Apple to ship Macs with LED backlighting
updated 03:25 pm EDT, Wed May 2, 2007
Macs with LED backlighting
Apple CEO Steve Jobs today in an open letter to the public revealed that the Cupertino-based company is aiming to unveil its first Macs with LED backlight technology some time this year, confirming reports from earlier this year. LCD displays with LED backlighting consume less power, provide better color uniformity, make for a thinner design, and negate the need to include Mercury in the manufacturing process. "We plan to introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007," Jobs wrote. "Our ability to completely eliminate fluorescent lamps in all of our displays depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays." The announcement foretells of liquid crystal displays with lower power consumption, improved color uniformity, and thinner LCD designs that should fit nicely into Apple's goals as an innovative company that produces some of the most competitive devices on the market. [corrected]
In addition to its eco-friendlieness, LED technology also brings better light disribution and increased color saturation as well as less power consumption, resulting in longer battery life.
Hmmmm... new MacBooks?
05/02, 03:53pm reply
Seems like those would be the most obvious first application of a display that has lowr power consumption.
ZinkDifferent
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2005
Title of this piece
05/02, 03:55pm reply
I think your title should be 'Apple to ship Macs with LED backlit LCDs in 2007' since all their current LCDs have backlights already....
Will C
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Jan 2001
come on imac revision!
05/02, 04:20pm reply
I know the best use for this would be for laptops, but I'm really hoping for a dramatic iMac redesign!
I'd love for this technology to be integrated with the new iMacs—and to see them released come June WWDC!
Zkatz007
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 1999
Backlights
05/02, 04:23pm reply
I think Macnn is a little late with the news about Macs going to use Backlit LCD's, actualy it was back in 1989 with the Mac Portable with it's 9.8" Black and White LCD WITHOUT a backlight. I hear that PC laptops will soon offer Backlights as well!
macassemble.com
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006
We needed to hear this!!
05/02, 04:29pm reply
This is wonderful news! We have been in the dark for so long about new hardware. LED Macbook Pro has my name all over it.
hldan
Mac Elite
Joined: May 2003
it matters that
05/02, 04:30pm reply
LED's have a limited life efficiency and their light output and color range shifts over time. The technology is great but it has not matured to the point where an LED can maintain a consistent light wave output over time. I hope they can take that into consideration.
zl9600
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
re: it matters that
05/02, 05:11pm reply
LED has a MUCH better life efficiency and less color range shift than the current Cold Cathode Flourecent could ever hope to have.
The title of the article is weird.....were Apple's LCD screens never backlit before?
Roehlstation
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Same old
05/02, 05:25pm reply
Re. article title: sloppy MacNN/Electronista proof-reading...AGAIN.
willed
Professional Poster
Joined: Oct 2000
@ roehlstation
05/02, 06:28pm reply
Actually, I don't think you can say that with certainty. The report below (obviously from a biased source) claims that LED avg. life is 1-5 years, where CCF is 5-15.
I'd guess that this was skewed as much as possible to fit this industry's liking, but other sources point to the same thing: LED's do NOT last forever and don't have as long of life or consistent color range as conventional light sources.
http://www.litebeams.com/pdf/ccvsled.pdf
zl9600
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
@everyone
05/02, 07:05pm reply
Can you dumbasses stop using apostrophes for plural words? Thanks.
olePigeon
Clinically Insane
Joined: Dec 1999