Macbook Air 13 display screen Upgrade?

The 1440x900 resolution of 13" mba's is enticing to me. I've tried several 2010-2011 Macbook Air 13 notebooks and the ergonomic design is great too, but the display screen is CRAP. There is definite uneven backlight leakage on all models (yes, I demo'd at several apple stores too). Plus I noticed this weird gradient anomaly on the lower portion of the screen.

I found myself continuously tilting the display in hopes of getting "the right" viewing angle, but when one area of the display screen would look better, the other areas would become "washed out" looking. Couple this with glossy glare and it put me off from buying it.

Recently, I was pleased to learn TechRestore.com has a Matte Display Upgrade display for these 13" Macbook Airs. I saw a brief low-quality youtube video comparison for macbook pro, but wasn't detailed enough for me to see the difference. So, have any of you tried it and if yes, how much of an improvement was it?

 

Even after sampling a few stores, you still can't make a general statement like that. For example, my 13" MBA has absolutely zero display problems. The backlight is even, no leakage, the colors are even, no dead/stuck pixels, etc. Instead of reviewing demo units that are on 10 hours out of the day, you would be better served to see a newer one. The display models normally have their display backlight all the way up and never allow the display itself to turn off. That already diminished life and can produce a worse quality image over time.

 

I agree the Air display isn't the best, but you really should try a new one before deciding. The Air display wasn't really meant for accurate color or detailed work--it's a travel notebook. My 2011 Air didn't have any screen problems either, although I did feel it was washed out and difficult to calibrate to something I liked.

Really to get a nice screen, check out the macbook pros too. IMO, the best screens on any mainstream laptops.

 

I don't have any issues with the more "washed out" look of the MBA. I think that mainly has to do with the edge-to-edge glass over the displays of MBPs in that colors and blacks really do pop. I think the MBA is more comparable to other glossy displays from other manufacturers. It definitely isn't the best but then again, things are a lot worse with many, many, many other notebooks from different manufacturers.

I wouldn't trade the MBA's display out for another one simply because it isn't as glossy as the MBP's. A matte panel isn't going to look much different from what is already in the MBA's other than not looking as vibrant due to the lack of a glossy coating. I don't think that is really worth the extreme amount of effort that would go into replacing the display of a MBA (not to mention that it would void Apple's warranty).

 

I'm glad to see I'm not the only seeing the low-angle of viewing with these 13" macbook airs. This guy notices the same problem too:

11.6" MacBook Air Review: 13" Compared - YouTube

Has anyone tried the Mac Repair | iPad LCD Repair | iPhone Screen Repair and Parts matte "upgraded" display?

 

I thought the current answers (and lack thereof) would have been obvious. Again, you should see a new unit in person before jumping to a conclusion. Apple's return policies are also really good allowing you to return something for whatever reason.

I can tell you that, so far, you are the second person to come on here and say something. That is not near enough (neither is a crappy YouTube video) to make any type of conclusions.

 

I'd actually prefer the lower resolution, but my Macbook Air's screen is fine. I mean they're TN, but I think Apple uses high quality TN panels by notebook standards (well, in tests they are objectively better than average), although I'm sure there's variation in what particular panel they use.

I don't know...I had my Air and my Asus on side by side last night, and the color temperature is different on them (to me not really better or worse necessarily), but they both looked good.

 

A matte replacement isn't a good strategy to resolve the issues you are experiencing. The screen is good, but the laptop is consumer level. That doesn't mean you can't use it professionally, but it's not a complete self-contained computer system that's viable for all tasks. It's fine for most things, but one example of something it cannot do (without external hardware) is work which requires near-perfect color accuracy. Obviously, you can (and should) use a high quality IPS external monitor if you need to do that type of work. You might be able to get by on a macbook pro, but even that isn't the optimal choice. Generally, people either need nearly perfect color correctness or they don't.