Macbook Pro disappointment

I am an Apple User for 5 years now. I've had my first Apple product, Ipod mini (green), during my college years. When Apple releases new products, I made sure I am aware of it and find a way to have it. My father gave me my first Macbook last year and I am really satisfied with it as well as other Apple products (Iphone, IPad, Ipod Touch). Of course, there is always a need for us to upgrade our gadgets. So I decided to get the new improved Macbook Pro. We bought it last year but did not avail the AppleCare for I know that this new Macbook Pro is more versatile and multi-tasker than the Macbook I had. I never had any problems with my Apple products but a few days ago, a thin green line appeared on my screen. I was so disappointed. I asked somebody from the service center here in Manila for what I should do and they said that I need to replace the screen. It drove me mad when they told me the price I had to pay because I no longer have the warranty from Apple. I couldn't believe that this can happen too soon knowing that I have tested the other product (Macbook) and was really happy with it. This laptop was only used for a year and 4 months. It would have been okay if this is not pricey.
I am hoping that Apple would do something about this. And I am hoping that this message will get to their attention.

(1) Unfortunately, these things happen. It is my impression that, on average, the quality of Apple products is slightly above the average, but the average is pretty low these days.
(2) Fixing a notebook computer, irrespective of manufacturer, is always expensive. The parts are flimsier and working with them is trickier and more difficult than with desktop machines.
(3) Fixing Apple computers is always more expensive than fixing another brand. The market share is much smaller, so both parts and labour are more expensive. It's something you need to keep in mind when deciding upon a purchase.
(4) Follow eric grenoble1's advice. Talk to Apple. Perhaps even write them a nice letter, explaining the situation, how much you liked your MBP, what you did with it, and why fixing it is important. Apple is not a charity; it's run like any other corporation, to make money; but sometimes they can appreciate the value of good will. Keep in mind that the higher up the ladder you can manage to reach, the more likely you are to get a helpful answer.
(5) This forum is definitely monitored by Apple (after all, they'd be fools not to, since they are hosting it on their servers!). However, it is monitored for bad language and items that run contrary to Apple policies and interests. It is NOT monitored for customer feedback, customer satisfaction, or to provide customer support. If you post anything here in the hope that "Apple will hear this", IOW, that your words will reach someone of any consequence at Apple, or who can speak on behalf of Apple, you are wasting your time. Utterly.

Similar Messages

One year on MacBook Pro (almost) - disappointed

For Christmas last year, I was offered a 15 inch MacBook Pro. It was, by far, the best present I ever got.
Up until then, I was schlepping around a Dell Latitude. I had had it for six years and that Dell was a reliable little machine, even though it did not have half the cachet of a shiny, aluminum-encased MacBook Pro.
Since December of 2010, I have become an Apple user exclusively. I got an iPhone, and recently got an iPad.
But to me, the most important device in my mini-collection is the MacBook Pro. It is my professional computer, the one I use to write and communicate with.
Shortly after getting it as a present I purchased Office for Mac, the 2011 edition.
Few days after receiving the MacBook Pro, I experienced strange graphics jamming when using Facebook; the screen literally turned into Poltergeist.
I took it back to the Apple store in Tysons Corner, VA and got a new one. This was my first introduction to Apple Computers' great fallability. To discover such a fundamental flaw on a PC would be unheard of.
The problem no longer exists, except for the occasional graphic hiccup (recently, when I would scroll down a web page, stripes of the image would remain frozen in place and get spread over the entire screen like jam as I tried to scroll up and down).
My MacBook Pro often freezes. I see the beachball every other day.
Today I was performing a paste in Word and the application crashed altogether.
Safari has never worked. I start it up and the screen remains blank. I read somewhere in the forums that I can switch to a guest account and use it there. That does work, but to say that that is an impractical solution is an understatement (ie., user settings--passwords, cookies, bookmarks--aren't saved, so that's no good). Why can I not use Apple's Safari on an Apple computer is baffling to me and is very telling. It reveals something fundamentally flawed in the way Apple designs its products. Because if a flaw like this one can make it through their Quality Assurance workflow, guess what? That's an issue.
Another problem is that Mozila used to crash regularly until I turned off some of the browser's features. Now Mozila crashes only every once in a while.
After a year of using Mac, I do not feel secure about this product or this company. I feel like I have a device which is imperfect, a laptop that's fallible, that was assembled carelessly. I feel like the company that is behind the product is full of holes and lack maturity in the way they produce the devices which has made them so famous.
Although I would not go back to PC machines, I am greatly disappointed in Apple's MacBook Pro.
My Dell Latitude never gave me any problems whatsoever. That machine was rock-solid and chugged along, with loyalty.
It would be silly of me to try and convince you of buying a PC -- Macs are sexy and they're cool and that's what you want. But know that you're not getting a machine that's assembled with the same degree of professionalism as a Dell, an IBM or a SONY. Be aware that Macs are fallible machines and that under that beautiful and shiny exterior lies an imperfect core.

