Are there ANY consistently good screen rev bs?

[jackfrost123]

I am planning to order the air so I won't be able to check out the screen as I ll be having it shipped to me, so I was wandering, is it worth the risk due to the screen problems or should I play it safe with a mbp? Have apple started releasing screens with marked improvements or are we still seeing the problems with lines of the earlier batches.

 

[nph]

I wrote in another thread I have seen one spotless (linefree) MBA in the last few weeks at a Starbucks. None of the retail stores has had any without the lines.
however I also noticed that if you calibrate the screen and the lines were not too bad to start with it can be minimized to a level that I don't think it can bother me.
I will take a chance and order one in the next two weeks. (have a business trip next week, so not until after that)

 

[DAMAC3]

I have no idea what the percentage of good screens is out there, but I have a revB with a pefect screen as far as I can tell. I have examined my screen with several different background shades from white to different shades of grey (colors the lines are supposed to be the worst on from what I have read), and I can't find anything. I have very good eyesight, so that isn't it.

Maybe I am one of the lucky ones. Maybe a high percentage are fine. I don't know. All I know is that one of the major reasons I chose the Air over the regular Macbook was the screen because I like to watch a lot of TV shows and other video on my laptop when sitting in bed or during my lunch at work.

 

[jackfrost123]

Hey guys, great replies from both of you, thanks for the heads up, that's what makes this community so good. I think I ll go (with a heavy heart) down the mbp road as the safest bet at the moment. Shame because the mba screen in rev. A I d seen in person many times and it was just great...not too glossy...not distracting...way, way better than anything the competition had...shame that apple having signed multi billion agreements with lg can't get a good % of decent screens on their macs...you 'd have thought that they d have ironed the problems by now but there is nowhere any indication of this...

 

[Scottsdale]

I live in Scottsdale, Arizona U.S.A.. I know of seven rev B MBAs here that do NOT have any lines. I have seen the lines in the Apple Store where a rev B MBA owner's had lines (which were hard to see except on white background and at very bottom of display), but more importantly had uneven backlighting. I think it had been dropped as was a dent in it.

I have read many others that say it's on every single rev B MBA. I find it hard to believe. Mine has no lines, and I know several others who own line free rev B MBAs. So, I have wondered if maybe has something to do with climate??? Why is it there are so many line-free MBAs here? Just a thought...

FWIW, I read another thread that has seven postings of people that, like me, claim to have a line-free rev B MBA. So, either we are all blind, or there are a bunch of MBAs out there without the lines. I think the lines must be happening to a small percentage of the MBAs, but I wonder what the differences are. People that have line-free rev B MBAs have bought them from release date through a few weeks ago. There are two models of displays, and both have line-free so people claim.

I would say, buy it from Apple. Open in the store. If ANY problems or lines, demand a different new boxed MBA. One other caveat, I would advise you not to say anything to the associate before buying and opening yourself in the store. I wasn't concerned when I bought mine, as I had already seen a bunch of line-free MBAs and it was not that I thought there would be even a 5% chance that mine would have lines. But, if you are really concerned, I think opening in the store as soon as they have given it to you and you paid, is the best way to ensure you get a line-free rev B MBA. You are going to be paying a lot of money, and Apple is NOT going to be unfair to you. If you have lines, they will replace it. I have had a personal experience of being concerned about something else, one time, and the sales person told me not to buy if I was concerned... I did buy and it didn't have any problems (different computer/different issue). I have read it from many on this forum that they kept opening boxes until got one with no lines or very faint lines that could see only on certain white background web pages and such. I think you will be better off to go in with a positive attitude and assume you will get a brand new line-free rev B MBA... that is more likely to be the best way to deal with Apple if yours ends up having lines. Be cautious but don't assume the worst just because some others have posted their line issues.

I personally wonder about the dry climate here and if that is why they're line free. However, it could be where they are shipped from, the model you buy (as far as low-end or high-end), where you buy, and how has been cared for (like I said, the one I saw had a dent like definitely had been dropped)???

