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Philflow

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2008
1,276
3
I noticed my Air looks better in Windows XP than in OS X. Same thing as with the Macbook I returned.

Trying out different profiles did not change that. More punch and vibrance in XP.
 

michelepri

macrumors 6502a
May 27, 2007
511
61
Rome, Paris, Berlin
I noticed my Air looks better in Windows XP than in OS X. Same thing as with the Macbook I returned.

Trying out different profiles did not change that. More punch and vibrance in XP.

Windows screen drivers are usually much better. Or maybe Windows handles those things better. I had an HP monitor which worked perfectly in Windows but is almost unusable in OSX.
 

uniforms

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2008
129
0
South Orange NJ
This may help what ever display you have

I have both MBA v1 and the new version. The screen is great, but still not up to my liking for depth of colors that I use for use with photoshop and quark. I found a product that I recommend for any computer you use, that is "HUEY" from Pantone. It works great in calibrating color just right. Best 100 dollars you can spend if you want great color on any monitor or laptop screen.
 

snowsucker

macrumors newbie
Sep 23, 2008
1
0
I'm surpised that noone has come up with the idea to buy a separate MBA display and put it into a macbook (or I might have missed it). That would make one killer laptop if it's possible. I haven't seen any images on disassembled computers that are good enough to determin if it's doable though. The connectors etc should be the same since it's the same graphics card and apple probably wants to use as few components as possible to minimize costs. I wonder how hard it is to separate the panel from the glass piece on the new macbook? I may have to go home and investigate it...
 

NC MacGuy

macrumors 603
Feb 9, 2005
6,233
0
The good side of the grass.
I'm surpised that noone has come up with the idea to buy a separate MBA display and put it into a macbook (or I might have missed it). That would make one killer laptop if it's possible. I haven't seen any images on disassembled computers that are good enough to determin if it's doable though. The connectors etc should be the same since it's the same graphics card and apple probably wants to use as few components as possible to minimize costs. I wonder how hard it is to separate the panel from the glass piece on the new macbook? I may have to go home and investigate it...

People have and posted about it in here and the MacBook forum. The NVIDIA graphics isn't a card per se. It's a chip. The output is ported off via Apple proprietary logic board.
 

shen

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2003
390
0
depends on your comparable...

i haven't seen the new MBA yet, but the store had the new macbooks and old airs, and i made them unhook one so i could side by side. yes the air has a better screen. no, it isn't nearly what the pictures i have seen make it out to be.

but as i said, it was the old air. maybe the new ones are even better?

not that it matters to me, i am looking to replace a G3 iBook that stopped working over a year ago, so they are all pretty impressive upgrades. :D
 

Philflow

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2008
1,276
3
i haven't seen the new MBA yet, but the store had the new macbooks and old airs, and i made them unhook one so i could side by side. yes the air has a better screen. no, it isn't nearly what the pictures i have seen make it out to be.

but as i said, it was the old air. maybe the new ones are even better?

I don't think the new ones are better than the old ones.

The flaws of the new Macbook panels are more apparent with less ambient light. In store situations, set to maximum brightness, they look better. Except for the blacks.
 

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
For anyone uncertain about the MBA's incredible screen quality, the next time you visit Best Buy, Fry's or an Apple store open up System Preferences and choose Desktop&Screensaver and change the desktop pic to the darkest background of the Black and White options. The Air is unmistakably the best against the MB and the MBP.
If you visit a Best Buy they always have the Macbook line sitting side by side.
 

MVApple

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2008
527
1
For anyone uncertain about the MBA's incredible screen quality, the next time you visit Best Buy, Fry's or an Apple store open up System Preferences and choose Desktop&Screensaver and change the desktop pic to the darkest background of the Black and White options. The Air is unmistakably the best against the MB and the MBP.
If you visit a Best Buy they always have the Macbook line sitting side by side.

I've been to Best Buy and I've compared the old MBA with the new MBP and the new MBP was easily the best screen to my eyes, MBP>MBA>MB. The screen quality of the MBA is good, but the new glass screen of the MBP makes colors pop in an amazing way. Quality wise, the MBA screen and MBP screen are probably very similar but I think the reason the MBP looks so amazing is because of the glass glossy screen. When the new Macbooks were being announced I was really crossing my fingers for the glass screen and glass trackpad to make it over to the MBA and I was quite disappointed to see that it didn't happen.

Maybe it was too much effort for Apple to add the glass screen and trackpad, but its sure a disappointment to me. I would of traded power for portability, but the amazing screen on the MBP and the new trackpad closed the deal for me.

I did not try the black background as you say, but I tried various pictures and the new MBP was clearly ahead. It's possible the MBA has a screen that produces better blacks, but the MBP clearly wins overall color saturation and vibrancy.
 

icymountain

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2006
535
598
I'll let the facts speak for themselves.

For those who don't know, high contrast is better and low blacklevels (schwarzwert) is better.

Great info.
Btw, I can't believe Apple is putting so crappy screens in their MacBooks. Yeah, I know they have to give a reason for people to want a 15" MBP, but that is really too bad: many people have been posting around saying they wanted a 12" PB replacement and the Air was not that for them (I understand this very well: the 12" PB was a compact, do it all computer whereas the MBA is a more portable, not do it all machine); the new MB could have been that at a rather decent price. Too bad. :(

As far as I am concerned, I am more and more happy about my choice to get an MBA 2.0, while I read these threads.
 

buckawheat

macrumors member
Oct 17, 2008
90
8
Went to compare

I went to the local apple store and did compare the three laptops. The thing that really works against the MBP and MB is how brightly the store lights reflect in the glass. There is a purple(ish) tinge to light reflected by the MBA screen which drastically cuts down on the ambient light. The MB screen looked great when reclined to its furthest position and for regular use, one or two people could watch a movie on it, or sit side by side and have a pretty decent image. The air looked great from any sideways angle and the MBP while the screen had better color than the MB, was still affected by the clear reflection of ambient light in the store.
I think the moral of the story is, buy for the features you are looking for.
 
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