Sounds like you've been extremely unlucky. Why don't you make apple get you a new one again, if this machine is also flawed?? I have a mac pro and a macbook pro, and even though my mac pro went down today (hopefully something i'll manage to fix), i must say that that machine has been the most stable machine i've ever owned. It's basically been switched on non-stop for 5 1/2 years, the only times i've ever rebooted it has been after installing some software requiring a reboot, and it's always been rock-solid. I've only had my macbook for a year now, but so far it's also a winner. Only thing i dislike about it is the case-design, as it has a spot wich is extremely vulnerable to liquid damage. It's the opening between the screen and the rest of the case. However an opening is needed there for air-flow, but it could be designed in a smarter way.

I've got a MacBook pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work running Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing.

I've got a MacBook Pro 15' running 10.6.6. I want to use an external monitor for my graphic design work using Adobe software and thought I'd try an HD TV. I ran a Mini Display to HDMI lead to the TV but the picture quality was disappointing. I also tried a Mini Display to VGA lead and that wasn't much better. I tried all variations of resolutions in System prefs - Displays but nothing helped. Am I getting something wrong? Thanks all.

In addition to pixel density, you are up against the translation driver card in the TV.
If you read the fine print of computer-resolution-capability in the TV user guide, you will see a chart as tall as the manual page. At the top is the smallest resolution capable, at the bottom is the full use of the 1080p in the TV.
Mac falls into the top 25% of the page, maxing out at 1366x768 often. This is because the TV control card is expected to do too much of the work, but is not designed for computer-monitor processing.
I looked at the resolution charts on 2 TVs before deciding to buy a 1080p LCD monitor that has a TV interface/connector. Computer monitor first, TV second. But the thing is only 27 in. Good thing TV is not as important to me as it is to others.

