Comments on: Apple still not transparent about its hardware specs

By: Lots to like about new MacBook Pro by Raoul Pop

Lots to like about new MacBook Pro by Raoul Pop — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:39:14 +0000

[...] Apple’s less than transparent specs for its hardware. One of my points of contention was the display of the MacBook Pro. Well, I’m willing to forgo that point in view of the MBP’s plentiful other advantages. [...]

By: A look at hard drives: finding the best deals by Raoul Pop

A look at hard drives: finding the best deals by Raoul Pop — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:14:50 +0000

[...] do the research to back up your purchase decision. This is also why I’m steamed up about Apple’s non-transparency when it comes to their hardware specifications. I don’t know what I’m buying, and it [...]

By: Holland

Holland — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:19:25 +0000

I haven’t taken a close look at a MacBook Pro, but my understanding is the high-resolution panels are 8-bit. I’d say the best thing to do is take a look at one in person. It should be fairly obvious (especially in Leopard with all the gradients) if the screen is dithered. The MacBook’s screen looks like absolute crap because of the dithering. Proper color calibration helps a little, but it still looks bad.

I have an 2.8GHz iMac, it does indeed have an 800MHz frontside bus, while the memory runs at 667MHz. This has to do with Apple’s choice to use notebook processors in the iMac (and all other Macs, save the Mac Pro and Xserve). Intel’s chipsets for these processors only support memory at 667MHz.

By: David

David — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:13:34 +0000

Perhaps Apple isn’t as up-front as many would like because they seek to hide the fact that they’re using the same cheap components as PCs costing half as much.

A good guide to basic LCD technology is to get the viewable angle specs. TN typically goes no further than 160 degrees in its better direction while PVA is often listed as 178 degrees. There are more than just those two LCD panel technologies out there, but most 8-bit displays have higher viewing angle numbers than 6-bit ones.

I also believe that all notebook LCD panels are 6-bit which means Apple’s are. 99% of people out there don’t seem to care about colour gamut or accuracy so 99% of the hardware gets made without much regard for them either.

I believe Apple made some marketing noise a while back about the move from 667MHz bus to 800MHz bus in most of their products. What surprised me about that was they stuck with 667MHz RAM, which forces the bus to wait for data every few cycles. Having RAM that matches your front-side bus is much more efficient. Of course 800MHz notebook RAM costs a small percentage more than 667MHz stuff and Apple will always stick with older, slower parts if it makes them an extra buck or two.

In the PC desktop world the processors, motherboards and RAM are mostly rated for 1066MHz or higher and 1066MHz RAM is only a tiny bit more expensive than 800MHz stuff, but Apple doesn’t play in that world at all. Despite the large case, the iMac is essentially a notebook and thus uses small outline DIMMs which have fewer data pins and lower speed ratings than desktop RAM.

By: Kúrcsány Ferenc

Kúrcsány Ferenc — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:10:45 +0000

Apple uses 262K colors TN LCD panels just like other manufacturers with hardware dithering to 16M colors.

By: Raoul

Raoul — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:55:23 +0000

Wiley, I agree with you. Apple’s always used those terms to describe the color capabilities of its hardware. What I have a problem with is the inaccuracy of those descriptions. When they say “millions of colors”, they really mean “hundreds of thousands of colors” plus dithering, at least where laptops are concerned. They should state that openly.

And yes, my irritation came through when I chatted with MeriAnn. It shouldn’t, but it did. The thing is, after 9 months of the same treatment from Apple, I’m justified in being frustrated. I just want the facts, not advertising fluff. I think that same opinion is seconded by plenty of others. Btw, she did speak with an engineer, as I pointed out in the article, but still couldn’t give me an answer.

By: Wiley

Wiley — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:36:56 +0000

To be fair, “256 colors” , “Thousands” and “Millions” of colors is nomenclature that Apple has long used in describing color depth. They don’t use terms like “8bit” or “24bit” because those descriptions aren’t meaningful to a lot of people. Further, if Apple’s own website and tech specs don’t use the nomenclature you want, it’s probably not a reasonable expectation that someone on the call line is going to be able to use your nomenclature.

Although you qualify your statement, referring to the call-line person as a “robot” isn’t fair either. That person works in the service economy and isn’t paid all that much…I do think the question can be answered, but it will take someone with considerably more expertise (an engineer, in all likelihood) than the average help-line person.