Apple quietly settles MacBook 6-bit LCD screen lawsuit
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 26th 2008 1:56PM
posted March 26th 2008 1:56PM
It looks like that would-be class action lawsuit over the quality of MacBook and Macbook Pro screens has fizzled out to nothing, as the plaintiffs have quietly settled. Although it's technically true that the 6-bit screens can't actually display millions of colors at the same time, apparently the two photographers who filed the suit had a difficult time finding other people who had bought MacBooks based on the advertised color depth of the display -- and from what we're told, you just can't have a "class action" without a "class." Even still, we hope someone at Apple was paying attention to how much interest the case generated at the outset -- although MacBook Pro screens generally look fine to us, we've seen some awful MacBook screens in our day.
What does Phoenix Wright have to do with anything?
Well done! FUCK apple, update our macbooks' screen!!!!
Score another one for truth in advertising? So is Apple actually going to tell the truth now?
http://www.praveenkumar.in
Mac's real innovation is the pretty, easy-to-use interface. It may sound superficial, but it's a really important aspect of computing - having an enjoyable visual experience.
Other than that, I don't think Apple is any more innovative than anyone else. They certainly seem to get sued as much as Microsoft for copyright infringements.
Apple has an advantage because it can capitalise on open standards and technology, while it keeps it's own research secret. Most manufacturers do NOT want to return the bad old days of battling formats and standards, like the recent HD/Blu-Ray battle. It's too costly and risky. Apple has had its own run of failures in that department.
What it does do is aggressively implement those new standards and technologies, like being among the first computers to market with USB and firewire built onto the motherboard. It didn't develop any of those technologies or define the standards that apply to them. It did integrate them first, however, and pushed them to market first. It can do this because mac users are prepared to pay a premium to what Mac does. Unfortunately, many Mac users tend to interpret this as invention on Apple's part, but it's not. They're genius is all about smart integration, packaging and the user experience.
BTW, do Macbooks still have that 6-bit problem? I want to buy one, but I won't if I'm not getting at least 8-bits per channel. If I recall correctly, the human eye can't perceive above 6-bits of colour depth, but I still don't want the display card approximating the colour it's supposed to be displaying. I thought the industry was moving to 16-bit anyway? 6-bit seems like a throw back.
who can see a million colors anyway
So that means that only 2 photographers are using MBPs? I thought all the Mac-Fanboys are all crazy about how well Macs behave in a photographer/layout business.
What kind of Notebooks do photographers buy then (besides Chase Jarvis who does actually have a MBP)?
Or were those 2 just out of luck and anyone after them got some MBPs with a different screen?
That's the one thing I don't like about my macbook. Some of my photos look terrible on it because it just doesn't have the range needed. Serious banding issues.
Oh well.
some people replied here should be lawyers (or are lawyers already)... some profound comments I read.
anyway, yes, this screen of mine does not display all the colours. I can see (especially in photoshop the gradients are dotty)... also, the engadget reply blocks - there's light 45degrees lines running through them - They don't show up on my "normal screen" though... only on my laptop.
The lawsuit was ridiculous. A pixel can only display one color, or rather be composed of three pixels which make up the color when our eye blends them. Of course the number of colors displayed can be rather large. If jpegs are used, the images are already filtered to an approximation of the light our eyes are sensitive to.
The information stored on disk received from the camera is already limited by the judgement it makes about the light falling on the sensor pixels.
The LEDs/LCDs on the MacBook monitor can vary in color output and the image on screen can be influenced by ambient light, adjustments in an editing program and by the choice of the Display Profile.
Besides, it is known among professionals that a laptop is not used for color corrections.
Hopefully Apple settled this greedy little lawsuit by giving them a PostItNote on the back saying "I am a greedy idiot."