Really disappointed with the Macbook pro

Hi all,
I purchased a Macbook pro in the middle of January 2011 with some inheritance money. I went for the cheapest one - was going to go for the white macbook like my partner but thought it would be worth the extra money to upgrade to the pro. It was the first time i had made the move from PC to Mac, but was fairly familiar with the systems having owned an ipod touch for a while and my partner also having a macbook.
4 months on...and i have to say I am really really disappointed with my Macbook pro and certainly not worth over £1000 i paid for it. This is mainly because:
i find that after a while of watching movies (15 - 20 mins), the video starts to "stutter" and the mouse jumps when i try to move it. I thought this was only the case on flash-based websites (like Youtube - although there is no problem on my partners basic macbook) so installed click2flash. I have since come to realise that it also happens whilst watching DVDs etc. I also thought it may be when the battery is low, but it happens even when it is plugged in. I cant understand how it happens on mine but not my partners even though my Pro is supposed to be a high spec (isnt it???)
I use Garageband and often record myself by mic input over the top of backing tracks that i import into the program. I have to record with no effects on my voice to begin with whatsoever , nor the backing track, and have to minimise the garageband window to the dock as when it is open and scrolling, i get the "Part of the project was not played. This project has too many tracks, effects, or notes to be played in real-time." error.
The other day, i noticed my macbook pro would not burn CD-Rs (both music Cds and MP3s) and later realised that i could burn anything up to 6 or so tracks (about 20-25 minutes worth of audio). After trawling the forums, trying slower burn speeds, different brands of CD-R and lens cleaning cds (which froze in my macbook) I still have a faulty disc drive. I have now discovered that the end tracks of some audio cds i have will not play so is obviously something wrong with the drive.
I'm very frustrated and can't help but wonder if maybe i should have just got a £500 windows laptop instead!
Any help and feedback would be much appreciated. Are Apple Support good at dealing with stuff like this? Am i best calling and discussing over the phone or taking it in to a Genius bar? I have also ran all the latest software updates.
Thanks!
Tom
PS - my hardware overview is as follows:
Hardware Overview:
Model Name:          MacBook Pro
Model Identifier:          MacBookPro7,1
Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:          2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors:          1
Total Number Of Cores:          2
L2 Cache:          3 MB
Memory:          4 GB
Bus Speed:          1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version:          MBP71.0039.B0B
SMC Version (system):          1.62f6
Serial Number (system):          W8***M
Hardware UUID:          A6DAE6B2-A0CB-56E4-974E-7352CAFCD40C
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State:          Enabled
NVIDIA GeForce 320M:
Chipset Model:          NVIDIA GeForce 320M
Type:          GPU
Bus:          PCI
VRAM (Total):          256 MB
Vendor:          NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID:          0x08a0
Revision ID:          0x00a2
ROM Revision:          3533
Displays:
Color LCD:
Resolution:          1280 x 800
Pixel Depth:          32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Main Display:          Yes
Mirror:          Off
Online:          Yes
Built-In:          Yes
Display Connector:
Status:          No Display Connected
HARD DRIVE: TOSHIBA MK2555GSXF:
Capacity:          250.06 GB (250,059,350,016 bytes)
Model:          TOSHIBA MK2555GSXF
Revision:          FH405B
Serial Number:                     Y0***T
Native Command Queuing:          Yes
Queue Depth:          32
Removable Media:          No
Detachable Drive:          No
BSD Name:          disk0
Rotational Rate:          5400
Medium Type:          Rotational
Partition Map Type:          GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status:          Verified
Volumes:
Capacity:          209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
Writable:          Yes
BSD Name:          disk0s1
Macintosh HD:
Capacity:          249.72 GB (249,715,376,128 bytes)
Available:          200.11 GB (200,105,803,776 bytes)
Writable:          Yes
File System:          Journaled HFS+
BSD Name:          disk0s2
Mount Point:          /
DISC DRIVE: MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898:
Model:          MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898
Revision:          HC10
Serial Number:                  UK***B
Native Command Queuing:          No
Detachable Drive:          No
Power Off:          Yes
Async Notification:          No
<Edited by Host>

>the video starts to "stutter" and the mouse jumps when i try to move it.
That's the fault of the video format you are viewing. It probably caches itself to the hard disk, and the sudden motion sensor gets triggered by the hard drive, if you give it any innertia. You could create a RAM Disk with any of a number of solutions you can Google.
And DVD drives don't like being bounced around.   See what I have to say about CD failure below too.   Anything can cause a disc to get unbalanced, and not play back right.   I would not attempt to play DVDs while the machine is in motion, as you can damage the DVD drive of any machine that is.
Garageband has its own forum here: https://discussions.apple.com/community/ilife/garageband where someone can tell you if there is a setting you missed to improve the recordings.
CD Burning is a menace throughout the industry because a lot of media is not very high quality. See my FAQ*:
http://www.macmaps.com/cdrfailure.html

Hello All. This is ASIF MALIK from India. I tried many time to update my iPhone 4 iOS 5.0.1 through my MacBook Pro but every time I recieve an err=-3259 or err=-3156 etc. errors. I was highly disappointed by doing this from passed 4 days gone maaadddd.

Hello All. This is ASIF MALIK from India. I tried many time to update my iPhone 4 iOS 5.0.1 through my MacBook Pro but every time I recieve an err=-3259 or err=-3156 etc. errors. I was highly disappointed by doing this from passed 4 days gone maaadddd.
But TODAY I tried it updating my iPhone 4 iOS 5.0.1 through MY HOME PC Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit after downloading iTune 10.5 & Guys good news is that I UPDATED my iPhone 4..... The plus point of using my windows 7 ultimate PC, even i got the same error twice or thrice but I REUME ALL & then I got the result. I don't know what was the problem updating with my MacBook Pro but FINALLY I SUCCEDED:-) ENJOY GUYS

just try downloading the *.ipsw file and then update the phone. To download the software and instruction to manually update your phone. follow this link -> www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware

Macbook pro late 2011, completely messed up, everything I click it brings up beachball very slow, blue ray and hd unwatchable as it jerks. genius bar app didnt help at all, very disappointed, can some1 help me?

