Author Topic: Macbook Air queries...  (Read 4906 times)

Jaded

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  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #25 on: 30 November, 2018, 10:11:51 am »
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #26 on: 30 November, 2018, 12:30:54 pm »
Any good second hand outlets?

The usual places... eBay, Gumtree, maybe CeX.

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #27 on: 30 November, 2018, 01:06:22 pm »
Hoxton Macs also has a good reputation for refurbs
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Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #28 on: 30 November, 2018, 02:42:54 pm »
thanks for links.  OOI i have a 17" 1080p screen (Dell), and the text is pretty small on screen, how does this work with 1080p or retina res, on a 13" MS Laptop  vs  13" Mac.  I kind of imagine photoshop app icons being so small one can hardly make out what they are...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

ian

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #29 on: 30 November, 2018, 03:02:12 pm »
Retina scales things using clever algorithms – it's not a one-for-one dot match. I assume other 4k displays do similar.

I used my Macbook and iMac on maximum scaling with may be a bit extreme for some. You can vary the scaling to make things bigger and smaller, as per your preference and eyesight.

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #30 on: 30 November, 2018, 03:16:27 pm »
Thanks, I think microsoft's W10 scaling must be the real achilles heel for using Adobe Creative Cloud for Windows, on a 1080p 13" screen.  I wonder though, if it's a Windows touch screen, if everything scales continuously as one does the touch expand thing with fingers, like a tablet/phone...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Kim

  • Timelord
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Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #31 on: 30 November, 2018, 03:18:32 pm »
Most OSes have done scaling for the display resolution for ages.  It's just that OSX is much better at it.

AIUI there are occasionally individual applications with UI elements that become ludicrously small on 4k displays, but I'm avoiding 4k because for the moment not needing glasses trumps a beautiful crisp display.

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #32 on: 30 November, 2018, 03:30:44 pm »
All of the Retina display Macs render to a 2x resolution* graphics buffer and then scale the buffer to the actual physical screen resolution. This means you get few if any graphical glitches or things scaled to the wrong size.

In the display settings you can choose between 1:1 mode where the buffer maps exactly to the physical pixels, or two modes where the buffer is larger so you get more screen space. In the 1:1 mode usually everything ends up a little too big, and thus the out-of-the-box default setting is the first scaled mode.

You'd think this would make the screen a little blurry but in practice it's fine.

(* Where "1x" is what a non-scaled non-retina screen would get, for those unfamiliar with the terminology)

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #33 on: 30 November, 2018, 04:17:46 pm »
Thanks.  Apparenty one change UI scaling separately within Creative Cloud now, so prob not as bad on windows.  Not sure how this works in prcatice...

Anyone know the tech specs of an Air retina display e.g. %RGB etc contrast ratio?
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

ian

Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #34 on: 30 November, 2018, 04:28:35 pm »
As Kim says, it just works. Creative Suite looks absolutely fine on a 13-inch Macbook. I run it at max scaling with zero issues.

Most retina displays do a P3 RGB gamut which is probably better than your eyes can manage. Contrast on my Macs is enough to burn your eyeballs out. Black isn't as good as OLED, obviously, but really you won't be disappointed.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #35 on: 01 December, 2018, 09:50:38 pm »
I've got one or two old-skool apps which won't play nicely with a 4k monitor under Windows but most of them seem tolerably well behaved these days.
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Re: Macbook Air queries...
« Reply #36 on: 05 December, 2018, 07:21:43 pm »
The other option is to look at getting a 2015 Retina MacBook Pro secondhand. The 13 inch is only slightly heavier than the MacBook Air, and they have a full compliment of ports and much better keyboards.

Any good second hand outlets?

I've had good service and products several times from The Backyard
www.thebookyard.com/refurbished_apple_macs.php

I've had a mid-2012 11 inch MacBook Air from new - the screen started to die after about 2.5 years, Apple replaced it without any issue (or cost). Other than its been good, albeit as a home browser/email/the odd office meeting, not much more.

I specced it with a 256 GB SDD and I've still got 89 GB free. I would tell you how much High Sierra takes up, but 'About this Mac' is proving incapable of working it out ...

Been an Apple disciple since the 80's, but the current laptop line up is a complete mess ...