Macbooks with 1050p screens ship in 2-4 days!

[NClens]

Lenovo needs to get better people in their purchasing department, since their FHD screens remain nowhere to be found. I will admit that 1680 x 1050 resolution is a strange choice on Apple's part. Why give up 30 lines?








moved by moderator to "Off-Topic Stuff" from "W500/510 W700/710 series specific matters only" due to subject line.

[archer6]

Lenovo needs to get better people in their purchasing department, since their FHD screens remain nowhere to be found. I will admit that 1680 x 1050 resolution is a strange choice on Apple's part. Why give up 30 lines?


moved by moderator to "Off-Topic Stuff" from "W500/510 W700/710 series specific matters only" due to subject line.

There is a shortage of FHD display panels industry wide. Yet, that said why Lenovo is having a such a hard time procuring these panels is questionable.

Regarding Apple's new hi-res display choice of 1680x1050, that is conventional resolution for a 15.4" 16:10 display. The same that was offered on the ThinkPad T500's as well as many other manufacturers laptops.

[yak]

I will admit that 1680 x 1050 resolution is a strange choice on Apple's part. Why give up 30 lines?

You are probably mixing 1680x1050 16:10 resolution with 1920x1080 16:9.

[archer6]

To Apples credit, at least they retained the 16:10 format on the new 15" MacBook Pros released today.

I have both a 16:10 T500 and a 16:9 T510.

The 510 is such a great looking, well built ThinkPad, it's a shame they saddled it with a 16:9 display. It's virtually the only aspect of this model that keeps it from being my all time favorite ThinkPad.

Cheers...

[NClens]

Is there any point keeping 16:10 if the vertical resolution is lower than Lenovo's anyway? Also, will the T510 have a FHD screen? The tabook lists FHD only for the W510. Of course, you can't order a FHD for a W510 at this point anyway.

[archer6]

Is there any point keeping 16:10 if the vertical resolution is lower than Lenovo's anyway? Also, will the T510 have a FHD screen? The tabook lists FHD only for the W510. Of course, you can't order a FHD for a W510 at this point anyway.

To help you understand resolutions and display ratios, I offer this for computers with 15" widescreen displays

1) 1680 x 1050 is a medium 16:10 ratio WSXGA+ Resolution for a 15.4" display
1920 x 1200 is the highest 16:10 ratio WUXGA Resolution is the highest for a 15:4"

2) 1600 x 900 is a medium 16:9 ratio FD+ Resolution for a 15:6" display
1920x1080 is the highest 16:9 ratio FHD Resolution is the highest for a 15.6"

Neither of these has anything to do with the manufacturer of the computer. It has _everything to do_ with the TFT, LCD flat panel display standards agreed upon by the various display manufacturers.

Cheers...
(remember Google is a great resource for info)

[NClens]

I was just thinking that for a company so interested in headline specs and so entrenched with the "creative" community, Apple might as well shifted to the 16:9 form factor to offer a real 1080p screen versus stay with a 16:10 screen. For all I know, Apple may have a ton of money invested in certain size aluminum blocks and can't switch screen ratios. Anyway, I'm waiting for a W510 with 1080 or maybe a T510 if they also offer this with 1080.

[archer6]

Oh, now I see what your line of thinking is. Yes, for those who use latops for watching movies, I concur. In addition I expected Apple to go to 16:9, and when the didn't I decided to order one before they do.
However my preference is using a laptop for everything _except_ movies. So having as much vertical display space as possible is my preference.

[asiafish]

I just bought the new MacBook Pro as well. The 15" 1680X1050 antiglare display is simply to die for. It is evenly lit, has terrific viewing angles, is color-accurate and has excellent brightness and contrast. I've never owned a FlexView display, but this is the best laptop display I've ever owned. The rest of the laptop is pretty nice too, though for $2350, it had better be.

[Crunch]

I just bought the new MacBook Pro as well. The 15" 1680X1050 antiglare display is simply to die for. It is evenly lit, has terrific viewing angles, is color-accurate and has excellent brightness and contrast. I've never owned a FlexView display, but this is the best laptop display I've ever owned.

Reaaallyy...?? How do you like the keyboard and the trackpad? Apple did not in any way change the aesthetics, or the LCD technology, per Steve Jobs. The official word is that Apple is not taking away any resources or manpower from its Mac customers. However, insiders have said consistently said that the iPad, and now iPhone OS 4, as well as the upcoming 4th generation iPhone, have precedence over everything else. This only makes sense, as the iPhone, iTunes, the AppStore, and now the iPad, have been what generates by far the most cash for Apple since 2008.

I hope Lenovo did with its DisplayPort what Apple made possible for its MiniDisplayPort, and that being the miniDP now carries both video and audio.

I'm glad you love the screen so much! Can someone riddle me as to why many (most?) people prefer glossy displays vs. antiglare (matte) ones? Is there a benefit that a glossy LCD besides serving as a mirror?