Macbook pro late 2011, completely messed up, a macbook pro of this year should not be operating like this, everything I click it brings up beachball very slow, blue ray and hd unwatchable as it jerks. genius bar app didnt help at all, very disappointed, can some1 help me?

You have a hardware problem. It is probably the hard drive is either to full, not enough free space, or it is starting to fail.
If you have an external drive connec that to the system and use the Recovery HD, Command + r keys at startup, to install a clean fresh copy of OS X Lion on the external then run the system from that. It will be slower but if you don't get the beachball then that is the sign your internal drive is on its way out or is filled up with files and not enough free space.

Very, very disappointed with my macbook pro

Just brought a new macbook pro.
Very disappointed.
Here are the following annoyings things I have found:
- the screen is truly awful, it is not a retina model, however, my old compaq PC at £250 beats this £1250 model hands down
- you cannot send out emails from the mail server
- you cannot download any photos older than 30 days from your Ipad, icloud *****
- cant watch any of the videos i purchased from itunes on my ipad, something about quicktime
- cant download any music either, where does this go!
- worth mentioning again, how truly awful the screen is!
Macbook Pro? i dont think so

If you are new to Apple and MacBooks I'd suggest you take the time to go to an Apple store and get some tuition. You will find it extremely helpful.
Also, as you have just bought it and are that disatisfied you can take it back to an Apple store for a full refund then put the money towards a laptop better suited to your needs.
FWIW, I have a non retina 13" MBP and consider it a superb machine..

Brand new Macbook Pro Really disappointed

I just got my brand spanking new MacBook Pro. I got 4 gigs of RAM, 200 gig worth of hard disk, and I got the 17" one. I am really disappointed. I used the "Migration Assistant" per the instructions to xfer my network, email, files, et al from my old Powerbook. I went to start using my new computer and the email settings were not set up at all and my address book on the new Mac contains none of the listings from my Apple addressbook on my old Mac and yes, I checked every one of those boxes re preferences of what to xfer in Migration Assistant. What's the point and what the **** was the MA doing all the time I had to wait for it to finish its business...
Really disappointed.
Now I have to go back and place everything manually into the new Mac? As I said, what's the point...
I just went back and looked again and not even my web sites/bookmarks however these are being referred to these days was saved into Safari on my new Mac and yes, I was connecting via Firewire. Really really ****** about this. Ease of use... right...
Message was edited by: Actually Human

Not angry - just really really disappointed. I mean what were they thinking... many many users buying this machine would indeed be "migrating" from the last Macintoshes which were non-Intel based. I have to wonder what the intention was and who the intended user was for this so-called "Migration Assistant" and whether any user testing was done at all... Really a disappointment. Now it seems like I need to set aside an entire day to get up and running. Very disappointing and UNApple-like.
Do you have any advice on how to transfer addresses from my Apple address book? Do I need to go EXPORT them first on the old Mac?
What about iTunes stuff - some stuff xferred and some did not - I "authorized" my new computer but do I now have to go DEauthorize the old one?
Now I understand why people are paying the Applestore to do this for them after a purchase. What a BIG pain in the a.
Where are all the bookmarks and how do I xfer those? And the Mail settings - where are they and what are they called and what do I move them into on the new computer?
Almost $4000 I spent and to not be able to get up and running nearly as quickly as the last time I got a new Mac is I feel a big blow to Apple's current engineering design. This reflects poor thinking/design.
Thanks for your helpful post!

HT5268 Just purchased Imac and Macbook pro and upgrades to Mountain Lion. Java will not run with one important site where my Grandson is in Kindergarten out of state with in room camera. What to do. This is very disappointing and non of apple geniuses kno

My new IMac and Macbook Pro are each loaded with Mountain Lion. Have Office for Mac also
When I try to see my Grandson on webcam out of state the login will not activate. For PC use I needed Java and Active X to let it run. My Java is checked as ready to go but nothing happens. Otherwise these are great computers. Please help me through the process. The Geniuses at my apple store can't understand what to do.
[email protected] or [email protected]

By default, OS X does NOT come with Java installed nowadays. You need to open the Java Preferences app found in Utilities; when you do that the first time, it will inform you of the fact and offer to install the product for you.
Afterwards, due to a major security issue we had back in the first quarter of the year, the plugin is disabled by default. You need to revisit the Preferences and enable manually. It will auto-disable if unused in awhile.
Lastly, you may have to adjust which Java instance is being used, the 32-bit or the 64-bit. Default is 64-bit, but some applets crash & burn or outright refuse to run in such a platform. You can prioritize which version you prefer by dragging on top in the Preferences.

