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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

fenix85

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2008 8:22 PM in response to HopingForHelp

I bought a 2.0 Macbook on Wednesday and I'm returning it tomorrow. Everything said about the display issues is 100% true for me. The blacks are washed out and the viewing angles are horrible.

For example on this very site you know how the post background alternate between blue and white well on my display I can only see the blue and white alternation when the display is tilted back which causes the colors at the top to invert. When I look straight at the screen the backgrounds up top look blue and at the bottom they all look white until I scroll up and then they turn blue when they reach the top half of the screen.

I went to the Apple store to see if there was anything they could do about it and they basically told me they use inferior screens compared to the Air and Pro in order to keep the cost down. They said they could replace it but it would be the same thing. They whole experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth and I wont be so quick to buy or recommend Apple products anymore.

Message was edited by: fenix85

fenix85

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2008 8:21 PM in response to HopingForHelp

Sorry double post

Message was edited by: fenix85

Dec 2, 2008 8:29 AM in response to fenix85

Saying the new MacBook display is horrible is an understatement. The 2.4 GHz MacBook model should have included the better display panel from the MacBook Air. I too returned my new Alu 2.4 GHz MacBook after 13 days. I could not tolerate the really awful vertical viewing angle, and I was tired of constantly adjusting the display to get a decent image. There was no way I was going to be stuck looking at that screen for the next several years. Other than the display, I was happy with the Alu MacBook.

Apple will not up-sell me to a MacBook Pro, as I don't want anything bigger than a 13" notebook. Here's hoping they either come out with a 13" MacBook Pro with a decent screen, or add another model to the MacBook Air line that is like a 13" MacBook Pro without the Optical Drive.

SZGuy

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2008 5:41 PM in response to An_IT_Guy

That's exactly my issue, too -- I want the "Pro" quality, but in a 13" form factor.

What makes the bad display so irksome is how much it stands in contrast to the other components of the machine: everything else is absolutely top-notch. Take the unibody case, for example: it's industry-leading; there's nothing else like it. So why not the display, too? To my mind, it's a lot more important to max out the display than the case!

OK, I really need to let this go and move on...

Jet23jay

Level 1

0 points

Dec 3, 2008 10:16 PM in response to andy08

hey about the macbook aluminium display model you post earlier for
9C89 = LG Philips
9C8C = AU Optronics

So i open my display profile to look at mine, it 9C8B, any idea which manufacture this ?? I search on google, nothing show up for 9C8B.

thz

lqdswrds

Level 1

0 points

Dec 6, 2008 11:56 AM in response to Hao Q.

Wow somebody is bitter that other's are doing better! And talk about liars... nobody has 3 out of 4 friends that just returned their new macbooks. I call bs on that. no offense though of course 😉

Dec 15, 2008 6:34 PM in response to HopingForHelp

So..I'm going to buy either the new 13 almb 2.4 or the older white 2.4 mb on the refurbished list from Apple. With all the talk about the new screens, it seems like a no-brainer to me. It's the older white mb a lot cheaper, right?

Dec 16, 2008 1:12 AM in response to kevin harris

It has to be your choice. But I've been using my new 2.4GHz MB each day since I got it three weeks ago. I consider it to be the best Apple notebook/laptop I've owned and have zero issues with it.

Dec 17, 2008 2:30 PM in response to An_IT_Guy

I was so excited to get the new Mac Book. I could hardly stand it! I purchased new software before I had even purchased the computer to run it on! However, after playing with the new Mac Book, I was totally disappointed with the display. How come no one here has mentioned the displays bit rate? Its like comparing the 20" iMac with the 24" iMac. The 20" has a 18 bit display whereas the 24" iMacs display is 24 bit. There are so many reviews out there that explain this in great detail. I really didn't expect Apple to put a cheaper display in the Mac Book line. But they did! I even saw an article that said the MB has an 8 bit display! This whole notebook just screams quality until it comes to the display. I would personally rate the notebook as a 9 out of ten but the display I would have to give a 3 out of 10. With an overall score of 5 out of 10. Just because of the display!

Before I shell out 1600.00 for a 13" notebook, you had better change the display! It's like taking someones dreams away Steve!

I really feel sorry for anyone that bought this notebook because you should have gotten so much more for your money. I know some of you will tell me off and say that you love it but come on, go look at the competitors displays. You should have gotten something like that for your money don't you think?

I want an Apple computer so bad but I'm not going to be "just satisfied". I want to be "extremely satisfied" or I won't tell my friends what they are missing.

note to Steve: If you want to sell more, put a little more into it please!

All you need to do is open a photo in full screen and move your head 1 to 2 inches to the left, right, up, and down and you will see the colors shift like your looking through a kaleidoscope. This was a deal breaker for me.