Thanks and congrats!

[asiafish]

Reaaallyy...?? How do you like the keyboard and the trackpad? Apple did not in any way change the aesthetics, or the LCD technology, per Steve Jobs. The official word is that Apple is not taking away any resources or manpower from its Mac customers. However, insiders have said consistently said that the iPad, and now iPhone OS 4, as well as the upcoming 4th generation iPhone, have precedence over everything else. This only makes sense, as the iPhone, iTunes, the AppStore, and now the iPad, have been what generates by far the most cash for Apple since 2008.

I hope Lenovo did with its DisplayPort what Apple made possible for its MiniDisplayPort, and that being the miniDP now carries both video and audio.

I'm glad you love the screen so much! Can someone riddle me as to why many (most?) people prefer glossy displays vs. antiglare (matte) ones? Is there a benefit that a glossy LCD besides serving as a mirror?

Thanks and congrats!

No clue on the glossy preference. I had the first unibody MacBook Pro and own a current MacBook Air, and honestly, I hate glossy screens. I tolerate it in the Air because there is no matte option and the rest of the package is wonderful, but the minute they release a matte Air, my glossy one will hit eBay.

I don't think Apple cuts into the Mac business to develop the iPhone any more than Microsoft would pull its Windows programmers to help launch a new XBox. Snow Leopard is only 8-months-old, so its not like the Mac platform has been ignored. We had new iMacs late last year and the new MacBook White, and now new MacBook Pros. The only "old" models are the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini, and those are hardly marketed as power-user machines anyway.

I like the current Apple keyboards a great deal. ThinkPad keyboards (at least X and T series) are still better, but not by much. I am a die-hard keyboard snob, and gladly spent 50% more to get a 12" PowerBook back in the day compared to the very similar 12" iBook ONLY because of the vastly superior keyboard. Apple's keyboards feel very different than ThinkPadders are used to, but if you give them a chance you will find them to be excellent.

The touchpad is, by far, THE BEST touchpad in existence. Of course, for a guy like me who HATES touchpads, that isn't saying much. I would absolutely love to buy a MacBook Pro with a licensed TrackPoint, or even better, a ThinkPad fully supported and sanctioned for OS X, but somehow I doubt that will ever happen. So, I suffer with Apple machines.

[ThinkRob]

I find it quite interesting how Apple seems to miss out on all these "industry-wide" problems:

When Lenovo dropped FlexView, it was because IPS displays "weren't available anywhere" and "the industry had changed".

And then Apple's iMacs shipped with S-IPS panels.

When Lenovo moved to widescreen, it was because manufacturers "just weren't making 4:3 panels", especially not IPS ones.

And then the iPad was release with a 4:3 IPS screen.

Now Lenovo can't ship good-quality 16:10 panels because "the industry's moving to 16:9".

Except Apple's shipping *very* nice TFT, 16:10 panels.

Somehow, I can't wonder if maybe the problem isn't the industry but rather the purchasing department at Lenovo!

[NClens]

No idea what is wrong with Lenovo's purchasing department. Maybe the South Korean manufacturers would prefer to deal with U.S.-based Apple versus China-based Lenovo. There could be a couple of reasons, all conjecture on my part. From what I've read, Apple tends to purchase in large quantities up front to ensure adequate stock on day one. Lenovo seems like it's trying to adopt some strange just-in-time inventory system. Another thing to consider is that Apple seems to have much more margin naturally built into their products, meaning they can pay a premium to get in front of the line.

Overall, Lenovo seems to be worst in class on the LCD issue, with HP estimating 4/30 build dates for FHD equipped 8540w models and Dell 5/8 build dates for FHD equipped M4500 units.

[pianowizard]

When Lenovo dropped FlexView, it was because IPS displays "weren't available anywhere" and "the industry had changed". And then Apple's iMacs shipped with S-IPS panels.

Lenovo was making that claim only for 15.0" laptop screens. Besides the Apple iMacs, lots of other 20" or larger LCDs have had S-IPS -- see this almost-complete list ("almost-complete" because it's definitely missing the Dell 2001FP). I just bought a Dell 3008WFP, which has S-IPS. Nothing special about Apple.

When Lenovo moved to widescreen, it was because manufacturers "just weren't making 4:3 panels", especially not IPS ones. And then the iPad was release with a 4:3 IPS screen.

That's not fair, since the iPad is not even a laptop! But I see what you are saying -- had Lenovo REALLY wanted to keep 4:3, they would have been able to find a way to do it.

[asiafish]

That's not fair, since the iPad is not even a laptop! But I see what you are saying -- had Lenovo REALLY wanted to keep 4:3, they would have been able to find a way to do it.

There is a way, its called money. The LCD manufacturers will make whatever you are willing to pay them to make.