My MacBook Pro is brand new but very slow. So disappointing. Why is it starting very slowly?

My Macbook Pro 13' is brand new however, it does not serve me well compared to my old compaq laptop. It is so annoying and disppointing. I am also a new user of Mac than Windows. There's something going on especially when I am to start up my Mac, it takes so long. Very embarrasing even. Plus, I thought of adding a mcaffee anti-virus thinking it will solve any problem but it gotten worse. Nothing so disppointing like Macbook PRO! can't even uninstall completely the anti-virus. Can someone please assist a beginner in Mac like me? Thank you.

Have a look here...
macworld.com/mac-troubleshooting-what-to-do-when-your -computer-is-too-slow.
theworkingmom2012 wrote:
...... anti-virus. ..
In General 3rd Party AV Software is Not Required as Mac OS X tends to look after itself.
Read Here > https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4545776?tstart=0
See Here > Antivirus Discussion
The Safe Mac > http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg/
theworkingmom2012 wrote:
My Macbook Pro 13' is brand new
If necessary.. Contact AppleCare.
You have 90 days Free Telephone Support... 3 Years if you Purchases the AppleCare protection Plan.

Hello, I be glad an answer, I lose 20, 30, sometimes 50, 70, 80-100% power energy on standby every 8-24 hours. After reinstalation OSX still it is. MacBook Pro from February, I so disappointed of this product. Please for help.

PS. Battery was checked and is good.

Andrzej,
have you tried resetting your MacBook Pro’s System Management Controller?

My Disappointment with MACBOOK PRO

hello macbook pro users, I was a windows user and using a DELL Inspiron laptop. Due to my work growing I was told to buy macbook pro that it never gets HOT and its battery goes for more than 5 to 6 hours in working. but after I bought I found some serious blows,
1. battery was lasting till 5 hours in working and 3 hours in video's but after couple of months, it is now 3.5 hours in working and 2 hours in videos.
2. It gets HOT when I run some heavy software like FACETIME,MOVIES etc and CPU usage becomes 70% to 80%
I saved my money from months to buy my macbook pro. it is Core i7 2.2 GHZ 15 inch.
Anyone have solutions ?
APPLE ?
Adnan

I went to apple store in my Country [Pakistan] It is 3rd party service provider of Apple. they checked it and said the APPLE report just said to replace its battery charger. Hence they replaced it but situation is still messed up

HT3053 I just have installed new Battery to my 15 Inches MacBook Pro, but disappointed to see the status"Battery is Not Charging". Can any one help?

Battery Charging problem to MacBook Pro 15 Inches
<Email Edited by Host>

1. Reset PRAM. http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4405
2. Reset SMC.     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
    Choose the method for:
    "Resetting SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own".

Mid 2010 Macbook Pro +1000 Euro repair costs (no external marks)

Hello together,
I am looking out for some advise. My mid 2010 Macbook Pro 15inch with an anti glare display just got a new logic board. I paid more than 500 Euro at a Premium Reseller called mStore in Kiel (Germany) to replace it, because the display stayed black after booting. My Macbook didn't even have a single external mark or scratch on the housing. I accepted it and said to myself if it is working again, it is alright. But less than two month later a vertical line is drawing from the top frame to the bottom (see photo). The line is narrow, it is just one pixel, but it is really annoying because it is always in sight. I went to the same reseller and asked what to do, they recommend a second repair attempt for again 500 Euro. In less then two month I cannot afford +1000 Euro for a laptop with an actual value of about 1100 Euro.
What is the best thing to do now?
I am really disappointed by Apple's quality. I am 24 years old and everybody in my family is using Apple computers since I can think back. The first time I could call a Mac my own was when I was 13.
When I graduated from school I was 19 and worked in a hospital to finance a new iBook G4. I had this one for about four years and it has been traveling with me through New Zealand and Asia for more than a year. I never had any issue with it, even when I dropped it from the top bank in a dormitory. It is still alive and working fine.
When I started studying the time came to buy an Intel Mac (15'' Macbook Pro, anti glare) and again I was very happy with the quality. I have also been a huge advocate for Apple products and was confidently suggesting them to friends and family. But today I feel disappointed by the brand.
Best
Marco

I had the same problem on a display MBP 15" in 2010, and it is a display problem recognised by Apple.
It was covered by the warranty.
If you do nothing, the number of vertical pixel lines will increase over time.
Good that Apple helped you out of this problem.

