Apple LED Display Rumors Look Legit

by Jeffrey

Apple, carbon footprint, CFLs, computers, LED

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apple-led-display.jpgRumors of LED lit displays on the upcoming upgrades of the MacBook and MacBook Pro have been circulating for quite some time. As it turns out, or at least is turning out, these rumors are true!

Why would this be such a huge advancement for greener computer technology? For one reason, the display is often times the largest power hog of your entire system.

What other reasons might there be?

To spare you all the technical jargon, LED’s require an astoundingly small amount of energy to operate and are much friendlier to the environment than traditional CCFL displays. Take a look at some of the following LED display benefits from AppleInsider.com.

Benefits of an LED backlit display:

  • MUCH lower power consumtion
  • Longer battery life (which I could have used while writing this post, since I had to come home and plug up my laptop)
  • Lower power consumption leads to overall extended life of the notebook itself
  • Greatly reduced computer carbon footprint
  • Increase in color saturation of display
  • Deliver a more vivid canvas for the various software user interface enhancements and animation techniques that will be included with Mac OS X Leopard

Sources That Tout LED Display Details:
green-apple-bullet.jpgMacRumors.com says, “Apple placed an order for over 100,000 15.4-inch LED displays in April for a delivery schedule in May. This would provide adequate lead in time for a June ship date. Meanwhile, orders for 13.3-inch LED screens are reportedly being considered for 3rd Quarter roll-out.”

green-apple-bullet.jpgThinkSecret.com reports the same information saying, “That would coincide with [Steve] Jobs’ keynote address on Monday, June 11th in San Francisco where Apple is likely to announce a new MacBook Pro using a LED backlight display.”

green-apple-bullet.jpgOne can see at the Mac Rumors Buyers Guide that the MacBook Pro hasn’t had an update since October 24th, 2006. On average, updated every 182 days, this is further evidence that the MacBook Pro will indeed receive the LED display upgrade.

green-apple-bullet.jpgSteve Jobs himself mentioned in his open letter entitled “A Greener Apple“, “We plan to introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007…Apple plans to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of mercury by transitioning to LED backlighting for all displays when technically and economically feasible.”

The only downside to the LED backlit displays is that LED’s are more expensive than conventional light sources, but what is the pay-off? We’ve recently discussed that before, here at the Fun Times Guide to Living Green.

As for me, I’m waiting until the new MacBook Pro with LED display and OS X Leopard come out before I jump ship on my PC and make the switch to Apple. Of course, I will probably have to wait a little longer until the price comes down a bit, but it will be GREATLY worth the wait.

Would greener options on a computing system affect which company and what model you bought?

UPDATE:Credible rumors have now surfaced indicating that the new MacBook and MacBook Pro’s will not only be equipped with the LED backlit displays, but will be based on the new, much anticipated, more efficient chipset from Intel, code-named “Santa Rosa”.

There are also rumors of a new (not updated) “ultra-portable” 13.3 inch MacBook in the works.

Sounds like great stuff to fall from the Apple tree in the near future.