quality - probably because it saves them money and makes for some nice advertising.

"Ooh look, 50% brighter!"

shawk

Level 3

607 points

Nov 19, 2008 7:25 PM in response to HopingForHelp

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is. I went to the store, checked out the MacBook, bought one, brought it home. It looks great, works great. No issues. There's nothing in this thread that would stop someone from buying a new macbook. Just check it out for yourself.

SZGuy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 19, 2008 7:48 PM in response to shawk

Well, I agree that you must go look at these machines in person before buying one. But I've bought many notebooks over the years, sight unseen, and never been so disappointed as I was this time.

Plus, even if you're happy, don't you think it's fair for other people to use this forum to raise issues and discuss them with other Mac users? Jeez.

Nov 20, 2008 12:42 AM in response to SZGuy

I think its great for people to voice their views on the screen but if your waiting for a revision/correction IMHO your wasting your time and probably should decide if you can live with the Air or a MBP. This is based off the 20 inch iMacs. Apple did the exact same thing, stuck a cheap panel in (I want to say TN instead of an IPX, but dont quote me on that), didn't mention it anywhere on their site that if you wanted a better quality display you had to go to the next step up to the 24. There were lots and lots of articles, threads, etc but no change happened.
As long as ppl keep buying them up they have no motivation to change the screen. I am in a similar boat as most of you, I am looking for a smaller footprint computer but feel conflicted about the screen. I work all day either on the 23 inch or a 15 MBP and to come home and use the MB might be a bit of a pill to swallow. Its unfortunate that apple fails to realize some of their consumers go for quality and not necessarily quantity.

Nov 20, 2008 10:30 AM in response to Michael415

I too have an old Macbook from 18 months ago, one from 5 months ago and a new aluminium 2GHz one. The new alu display is better in every respect apart from the anti-reflective coating on the new one is not as effective and there is more backlight pass-through on blacks.

The first thing I do is switch to the more modern 2.2 gamma in Displays>Color>Calibrate (not expert), Snow Leopard will default to this Gamma according to the info.

Nov 20, 2008 12:16 PM in response to Richard Cartledge

Same here, compared to my 12" G4 PB the new MB is much better. But the views seemed highly polarised, there seems to be two camps: those of us like you and me who are very happy, and those who believe Apple should have put in (or given the option for) a higher quality display.

BTW, I keep meaning to try some of the colour profiles being talked about and made available in the forums over at macrumors.com, have you seen/tried them?

SZGuy

Level 1

0 points

Nov 20, 2008 12:55 PM in response to Michael Blake

I tried the color profile called "JCDiplay" (yes, the "s" is missing). It improves the contrast considerably and reduces the blueish hue. I would definitely recommend it. But, obviously, it doesn't fix the polarization issues.

I guess I'm just surprised about the display. I haven't owned a Mac since 1995, but I was under the impression that it's a no-compromise machine. Perhaps that's more true for the MacBook Pros. The display, in particular, seems like such a weird place to cut corners, especially for Apple, which attracts a lot of art, design, photographer, and videographer people. For example, I was trying to clean up some digital photos on my new machine and I found I could not effectively adjust the contrast because just changing the angle of my screen makes the image look totally different.

gpotts

Level 3

585 points

Nov 21, 2008 2:39 AM in response to SZGuy

This is nothing new. It's like comparing the 20" iMac with the 24" iMac and the MB with the MBP. Same problems of panel quality differences.

Nov 22, 2008 2:13 AM in response to HopingForHelp

It's really quite simple to test the quality of the display. Set your desktop image to one of the black and white default images and hide your dock. Now have a look at the display. If the blacks at the top of the screen are the same as those at the bottom then your can consider yourself lucky. Usually there will be a vertical gradient starting out lighter at the bottom and getting darker at the top obscuring some details of the aforementioned image in the process.

joemacuk

Level 1

0 points

Nov 23, 2008 2:31 AM in response to pedestrian2019

I think some people have too much time on their hands.

I have had 8 MBs to test, and they have all had different display manufacturers.

In my opinion, there are no differences between 9c89, or any other MB screens.

I think you people should either decide to keep it, or return it. I think it has the best screen at its price level in the market, and I have seen many.

Enjoy it, go out for a walk. Stop searching for problems that aren't there.

shaggy35

Level 1

5 points

Nov 25, 2008 12:16 AM in response to HopingForHelp

I have just come from Windows because i wanted to get into video editing and people told me a Mac is the environment to do it in. So I went to the apple store and looked at both the 20" Imac and the 24" Imac - no comparison in screen quality, so i went with the 24, great machine, beautiful design, beautiful screen, great operating system, no complaints. Overjoyed with my initial apple experience, the great stability and usability, I decided to get a MB and ditch windows altogether (I would have done for the Pro but its too big and no 13 inch variant).

When the MB arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes, the screen is attrocious. Very little contrast. i tried everything to adjust it, calibrated it etc...Even my 12 inch dell has a better screen than this. Another thing that shocked me was how much it weighs, aluminium may look cool but wow its heavy. So its going back.

My Mac friend did warn me that Apple have a habit of doing thoughtless / weird things to customers and that a certain element of their customers are so blindly loyal that they just accept things like bad screens for top dollar and firewire removal etc...I think this is what happens in monopolies.

I thought a MB would be kinda the same quality as a sony vaio or something, miles off. I just get a feeling that Apple have a bit of an imbalance in their laptop range with form and function.

So basically I dont' think Apple have a laptop for me which is amazing. I dont' want an air because of non-user replaceable battery...so I'm stuck....

Nov 25, 2008 6:54 AM in response to HopingForHelp

Generally, I think it is a shame. I too got myself a 13” because I wanted something portable. I, unfortunately, started with an Air and then a MBP - big mistake. There is a definite difference in the screen. I have read every single post here, and it is amazing that the one thing that was never noted is, IMO, the most important. At the keynote for the new Aluminum models, Steve Jobs made a point to say “We listened to what you wanted, and we delivered... The displays are ‘Amazing’... The highest resolution displays we have ever made...” So - I think that is rather misleading. I was expecting these to be every bit as good as the MBP.

We are talking about a $400 price differential between a MB and MBP. That cost, I am sure, is more than made up in the motherboard and the dual video cards. I can’t imagine the screen is adding that much of a cost difference. If it is, yes, give people an option. I think you would be surprised with what you find.

If I had known that this model’s screen was so poor, I probably would have just stuck with my air.

New MacBook Display is Horrible