I really don't understand how many as a percentage of rev B MBAs have these lines??? It just seems really odd to me of how many I have seen without lines. I know people seem to only report when there is a complaint, and that may be why there are so many people here who have posted the line problem issues.

Best wishes in getting a line-free rev B MBA. It is one amazing computer in all aspects from speed to portability to power and capabilities.

Cheers.

 

[jackfrost123]

Hey Scottsdale thanks a lot for the reply! Unfortunately I ll have it shipped from abroad to get a better deal, and I won't be able to inspect it there and then, the most I can do is ask the guys to open it up for me have a look at it, which I am not sure if they 'll agree to or not, probably not.

You are right I shouldn't be assuming the worse, and I won't. It's tricky to gauge the percentages of affected models but what has been more alarming to me is that this line issue is not your typical "bought a mac had this defect I am posting about" issue reported on forums, but it's people actually reporting going to the apple store and not being able to find a single display model WITHOUT lines. People from stores all over Europe where I am resident at and buying from are reporting their experiences with display models that seem more often than not to have lines. It makes one wonder if the % of models affected where low wouldn't the people at stores have chosen line free models to display instead?

Thanks for the good wishes to!

 

[HLdan]

Even if someone was to open it up and inspect it they most likely will tell you the screen looks great because overall it does. Most people are not as anal retentive as some forum members on MR. Dude if you get one with lines and most likely you will it won't be anywhere as bad as what people are preaching here. All I can recommend for you is to "USE" the computer and the lines won't be a dealbreaker for you. All of a sudden you'll forget they are there. Most people here spend a lot of precious time analyzing their Macs daily rather than using them. Let the price go and ask yourself, would you be this OCD if you were buying a Windows PC? Would you expect perfection?

 

[orpheus1120]

HLdan has made some good points here.

I have personally seen 3 base model air in Singapore recently. That was the first time I had seen the rev b, and eventhough I've read so much about the line issues, I really didn't have a clue what it really is all about visually. Are the lines coarse and super visible? Are they the sorta band-like spectrum that fill the screen diagonally as some described? I didn't have a clue. The strange thing is even after I've seen the first air for 20 minutes, I still couldn't see the lines, until I compare the screen to the adjacent mbp's. Then the screen problem became apparent to me.

The thing with the mba screen is that, if you don't know what you are looking for, the chance of you finding it is low. HOWEVER that said, if you are like me who have had experience with good screens, a subtle sense of discomfort will slowly crawl into you after playing around with the air for some time - that something is wrong with the display, you just ain't sure what. It's a feeling of knowing something is just not right, but you just can't explain it in words.

But the problem becomes obvious when you compare a good screen beside it - in my case it was the mbp. Only then you will be able to discern the subtle differences. In the mba case, you will see thin, faint lines that are seemingly horizontal running across the screen. It's so subtle it makes one think it's the texture of the current background. What gives it away is that upon closer inspection, you realise the lines are not really horizontal, but slanting diagonally from left to right ever so slightly, and even so for different backgrounds.

A close range inspection on my screens at home and even that of the mbp's in the store, would only reveal the pixels. But for the air, you see not only the pixels, but a texture. It is this "texture" or what others refer to as "a band of electronic interference" that causes a subtle discomfort and deterioration in the screen quality. It's really hard to put this experience in words. It is something you have to see for yourself, and the best way to know what it is truely about is to have a good screen available for you to compare with.

As for me, after seeing 3 different mba from 3 different locations, I've yet to find one with a line-free screen. However that said, sometimes ignorance is bliss. If you have never seen a mbp or an ACD screen before, chances are you will appreciate the mba's better.

 

[Scottsdale]

HLdan has made some good points here.

I have personally seen 3 base model air in Singapore recently. That was the first time I had seen the rev b, and eventhough I've read so much about the line issues, I really didn't have a clue what it really is all about visually. Are the lines coarse and super visible? Are they the sorta band-like spectrum that fill the screen diagonally as some described? I didn't have a clue. The strange thing is even after I've seen the first air for 20 minutes, I still couldn't see the lines, until I compare the screen to the adjacent mbp's. Then the screen problem became apparent to me.

