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The bezel of the 11" MBA is huge
- Thread starter ///M5
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Phil Schiller says that they learned just how much customers "care about all day battery life" when designing the new MBA. (MBA video at 0:40 on the Apple homepage) I guess that blows a hole in your insistent harping that MBA owners don't care about battery life.
Just seen my first 11" Macbook Air in the flesh...... and this is the biggest disappointment, by far.
Was thinking of moving to this model when version 2/upgrade comes out ( with the higher ram and SSD as standard, no doubt).... but now, looks like i'll have to wait 'til they 'fix' the screen.
Not that it's a 'bad' screen - it just looks that way ..... due to the huge bezel, and the fact that the screen edge doesn't line up at all with the keyboard - not the 13" macbook pro screen lines up nicely with the depression/scallop for the keyboard..... that 11" Air screen looks like they just 'slapped' any old standard 'netbook' screen in there regardless...... let me explain, though!
I have a 13" Macbook Pro - extremely pleased with it, and happy to have left Windows behind..... but, more relevantly, I previously had a Sony TX laptop/ultraportable ( a review here http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2931).
Got that Sony over 4 years ago - even then the 11.1" LCD had a resolution of 1366x768, which matches that of this 11" Air - and had a carbon graphite case... most noticeably the width was 10.7" as opposed to this Air of 11.8" .
So - the Air screen is basically the same as that Sony I used for years, and found the screen size to be perfectly useable.... so there's nothing wrong with the Air screen - it just looks terrible because of the case design work around it - I really hope they keep the overall dimensions of the 11" Air but upgrade the screen to a larger size that properly fills the available area (and any bezel would look better in Macbook Pro black)..... then I'd buy it in a heartbeat
Here's a pic of that TX screen
Coops
ps you should ignore any idea that the bezel needs to be that thick to ensure rigidity of the screen..... that sony above was very stiff and strong screen while still having minimal bezel AND very thin - see this pic
Was thinking of moving to this model when version 2/upgrade comes out ( with the higher ram and SSD as standard, no doubt).... but now, looks like i'll have to wait 'til they 'fix' the screen.
Not that it's a 'bad' screen - it just looks that way
..... due to the huge bezel, and the fact that the screen edge doesn't line up at all with the keyboard - not the 13" macbook pro screen lines up nicely with the depression/scallop for the keyboard..... that 11" Air screen looks like they just 'slapped' any old standard 'netbook' screen in there regardless...... let me explain, though!I have a 13" Macbook Pro - extremely pleased with it, and happy to have left Windows behind..... but, more relevantly, I previously had a Sony TX laptop/ultraportable ( a review here http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2931).
Got that Sony over 4 years ago - even then the 11.1" LCD had a resolution of 1366x768, which matches that of this 11" Air - and had a carbon graphite case... most noticeably the width was 10.7" as opposed to this Air of 11.8" .
So - the Air screen is basically the same as that Sony I used for years, and found the screen size to be perfectly useable.... so there's nothing wrong with the Air screen - it just looks terrible because of the case design work around it - I really hope they keep the overall dimensions of the 11" Air but upgrade the screen to a larger size that properly fills the available area (and any bezel would look better in Macbook Pro black)..... then I'd buy it in a heartbeat
Here's a pic of that TX screen
Coops
ps you should ignore any idea that the bezel needs to be that thick to ensure rigidity of the screen..... that sony above was very stiff and strong screen while still having minimal bezel AND very thin - see this pic
I think it has more to do with fitting a full-sized keyboard than with rigidity.
I'm not stating this as fact but I seem to recall reading that the screen supplier(s) only had certain sizes available (as opposed to Apple being able to say we need it this size or that) and they (Apple) had to essentially take what ever size/shape was closest to what they required and work with it. Hence, full size keyboard and big bezel.
I could be way off, and I'm sure someone will let me know if so...
the bigger bezel is because of the screen construction, its much stronger then all the others your comparing it to, especially the sony.
the air can be picked up by its screen without breaking it, those notebooks would be tough to do without breaking the display.
the air can be picked up by its screen without breaking it, those notebooks would be tough to do without breaking the display.
