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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

Jun 13, 2009 8:52 PM in response to HopingForHelp

I just got my 13" macbook and have the problems with display listed. It hurts my eyes, the text is not sharp, the colors seem off, the angle isn't right no matter how I adjust the screen. However, the macbook is apparently not returnable because I had iLife installed and that's considered a configuration. Any ideas? I just waisted more than $1,000 and I'm angry.

Jun 14, 2009 2:47 AM in response to Firefly2000

Try a different Apple Store and uninstall iLife, and reinstall a fresh copy of the OS. I know exactly how you feel and understand your predicament only too well.

Apple screwed up last time around, but at least they have addressed the issue with this new generation.

That does little to help out people like yourself of course. I hope you can find a solution without having to cough up more dough like I've had to do.

Jun 15, 2009 10:42 AM in response to sathinator

I posted a few postings back concerning the horrible display on the late 2008 MacBook. I couldn't stand it any longer and bought a 2009 13" MacBook Pro and am happy to report that this display can stand up to any Sony Vaio display. Bright, clear, sharp with excellent blacks. I lucked out and got a 9CBD display, which has had several good reports. I now have the 13" MacBook (Pro) that I wanted all along (with firewire). Apple did it right this time around. I am sure it is not perfect, but pretty close. This has to be one of the best 13" laptops out there, especially with OSX. Now I just have to sell my 2008 MacBook on eBay.

Jun 24, 2009 7:04 AM in response to HopingForHelp

You have described the display perfectly. Unfortunately it is something I will never be able to overlook. It is so incredibly bad, it's embarrassing. I have not found one person that likes the display that has used my MacBook. I can overlook colors not being perfect, or the glare from the screen. But the contrast and viewing angles are so bad, that even looking straight on there are places all over the screen that are washed out. I hope they change the display to match the Air. -christine

Jul 2, 2009 4:36 AM in response to christinedawson

The new displays in the 13in Pro are actually better than the one in the Air now. I had the Air and was very happy with the display in that, but the displays in the late 08 unibody Macbooks were atrocious. Thankfully that is now a thing of the past, and I am hopeful Apple is getting its act together on all its products - the new range of Macbooks is much higher in quality, and the new iPhone 3GS is fantastic (although it really should've had a OLED screen IMO) - the speed/graphics are incredible, and the audio also seems improved to me, to near, if not equal to Sony standards. They have also improved the build quality on it too - the display used to bleed light through gaps in the body fit at night, and this has been eliminated on the 3GS. It also looks like they are holding Nvidia to account for their part failures too. We pay top dollar for our beloved Apple products, and it is looking like we can buy them in full confidence now, and at even better prices.

Jul 15, 2009 8:40 AM in response to HopingForHelp

I think the new displays ARE horrible. But Apple has made a business decision and thinks it's good for the majority of people. I can say for a fact that MOST people I talked to would have preferred to have the OPTION to choose, and MOST would go with a Matte surface.

Many of us have been mac users for a very long time, some are converts from the PC world, but to NOT have the choice on such a critical piece of hardware almost seems insane. The limitings offered by Apple are limited: notebook (pro, air) desktop (pro, imac) so they need to make sure that with this limited offering, comes a way to customize the way they are.

I love apple, but am still sticking to my macbook pro from 2007 and my 23'' cinema display because they're matte. I would love to see a revision in their policy and I know countless other people would like that too.

Jul 15, 2009 9:55 AM in response to HopingForHelp

Please bring back the matte option on the MacBook Pros. Glossy vs matte is a personal preference, and it's a shame Apple has taken away that choice. Hope the rumors of it's return are true!