The thing with the mba screen is that, if you don't know what you are looking for, the chance of you finding it is low. HOWEVER that said, if you are like me who have had experience with good screens, a subtle sense of discomfort will slowly crawl into you after playing around with the air for some time - that something is wrong with the display, you just ain't sure what. It's a feeling of knowing something is just not right, but you just can't explain it in words.

But the problem becomes obvious when you compare a good screen beside it - in my case it was the mbp. Only then you will be able to discern the subtle differences. In the mba case, you will see thin, faint lines that are seemingly horizontal running across the screen. It's so subtle it makes one think it's the texture of the current background. What gives it away is that upon closer inspection, you realise the lines are not really horizontal, but slanting diagonally from left to right ever so slightly, and even so for different backgrounds.

A close range inspection on my screens at home and even that of the mbp's in the store, would only reveal the pixels. But for the air, you see not only the pixels, but a texture. It is this "texture" or what others refer to as "a band of electronic interference" that causes a subtle discomfort and deterioration in the screen quality. It's really hard to put this experience in words. It is something you have to see for yourself, and the best way to know what it is truely about is to have a good screen available for you to compare with.

As for me, after seeing 3 different mba from 3 different locations, I've yet to find one with a line-free screen. However that said, sometimes ignorance is bliss. If you have never seen a mbp or an ACD screen before, chances are you will appreciate the mba's better.

I still wonder too, if the plastic screen is somehow pushing against the display causing the lines. One person described them as slightly appearing to move when change angle he looked at them.

I have a unibody MB, a v 2,2 MBP, and a rev B MBA. The MBA has an incredible display, but so does the MBP with a 1.5 yr old glossy (not glassy) display. Both look very similar. The only difference between the MBA and MBP, is the black is black as can be on the MBA... On the MBP it looks great until you set the two side by side and see how much blacker the MBA display is. I originally thought my unibody aluminum display was really nice, but I see huge differences between the MB and either of the other two. The MB has absolutely horrible viewing angles, and the black is more of a "purple" hue. But head on the MB still looks good. It's at any angle whatsoever that the MB display seems cheap.

I don't see any lines on the MBA compared to the MBP. They both look very clean and crisp. They both are excellent for colors. To me, watching a movie on the GlassBook (unibody aluminum MB) in a dark room is more vibrant than watching a movie on the MBA or MBP. The glass is really better in dark situations (completely dark room at night). In the light, the MBA looks better than the MB.

Last thing, the lines I saw were so faint, and only really viewable when you push the display back as far as it could go and look at an angle which no user would ever use to look at their display. A lot of being very picky but acceptable that Apple should provide a properly built display that has no issues.

 

[jackfrost123]

Even if someone was to open it up and inspect it they most likely will tell you the screen looks great because overall it does. (...) Would you expect perfection?

I agree with what you are saying essentially, but how bad is that bad, and how bad, bad can get? (hmm lot of badness...)

HLdan has made some good points here.

I have personally seen 3 base model air in Singapore recently. That was the first time I had seen the rev b, and eventhough I've read so much about the line issues, I really didn't have a clue what it really is all about visually. Are the lines coarse and super visible? (...) However that said, sometimes ignorance is bliss. If you have never seen a mbp or an ACD screen before, chances are you will appreciate the mba's better.

Great, great post makes things much clearer, pun intended. Like you said, ignorance is bliss and since I am not ignorant about this issue anymore I will hunt for it.... and find it an annoyance, I am sure I will get more or less used to it, but there are to caveats (so to speak). First one is the reason I ll be switching from my beloved but aged wintel ultraportable I got 3 years ago and going mac not only on the desktop is the screen, as my current laptops screen has is not top notch for reading. And hence I would like something that is great for reading, far and above everything. I am thirty and I dont want anymore cummulative eye strain, seeing (...) as it is that a lot of family members have over time developped problems with their eye sight, and some of them are old enough to have avoided looking at a flickering screen other than the tv. And apple has me a bit hand tied here cause I had the air as my no1 priority and then they went and messed up the screens, so I am leaning to the mpb which is not what I am after in terms of portability, and then also they ve gone and added that awful glass on top of the mbp and put an inexcusably bad display on the mb, and they've banished matte except for the 17 inch beast....they have by all accounts made a right mess of a good situation here and have got people like me very complicated....

