MacBook Air spurs exponential LED display growth
updated 03:25 pm EDT, Fri April 18, 2008
MacBook Air grows LED LCDs
The MacBook Air, with its use of an LED-lit display, is supposedly spurring adoption of the technology all throughout the industry, due to its energy conservation and even lighting. According to Macworld, Apple's slender ultraportable – due to its aesthetic appeal – is spurring an almost exponential rise in LED use in devices ranging from laptops and desktop LCD monitors, to LCD televisions.
Overall, the market should see a four-fold increase this year, with approximately 16.7 million devices to use the technology, from 4 million in 2007. LED laptops with screen sizes smaller than 14-inches would more than double – an estimated 7.2-percent would carry the new displays versus 3.4-percent last year.
Laptops with larger than 14-inch screens would increase LED use from 0.1-percent last year to 4.6-percent this year, with an estimated 19.9-percent in 2009, a figure almost doubling to 38.8-percent by 2010.
Luke Yao, an analyst for DisplaySearch, says that the largest inhibiting factor today is the cost. While taking up half the space of a traditional CCFL backlight, the displays tend to cost twice as much, sometimes more. As production increases, however, costs will fall.
ˇHow ironic!
04/18, 04:06pm reply
You can bet your a** that NONE of them will be able to display 16.7 million colors.
> Overall, the market should see a four-fold increase this year, with approximately ***16.7 million*** devices to use the technology, from 4 million in 2007.
Paul Huang
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 1999
false credit
04/18, 04:36pm reply
First of all, the MBA wasn't the first Macbook model with an LED backlight. That honor lies with the MBP 15". I have an LED-lit MBP, and the lighting is much, much nicer and more even than the incandescent-lit screens with previous models. The advantages in reliability and power usage make this transition all but inevitable.
WiseWeasel
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 1999
LED?
04/18, 08:16pm reply
I don't know what you are smoking. The LED-light-source screens are much more difficult to calibrate. This technology has not matured yet. Other than the "fade" factor and higher energy consumption, the CCFL (fluorescent, not "incandescent") tubes are much more usable than the current LED light source.
Paul Huang
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 1999
led - not there yet
04/21, 02:36am reply
i have the new mbp from 2007 with led display as well and... it is just not there yet. naturally the 16bit is frustrating but colour anomalies and yellowish tint along with unneaveness leave me wishing for something much better.
the lappy is great but my biggest frustration has been the sub-par screen (at least what i expected)
shigzeo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2008