New External Monitor for Logic on MacBook Pro - Suggestions

I'm in the painful process of updating my studio and now my large screen external monitor has started failing.
I know if this a pretty general question more suited to the MacBook Pro forum but I'd like some input from folks used to working with an application like Logic in a home studio environment.
I guess the issue for me is that I'm not getting any younger and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. One of the things specific to Logic and music software in general is that there are LOTS of very detailed dialog boxes with text that is not always height adjustable (yes I know about zooming and indeed I do lots of that but it gets quite distracting). The other factor is that I'm often recording and engineering myself which means I'll be sitting with a guitar in my lap or at a keyboard and can't always lean in too close to the monitor.
I solved this by buying a large 26" Acer which sits on my desk behind the Mackie MCU. To my left I've got the MacBook 15.4" Pro on a keyboard stand above my MIDI controller at a 45 degree angle to the desk.
It's worked quite well until the Acer seems to have become haunted. It will mysteriously reboot itself intermittently, going blank for a second, then showing the Acer logo and going back to picture. It will also turn itself on spontaneously when the computer is off (the status light is off and then turns itself on). It seems to detect when I'm in the middle of a really good session and starts resetting itself every 30 seconds or so. Then it will work fine sometimes for days or weeks at a time. I've checked it on 4 different computers, it malfunctions on all. I believe in may be a problem with one of the capacitors or the inverter, I'm not sure, but it's driving CRAZY at this point.
And of course now it's 3 months out of warranty and may be more expensive to fix than buying a new one.
So my issue is what monitor to replace it with. I've considered buying an Apple monitor, since the display is lovely to look at but there are a couple things that are deal breakers.
It's expensive. Very expensive.
Oddly you have to choose between a 24" and a 30", with nothing in between. Don't want to sound like Goldilocks here, but the 24 is tooooo small and the 30 is tooooo big.
Yeah I know bigger is usually better but since they bumped the native resolution of the 30" up to 2560x1600 it's really sharp but things like the menu text get really quite small. Yes you can reset to a lower non native resolution, but then you loose the sharpness. I tested Logic in the store on the 30" and it did look great but I found I actually had to move my whole body around to see things at the top and bottom of the screen.
Oh and did I mention that it's expensive? Jeez.
The 24" now seems to look a bit small to me after using the same resolution (1920x1200) on the Acer's 26" screen. (Ok, I think it's actually 25.5 but hey that half an inch can make a big difference and I will avoid making any bad jokes here).
And did I mention the Apple monitors are expensive? The 24" is almost 3 times as expensive as a cheaper alternative.
I also still have a PC here that I use (sorry) and the Apple monitors have very limited connectivity. So I think unfortunately the Apple monitors are out for me.
So I;m down to a couple other non Apple options. I will not buy an Acer again since I believe now that their quality control is not good and their support is absolutely atrocious. Shame I used to be a big fan of Acer PC's, but after owning a couple I'm steering clear.
My biggest issue right now is that most of the new budget monitors are geared toward 1080p HD uses so they are they are maxing out at 1920x1080 (16:9 aspect ratio instead of 1920x1200's 16:10). So the tradeoff here is that HD movies will look better in 16:9, but 16:10 gives you "squarer" pixels and more vertical resolution for screen hungry apps like Logic.
Any opinions on this? I'm a bit new to the Mac so I don't know if I'm really better off going with a 1920x1200 screen like the Apple monitors.
Also, I know this may just be a bug in the Acer's scaling, but if I switch to 1920x1080, I lose the menus off the top of the screen or if I adjust the vpos I lose the dock at the bottom. Downscaling to 1600x1050 or even 1024x768 works fine. If I get a 1080 screen and set the resolution appropriately will it work correctly and without too much distortion?
I'm also curious what is the best way to hook up the monitor? I'm currently using the DVI to VGA adapter that came with the MacBook. My Pro is the slighter older silver keyboard model so it has the standard DVI out. Will I see any real improvement by going over to using DVI directly?
Also I'm wondering how people feel about glossy vs matte for music. My current displays are the non-glossy and I do think I prefer them for detail work.
The candidates right now are
Hanns-G HH-281HPB 28" @300$. It's one of the only budget monitors that uses 1920x1200. All the right inputs (DVI, VGA). I'm just afraid this might be a bit too good to be true. It's really cheap and after having problems with a "cheap" Acer (although it wasn't so cheap 3 years ago!) I don't want similar problems. Stand has no swivel or tilt (a big problem for my use). Also that resolution on such a big screen might be good for me or it might look grainy I don't know I haven't seen it. Anybody have any experience with these?
Samsung P2770H 27" @339 Looks nice, good color. Sadly only 1080 native resolution. Stand doesn't swivel, but does tilt. No VGA input, so won't work with my old PC (although strangely it says it comes with a VGA cable). They get generally good reviews and I know Samsung makes very good flat panel TV's.
ViewSonic X Series VX2739WM 27" @350. Once again maxes out at 1080. It's fast (1ms), has VGA input. I've never been a big fan of ViewSonic but they do seem to have gotten better color-wise. Tilt no swivel and it's anti-glare (not sure this is a plus).
There are also similar options from HP, Asus, LG and Sceptre but they are all 1080. In fact outside of the Apples, the Hanns-G and a few expensive monitors from NEC they all seem to be 1080. So if I really want the 1200 the Hanns-G seems like the only way to go.
Any input here would be greatly appreciated.

