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MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

mantia.me

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Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't buy the accuracy argument for a second. By working only on the most expensive, rarified equipment, the only thing you're ensuring is that your own experience will be drastically different from 99.9% of end users. Imagine if the guy responsible for developing new recipes for McDonalds insists that his "creative work" only be done with organic Niman ranch beef.

I don't buy the accuracy argument for a second. Seriously? I hope you're not a designer, videographer, photographer, or recording engineer. Imagine if the guy responsible for developing new recipes for McDonalds insists that his "creative work" only be done with organic Niman ranch beef. The point. You missed it. You're not even close. It's way over there. The monitor is the measuring cups, not the ingredients.

It's generally a poor assumption that averaging a huge number of inaccurate devices is going to end up with the same sound as one high quality set. I would support finding out what the "average" home equipment sounds like, but suggest "perfection" is the best approximation is laughable. For example, the average single cone speaker is going to be setup to handle mid range sounds ok, but it's going to miss highs and lows.

I think the real advantage is people get used to how their system adjusts music. So by following the convention it's going to sound "normal" to them.

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#94
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there an output device other than a "pro" monitor with the same range? If the consumers of your work don't have 8 bit displays, how will they know the difference? It sounds like he was happy with it until he took it apart. If you only discover it's not good enough after checking the part number, I think maybe it is good enough. Anyway, is there a picture somewhere I can download that will show me how awful my shit…

Just a guess: it's probably 6/8 bits per R/G/B.

That's correct. it's 6/8 bits per color.

Note that an image that uses 6-bit color with an alpha channel will have 24 bits per pixel, which shouldn't be confused with the 32 bites per pixel of 8-bit color.

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#95
post #85
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>It's called a MacBook Pro and is marketed at more demanding users, i.e. professionals Which "professionals"? 8bit color is important to pretty much one professional group: graphic artists/designers (maybe two, if you include people doing video work). For the vast majority of people - "professional" or otherwise - 6bit vs. 8bit color doesn't matter. It looks good, it's fast, it runs what they want. Those are the thi…

At the minimum, it's faulty marketing on Apple's product. They shouldn't state that it supports millions of colors when it actually doesn't. Just like the CRT monitors that are 17" but only 15" viewable... sometimes that stuff doesn't change until someone files a lawsuit.

It "supports" millions of colors; it just displays some of them with multiple pixel tricks. Which is probably fine with me -- I haven't seen a comparison where I could tell the difference without blowing the pixels up.

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#96
post #10
post #3

I'm not sure what this guy is looking for. Regardless of whether the display is 6-bit, or just 8-bit that looks crap, you're still going to have a problem. Unless you're harboring a fantasy that Apple will give you a MacBook with a custom screen as way of an apology. They've offered you a refund. Take the money and use it to buy the 15" MacBook with a better screen. And this time try checking out the product to make…

You didn't read the article. He would be glad to upgrade to the 15" MacBook but Apple will not tell him if it's a true 8-bit display. He's simply wants the TRUE specs on the machine.

If it's so obvious and important to his professional work why doesn't he drag his ass into the Apple store where he bought his MacBook and check out the screens of all available models? This would have been advised before buying the 13" machine, but hey at least he can get a refund. Apple already "misled" him, so why does he care what they say? Walk into the store and check for yourself. Or can he not tell the difference?

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#97
post #73
post #11

I purchased my first mac last year ( a white macbook, right before the new unibody models came out). The screen on the thing is a piece of dung. Gradients look terrible. My acer travelmate from the days of the dinosaurs even has a better screen. I enjoyed reading about this guys little quest and it's one of the reasons I prefer to keep my distance from Apple.

MacBook screens have been crap for as long as I can remember, since the days when they were selling PowerBooks and iBooks, long before the first iPod. I have no idea why the "demanding" Apple audience let's them get away with that but the panels on these things have always had lower contrast and (sometimes ridiculously) lower viewing angles than comparable notebooks, e.g. the sony vaios. I've done plenty side-by-side…

I suspect that would be a gamma difference with OSX, not an artifact of the screen quality. If you look at windows computers, the lighter greys are generally a bit darker than the same colour on a mac.

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alternate comment: How's about commenting on the actual substance and not whining about the headline? Sure, he's asking for a pony in some ways, but they're making pro machines with displays that don't do what they say or anything "pro" for that matter.

I believe that's what his alternate headline was doing. Saves you from also having to read the post unless you liked the constant whining and childish ranting from the blogger.

That's the problem. A lot of HN readers would look at the top comment to decide whether the article is worth a read. jonknee's comment does not provide much value in this regard. It's somewhat disparaging and reminiscent of comments you'd find from fanboys on Engadget or similar site.

The author makes a point that it's hard to believe an extremely well-regarded company like Apple would fail to disclose the true color depth of their panels or that the millions of colors are generated by dithering rather than the native capability of the monitor. I do agree though that his article was rather long for the point he made. There was some entertainment value in the length but it was not value a typical HN reader would seek

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you've been paying attention you would have noticed that the tech goes backwards in the world of LCDs: as time goes on, high-quality LCDs are being displaced by 6-bit junk-panels not only in laptops (there isn't a single one 8-bit LCD laptop available in US right now) but even in desktops as well: 20" iMacs are 6-bit too. Viewing angles and contrast ratios are shrinking as well, hence the disgusting proliferation…

"...there isn't a single one 8-bit LCD laptop available in US right now..." Yes, there is. The HP Elitebook 8730W can be ordered with the a DreamColor 8-bit IPS (or PVA not sure...) LCD panel. And Lenovo used to ship the T-series line with IPS panels. I think the W700 can also be ordered with a IPS WUXGA panel.

Looks like the Sony TT line has an 8bit display:

http://www.sony.com.sg/microsite/vaio/products/vaio_tt/8bit....

Re: MacBook Pro, Thousands of Colors

#100
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the minimum, it's faulty marketing on Apple's product. They shouldn't state that it supports millions of colors when it actually doesn't. Just like the CRT monitors that are 17" but only 15" viewable... sometimes that stuff doesn't change until someone files a lawsuit.

It "supports" millions of colors; it just displays some of them with multiple pixel tricks. Which is probably fine with me -- I haven't seen a comparison where I could tell the difference without blowing the pixels up.

Thats the least compelling definition of supports millions of colours I've ever heard. So did my EGA display adapter in the 80s then. I'd be furious if I bought a 6-bit monitor in this day and age and it wasn't spelled in giant letters all over the thing.
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