Apple Has Stopped Producing Usable Notebook Computers
14th Oct 2008, 21:29:46
Earlier this year, my good lady's iBook G3 ceased to operate. Whilst this was bad, it didn't really owe us anything after delivering six years of trouble free service. We had been holding back from ordering a replacement because of the long anticipated new Apple notebooks which were finally announced today. Now, however, I doubt that we will ever purchase another Apple notebook...
We are both professional users (I'm a network administrator, she's a web programmer). We both intensely dislike glossy, glass finish displays. I realise that these displays aren't a new development, the current fad for gloss finish LCDs appeared a few years ago and has slowly become the standard equipment for most notebooks, but quite a sizable proportion of pro users hate them. When I bought a notebook back in April, I had to spend more than I wanted to and buy the MacBook Pro so that I could order the matte screen. When Apple announced the new MacBooks today I saw that the new MacBook shares the aluminium enclosure of the 'Pro' model so I dared to hope that they might offer the matte screen on the MacBook, making it a perfect replacement for the iBook. Err, no. Instead they announced that from now on, all Apple displays will be glossy with no option to specify matte. At any price.
Because of the stupid shiny screens I don't know what to do now. We are a Mac household and find using anything other than OS X a royal pain, but we don't want to look at the reflections of the light fittings all day. Judging by some of the disussion occuring on the web, I know that we are not alone in our dislike. Almost any amout of glare or reflection on the screen causes me headaches and eyestrain, this seems to be a similar problem for many others with less than perfect vision.
Apple's justification for one of the worst decisions they've ever made; "consumers love it". Well bollocks to consumers, Apple, what about us pro users who actually use your products all day? We know what we want so why not give us the option of buying a display that is actually usable?
1 Archived Comment
6th Aug 2010, 12:22:16 by rikkus
I'd suggest trying one out. I was worried too, as I hate glare, but in practice it's hardly ever a problem. Occasionally, depending on how I'm sitting, I have to slightly change the screen angle to avoid the reflection from a light, but it's really no bother.