...I might have to agree with people who are saying that apple is becoming less and less interested about pro and power users and is turning more into consumer products only co....I mean to have to buy a ghastly 17 beast to get a matte, not just a matte, even a low glossy screen without the glass forced down your throat is not a good scenario, they have got to reconsider a few things over there at lovely Cupertino...I could even stomach a good air-like (rev a) glossy screen for the mbp, but why do I have to have the glass with it? It doesn't make sense, they 've gone a step too far...

 

[orpheus1120]

Tell you what OP, I understand that you are buying and shipping it from abroad. But what you can do now is go down to a local apple store or a reseller and have a look at the mba there. You may find the screen acceptable to your standard. Trust me, even when you think you know what you are looking for, chances are you gonna fail the first time finding it. I know I did.

For starter, the screen is noooooot that bad I would say, but not as good as my mbp. Coming from the realm of PC, I doubt you are subjected to high standard so I think you would find the mba perfectly acceptable... I guess?

Go down and take a look for yourself. If you like it, get one from abroad and be happy about it. I may get myself one eventhough I know I may jolly well get one with lines. The reason is because I fail to find the lines the first time round. Only reason I found it though is because of MR. Else there's never the slightest chance I will know about it. So I guess with some colour calibration with my spyder3elite, the situation may improve.

 

[dubhe]

FWIW I have lines, they are there if I look, but after a few days you forget about them, and they in no way distract me from my work. Unless you are doing a lot of precision work on a white background, don't worry about it. If it wasn't for MacRumors I would probably forget I had lines in a few weeks time.

 

[jackfrost123]

Tell you what OP, I understand that you are buying and shipping it from abroad. But what you can do now is go down to a local apple store or a reseller and have a look at the mba there. You may find the screen acceptable to your standard. Trust me, even when you think you know what you are looking for, chances are you gonna fail the first time finding it. I know I did.

For starter, the screen is noooooot that bad I would say, but not as good as my mbp. Coming from the realm of PC, I doubt you are subjected to high standard so I think you would find the mba perfectly acceptable... I guess?

Go down and take a look for yourself. If you like it, get one from abroad and be happy about it. I may get myself one eventhough I know I may jolly well get one with lines. The reason is because I fail to find the lines the first time round. Only reason I found it though is because of MR. Else there's never the slightest chance I will know about it. So I guess with some colour calibration with my spyder3elite, the situation may improve.

Hey orpheus, I ll do just that and pop around to scrutinize the air in my locals and then pull the buying trigger. And lol, , coming from the pc world, no I haven't been spoilt quality wise!

FWIW I have lines, they are there if I look, but after a few days you forget about them, and they in no way distract me from my work. Unless you are doing a lot of precision work on a white background, don't worry about it. If it wasn't for MacRumors I would probably forget I had lines in a few weeks time.

Hey dubhe, thanks for sharing the experience, I am not the anal retentive type myself so I am sure I ll get used to it, it's good to hear a real user's perspective. That it doesnt cause eye strain and all.

 

[sk147]

I personally wonder about the dry climate here and if that is why they're line free.

That's an interesting idea. I wonder to what extent climate can effect LCD display technology.

I spent about 30-40 minutes with the Rev. B at the Apple store near me. After about 10-15 minutes of use I noticed the lines (hadn't been looking for them). Overall it really wasn't that bad, just happens to be one of those things that once you notice it, your eye gets drawn to it.

They did seem to shift and even fade out based solely upon moving my head up and down slightly, changing viewing angle, which made me wonder if it wasn't something with the glass/coating.

 

[harry454]

that is an intersecting aspect, I wonder the same as well, however, I doubt we can get a general consensus of the good screens and bad screens.

 

[Scottsdale]

That's an interesting idea. I wonder to what extent climate can effect LCD display technology.

I spent about 30-40 minutes with the Rev. B at the Apple store near me. After about 10-15 minutes of use I noticed the lines (hadn't been looking for them). Overall it really wasn't that bad, just happens to be one of those things that once you notice it, your eye gets drawn to it.