Jul 15, 2009 3:52 PM in response to TMillerMan

Amen, please let the rumors of the matte option returning be true, I will not replace my 2007 Macbook Pro with a glossy screen. If the matte option hasn't returned by next February when I replace it I will go with Windows 7 on a Thinkpad. If the matte option is available I'll definitely get another Macbook Pro. Give us a choice Apple!!

ddavidd

Level 1

0 points

Jul 15, 2009 3:57 PM in response to jim.arrows

Funny, I was just saying to a friend I wount replace my old matte screen MacBook Pro 15" for a new until Apple bring back the matte option. And then I read about the rumor. Hope its true!

Robogeek

Level 1

0 points

Jul 15, 2009 4:21 PM in response to ddavidd

I have, I believe, the last 15" MacBook Pro model that was available with a matte screen option (2007 Model A1226, 2.2 GHz), and I just made the choice to upgrade its hard drive and RAM rather than buy a new unibody MacBook Pro, because I don't just simply prefer the matte screen - I really can't stand the glossy screen. It hurts my brain.

But if Apple would bring back the matte screen option to the 15" MacBook Pro (i.e. as a $50 option, a la the 17"), I would spring for a new unibody model - no question. (I'd love for it to be an option on the iMacs, too!)

Thanks for listening.

Jul 16, 2009 4:37 AM in response to HopingForHelp

I have a 24" iMac6,1 at work, with a matt screen. It recently was away for repair for a week. During that week I used a newer glossy screen iMac. I'd had my doubts about glossy screens, but was glad to get the opportunity to try one out.

Now that I've tried it, I've decided. I'm going to hang on to my iMac until I can replace it with a matt screen device. Likewise my 15" MacBookPro - no glossy screen replacement for that.

I've heard that the success of the iPhone triggered the move to glossy screens. I've got an iPhone, and don't find it a problem. That's irrelevant - I'll never be using that size screen to do anything that requires long term concentration.

Aug 5, 2009 10:50 AM in response to HopingForHelp

We've been a customer since 1984. We really need another 15" MacBook Pro, and would like to buy one today, but will not buy any more macs until the anti-glare screen becomes available again.
Hope that Apple will email everyone if/when additional macs in their line are offered with the anti-glare option...
Can't understand why a company that prides itself on good design choices and user-friendliness would make such an unuser-friendly decision, and such a poor design decision: form is supposed to follow function and glossy screens are not a functional choice for designers, photographers, and illustrators!

Aug 24, 2009 1:36 AM in response to pictogram

Am with you on this one. It's crazy to think that after all the effort put in to come up with such a great product, Apple opts for such a display. Problem is, Apple seems to move toward the same technology for their future screens!

Waymen

Level 5

5,722 points

Aug 25, 2009 8:15 PM in response to pictogram

We've been a customer since 1984. We really need another 15" MacBook Pro, and would like to buy one today, but will not buy any more macs until the anti-glare screen becomes available again.

Well, the 15" MacBook Pro does now have a matte screen option but it is a $50 extra (same as on the 17" model). Now we only have to wait for the same option on the 13" MacBooks.

Sep 2, 2009 8:32 AM in response to pictogram

Last night I found out anti-glare is available on the 15". This morning I went to the Apple Store to buy one and came out frustrated and empty-handed. Why? Because the design of this laptop is the busiest, most distracting, least minimal, and least sleek of any mac I've ever seen. The screen is surrounded by a thin black line like on the previous antiglare 15", but there is also a second black rubberized line that runs around the outer edge of the screen frame. Talk about a visual distraction: a screen image surrounded by black surrounded by silver surrounded by black surrounded by silver! The black keyboard and hinge are further visual distractions.

I cannot buy a mac that interferes with my visual design-making: visual communicators need a clean unobtrusive plane surrounding their visual workspace—something every freshman in a good design school is taught.

Again, I can't understand why a company that prides itself on good design choices and user-friendliness would make such an unuser-friendly decision, and such a poor design decision: form is supposed to follow function and busy hardware interfaces are not a functional choice for designers, photographers, and illustrators!

Hopefully, an improved hardware design, more in keeping the the original mac philosophy of unobtrusive design, will become available soon.

New MacBook Display is Horrible