No doubt, the Apple displays are gorgeous. The first time I saw the 30" display wow, I wanted one BAD and it's actually what prompted me to buy a "big" monitor. The colors are great with a rich wonderful saturation level and as usual for Apple the form factor design is stunning. You know for that picture quality I could even get over the sticker shock and save up for one.
Which is why I was so disappointed when I actually sat down in the store and started to use Logic on one. I imagine for doing video work, graphic design or darn near anything else, it would be great. But for Logic I just found myself bending and twisting trying to look at toolbar at the bottom and then up to look at the menus. And instrument or plugin displays that were hard coded to look OK at lower resolutions looked really, really tiny to me. For me and particularly using Logic having 2 slightly smaller displays at a 45 degree angle makes more sense.
And once again the 24 seems just a bit small. I don't understand why they have a 27" iMac but you can't buy a 27" display. So iMac 27" starting at 1699, subtract out the cost of the CPU and drive ie the Mini and I'd really buy one. Strangely you can buy a 21.5" or a 27" iMac. Or you can buy a 24" or 30" display. Hmmmm.
So don't get me wrong I'm not bashing Apple for being expensive. They put a lot of money into R&D and into really thinking about the form and the function of their products. As a recent convert from being a PC developer for 25+ years, hey I've more than sipped the Kool-Aid here, I've guzzled it. They make great products and yeah they're more expensive, because they ARE better! I've now got 2 MBP's, 2 iPods, I'm about to get an iPhone (silly "death grip" or not) and I really want an iPad. Heck I'd really love an 8 core MacPro if I could afford one (alas I can't).
I guess my only gripe here is that there always seems to be a little less choice in the Apple world. Yeah, I know they do a lot less volume than the PC clone world I just think that they always seem to have a big gap between the high end and low end with not enough in between. So you can choose between the lower end and one piece units with no expansion boards (the mini or the iMac) or go straight to monster tower MacPro (way over 3K with display). You can get a MacBook but then you have to put up with a small screen or go with MacBook Pro, which let's face it is a lot of computing power for someone who just wants to web surf and write some email without squinting.
So here I am stuck in the middle. I don't want to buy a HannspreeQG or another piece of junk that's going to last 3 years and 3 months because of a crappy $2 capacitor that no seems to able to fix or care about fixing. I'd like to buy a really nice Apple monitor, I just want a big monitor, not a huge one and not a "medium" one (I know I'm spoiled but 24" seems "medium" these days).
Sorry about the rant here but my monitor is shutting down every 30 seconds and I'm about to go completely insane and toss it out the window!!!
Really glad to hear about that 84' VGA cable. I never imagined such a thing existed or would work without some sort of signal boost on the way. Very cool for me. My electronic drum kit is in another room and I would love to have a small cheap monitor next to it for sequencing. I had my laptop on a stand next to it for a while but I began to get terrified that I'd let a drumstick slip and destroy my laptop screen. That would be a very bad thing. Thanks for the tip.

Macbook Pro disappointment

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