If the above were true, it would follow that the 13's bezel would be even thicker than the 11's. It isn't.
the 13 inch has the minimum bezel size required to house the screen and camera, its thicker keyboard surround is dictated by that
the 11 has the minimum amount of keyboard surround to house the keyboard, its thicker screen bezel is dictated by that.
the only way to have a narrower bezel on the 11 would be to
go with a smaller keyboard and reduce the overall width of the machine so the top half doesnt need a big bezel round the existing 11.6 display, or
go with same screen bezel widths as the 13" and then commission a proprietary screen to suit the space that leaves you to play with. Which compared to the 'off the shelf readily available from multiple sources' 11.6 panel is going to add significantly to costs.
the 11 has the minimum amount of keyboard surround to house the keyboard, its thicker screen bezel is dictated by that.
the only way to have a narrower bezel on the 11 would be to
go with a smaller keyboard and reduce the overall width of the machine so the top half doesnt need a big bezel round the existing 11.6 display, or
go with same screen bezel widths as the 13" and then commission a proprietary screen to suit the space that leaves you to play with. Which compared to the 'off the shelf readily available from multiple sources' 11.6 panel is going to add significantly to costs.
I agree.
It never ceases to amaze me, just how many Mac users obsess over the looks of the bezel on their laptops. I've read about those who won't buy a certain model MBP because it's bezel is not black, and on and on.
I'm so busy using and enjoying my Macs, the bezel isn't even on my radar.
the bezel does indeed make the 11" look ugly.
the screen is 64.5% of the surface, while on the 13" mba it's 69.5% of the surface...
http://www.alternativerecursion.info/?p=1027
the screen is 64.5% of the surface, while on the 13" mba it's 69.5% of the surface...
http://www.alternativerecursion.info/?p=1027
the 11.6 bezel is pretty thick, and I think it's ugly, too. I don't understand why Apple couldn't use a 12" screen...or a 16:10, for that matter.
stiffness has nothing to do with anything. how can the larger and heavier screen of the 13" be supported by a thin bezel while the 11" can't?
stiffness has nothing to do with anything. how can the larger and heavier screen of the 13" be supported by a thin bezel while the 11" can't?
Hahaha this is funny. It is ridiculous that people get offended if you like what they don't or don't like what they like
Scottsdale, you do not know what you are talking about. The bezel is HUGE and they could have made it smaller. You are wrong!
It's not about the looks. The point is, a 13" screen could've been fit in there. That would be one hell of a laptop.
Do a mockup of this. Either you're going to widen the screen but not make it taller, keeping the same bezel top and bottom (which will look bizarre), or you're going to make it taller as well as wider, losing the space for the camera. Or make it taller and have the bottom of the screen very close to the hinge. Any technical issues or economic issues aside (and you don't know what they might be until you actually try this - just because you can't think of any doesn't mean they aren't there), any sense of proportion goes out the window. But all this has been said countless times.
Just because you want it and think it can be done doesn't mean it can.
But boy oh boy, an extra 1.4" would have made it 'a hell of a laptop' (well, what is it now? A piece of junk?).
Hahaha this is funny. It is ridiculous that people get offended if you like what they don't or don't like what they like
Scottsdale, you do not know what you are talking about. The bezel is HUGE and they could have made it smaller. You are wrong!
Yeah that made me laugh too!
It's not like we're sitting in a court. Scottsdale, you can say whatever you feel like saying dude!
So the camera requires such bezel? Have you seen the 17" MBP?
I'm not a photoshop guy, if someone in here can make it happen please do.
A piece of junk? Who said so? I have a maxed out 11"er and I like it, but would've liked it much more with a thinner bezel, i.e. bigger screen.
Have you seen how the MBP has a thicker lid? Maybe that makes a difference to protecting the camera internals. But who knows? I assume Apple had a reason for what they did (a reason other than being dumb or lazy).
Are you a pencil and paper guy? That's enough.
I'm not. Can't remember the last time I used a pencil. Since you brought it up, maybe you can something.
And 'protecting' the camera internals as in?
The reason could be the usual stuff, introducing a new revolutionary 13" MBA with the size of the current 11".
I think this is spot-on. Nothing to do with cameras or rigidity. Apple had to find a way to fit a full-size keyboard on the same machine that has the 11.6 screen (which, as the quoted poster notes, was the only available option without going for a far more costly screen made specifically for the Air). It makes perfect sense if one thinks about it.
'Protecting the camera internals as in' putting an electronic device at the pinched edge of a wedge where there will be increased pressure on it (MBA) is very different from putting that device at the edge of a thicker box shape (MBP) which won't compress the same. It might be feasible in the future; they didn't do it now, too bad for the dude who can't even use a pencil, I guess.
Did I say I can't. I don't. Too bad for the dude who can't tell the difference between the two words.
Too bad for the dude who can't (even be bothered to) use a pencil. Get it now? Anyway, I guess you don't get everything you want, Apple still got you to pay top dollar for a 'maxed-out' 11.6" MBA so I doubt they are too worried about your concerns.