They did seem to shift and even fade out based solely upon moving my head up and down slightly, changing viewing angle, which made me wonder if it wasn't something with the glass/coating.

The thing is I hear so many people complain about the lines. I saw them on one rev B MBA here. BUT, I also have seen seven MBAs with no lines... I was just trying to think about why.

I remember from seeing the lines, and I read one person described moving. That makes it seem like it could be the plastic pressing on the LCD or possibly something (humidity) getting in between the two.

Heck, it is a hypothesis. I have NO clue on why I have seen seven personally without them if it supposedly affects every MBA for others. What is the difference??? To me, a lot of health problems and etc are changed by the severely dry climate here. That and the "moving" part make me think of humidity... that's all.

 

[darrellishere]

All the macbook air's have slight lines when you look at them really closely! A&B! But then others have them more pronounced, like paper! I have even seen them Really/Really BAD, Gray thick lines 1-cm apart down the whole screen.
I'm gonna get it sorted soon, as I have seen b screens better than mine.
If it bothers you, like it dose me. Try and get an exchange, although I know how annoying this is, backing up etc. LOL

I find it annoying that even when viewing images in Aperture or looking at your desk top background image, the lines still show though!

 

[mhnajjar]

Any explanation why the MBA is the only machine suffering from these lines?

Please do not give me that "because the screen is so thin" BS because it is NOT the only thin and NOT even the thinnest screen in the market.

cuz of 's LINES!

 

[HLdan]

Any explanation why the MBA is the only machine suffering from these lines?

Because the screen is so thin.

 

[jackfrost123]

yeah but so was the rev. a and it didn't have that problem.

 

[mhnajjar]

Because the screen is so thin.

Thanks for saying it like an Apple Care employee

FYI, the Vaio TT has a thinner screen (the screen film) which is amazing and way sharper with higher resolution than the MBA and yet it does NOT suffer from any lines

 

[HLdan]

Thanks for saying it like an Apple Care employee

FYI, the Vaio TT has a thinner screen (the screen film) which is amazing and way sharper with higher resolution than the MBA and yet it does NOT suffer from any lines

I think you need a nap, you're obviously not alert enough to recognize sarcasm. You asked for it in your earlier post by demanding that no one uses the excuse for the lines as the screen being thin. Of course the screen being thin would have nothing to do with it, again, you asked for it. Now you are saying the MBA is "Suffering" from lines?? That's extreme and you know it.

Another word of advice for the OP. The next time you are ready to make a new Mac purchase, stay away from MR. You will never buy a Mac if you hang out here too long, people will blow things out of proportion to a point where you will be scared off. It shouldn't take someone else to recognize issues for you, you should be able to see for yourself. If you don't notice issues then there are no issues.

 

[smoked]

If it wasn't for MR I wouldn't have noticed the lines on my screen. I'm thrilled to be able to use a laptop in direct sunlight, and it makes all the other PC notebooks we have pale in comparison. I think it looks nicer than my father-in-law's matte MBP.

I looked at several Rev B MBA's in two different Apple stores before buying, and never noticed any lines on them.

After a long time really trying to find "lines" on the one I have I can finally see what I think people mean. There is a texture to it, like really nice paper, but only if the brightness is set low and only on white areas. Doesn't bother me at all, in fact I kind of like it

 

[mikey28]

of course their are MBAs with no lines. I have a Rev. B 128/SSD. NO LINES. I'm sure their are thousands with no lines. They just aren't posting, because they aren't BOTHERED. This site is a bit skewered, because you hear mostly from people who have problems/issues with their MBAs. People with no problems don't bother to post...

 

[dubhe]

of course their are MBAs with no lines. I have a Rev. B 128/SSD. NO LINES. I'm sure their are thousands with no lines. They just aren't posting, because they aren't BOTHERED. This site is a bit skewered, because you hear mostly from people who have problems/issues with their MBAs. People with no problems don't bother to post...

I don't agree, this subject has been pretty popular for a few months now, I think people with perfect screens would let us know, if for no reason more than to boast!