Jan 12, 2009 7:53 AM in response to VistaNoGo

Hi there!

The HD of my 1st gen Black Macbook just died yesterday...

Just off topic... Shame on you Seagate! I replaced the original Seagate 80 GB, just because I heard of many failures happening to my same batch number, and installed a Seagate Momentus 160GB - 7200RPM, that managed to survive only for 13 months with a moderate use!!!

Time to get a brand new machine???

So I went to my local Apple reseller and had a chance to compare the same iPhoto image on a MacBook Air, a white plastic MacBook and a new alluminium 13" MacBook...

What a delusion...

The MacBook Air display is way too better then the other two displays (which to me seem very similar and really poor...): colours are so bright and vivid, blacks are blacks and viewing angles are really wide!

Not the same with the other two machines, and given the price of the new alluminium 13" MacBook, I made my choice...

I will keep my trusty Black MacBook and get a brand new HD, WESTERN DIGITAL - Scorpio Black 320 Gb - 7200 rpm for 80 Euros; I will wait for Apple to fix (I hope so...) the horrifying (for the price you pay...) display in the next revision of the alluminium 13" MacBook.

Ciao for now!

Sergio

DJRobX

Level 1

4 points

Jan 29, 2009 8:43 PM in response to kevin harris

I think the Aluminum macbook screens are the same as the former Macbook models. The issue is that the new Aluminum macbook design has captured the interest of many people who are interested in a small, premium laptop and the screen isn't acceptable to us.

Apr 10, 2009 11:21 PM in response to HopingForHelp

I wanted to add my voice to this list in the off chance Apple reads these boards and gets the hint.

My current MacBook is the first-gen, which I would like to retire. The MacBook is really perfect for my needs. I like the smaller form factor over the pro. At the Apple Store I spent a lot of time looking at various MacBook, Airs and MacBook Pro screens, comparing them to my current MacBook, which I took to the store.

The screens in the current MacBooks are disappointing and I have to agree with the OP. I called up photos from my web site and compared them side-by-side. While the current MB is brighter, it also loses in the blacks, which wash out. The screens in the MBP's are superb, as are the screens in the Airs. If the MB had the Air's screen it would be a home run. I even compared the current Polycarb MacBook to mine and it appears they are putting the same inferior screen in that Mac too.

For now I'll keep using my trusty Polycarb and hope Apple makes a MacBook with a decent screen in the near future.

Message was edited by: James Arnold

Dr Sly

Level 1

145 points

Apr 11, 2009 4:25 PM in response to James Arnold

The alu MB I have right now has far lower brightness and especially contrast, than my previous two Macbook Pros (2007 and 2008 models).

I'm so disappointed I had to sacrifice screen quality for a smaller computer footprint, the blacks are washed off and the computer looks pretty embarrassingly "cheaper" than the LED cinema display I just bought.

Very, very disappointed. When I sell this one, I'll buy something with a better display, and will have them open every other box in the store until I am satisfied.

May 4, 2009 9:05 AM in response to HopingForHelp

I have both a powerbook pro 17" and an macbook pro 17". I am a designer. I calibrate monthly, color is very important to me - the color settings have to be correct - moving graphics between designers and through photoshop to web will go crazy if the screens are off even a little.

The Powerbook pro's colors are right on, it is easy to calibrate and when calibrated looks the same as my cinema. The new macbook pro is horrible, and i mean HORRIBLE. It is not a designers laptop - it is hilarious to try and calibrate, the colors are soooooo off. The only way to design on this is to hook it up to a montior and calibrate that, which works fine.

This lets me know that it is the screen and not software or the video card. The screen reminds me of the first lcd monitors that came out - you remember those? With god awful screens that were absolutely impossible to get good color on, even decent color? Well that's the new macbook pro's screen. Honest, its that bad. I cant work on this thing, its ridiculous - everything is washed out.

I think it has to do with contrast ratio, i've noticed the higher the ratio the better colors are represented. I wonder why apple switched displays? money? was this laptop aimed at non-discerning users?

If anyone knows if apple is offering a recall or will somehow remedy this situation I'd appreciate it - i'm out quite a bit of money on this paperweight.

May 4, 2009 9:22 AM in response to maiku.emon

just found this after some research: http://peewaiweb.free.fr/

does not look good for us - apparently the screen is only capable of 260,000 colors. that explains a lot. from what the forums on macrumor suggest - we are screwed if we have a model number that contains 9Cxx, which mine and others on this post claim. Hopefully Apple addresses this, because it is false advertising to claim millions of colors then knowingly install a screen that does not.

New MacBook Display is Horrible