The Oh So Boyish Hate on Apple's Retina Display

While I was at the computer store looking at new computers, I spotted something I never saw before in my whole life. A certain computer screen looked kind of weird as though it was a lighted 'dummy' display screen. It piqued my curiosity so much that I walked closer to realize that it was actually a real functional display screen but with surface images that look so colour-intensive that they look like permanent printed images on a shiny plastic surface. The images looked as colour-packed like those colourful buttons seen on shiny Star Trek console panels. Of course, any Trekkie like me would spot such a similarity at once. I was thinking in my mind, "what the hell is this?" as I observe the 'strange anomaly' up close.

An example of Star Trek's colour-rich console panel is on the left. The image is actually a screenshot from a Star Trek app found at the itunes store. Maybe the app could do with a Retina display itself?

The graphic art for Star Trek was actually originally done with the Mac. For Apple to finally venture into super HD with similar colour-intensive graphics sounds almost like a home-coming, or a self-fulfilling prophecy.



I think the touch-screen monitor as shown in the video would have looked more authentic with a glossy surface de la Star Trek.

Well, to be honest, I thought that the computer screen I spotted at the store was simply a High Definition display screen until I later discovered on Google that such a similar high definition screen is called a Retina Display that has been introduced into the consumer market by Apple.

https://www.apple.com/sg/macbook-pro/performance-retina/
Quote from the Apple site that is related to what I said about the graphics looking like permanent print — "the resolution of the Retina display is so high, it rivals the printed page"

Actually, I didn't notice whether that screen came from a Mac or a PC — I mean who still bothers about making such a distinction anymore? However, if such a HD screen came from a PC, I should have noticed it long ago from my many visits to computer stores but I didn't. This means that there is a very high possibility that the computer was using the newer feature of Apple's Retina display. But whatever, if it was a PC it could just mean that the PCs have been copying Apple's practice since Apple was the one who first made waves with the super HD display.

I also read a few online articles with some writers thinking that Retina displays are too over-rated, with seemingly unnoticeable difference in definition, and feel that it is a feature that is already available from powerful graphics cards and HD monitors.

The Worst Thing Ever: Retina Display  Really that bad or too critical? -_-"

Why the MacBook Pro Retina display is overkill  Overkill or maybe just more advanced?

But what some of the critics failed to realize about the mentioning of Retina displays is not whether previous PC/Mac graphics and display technology can already support such a HD display feature but whether the computers that are currently marketed in computer stores are already factory-configured to be READY to provide such HD experience to the consumer right after being bought from the shops.

For the computers to be listed as having Retina displays would also have to mean that they need to have the necessary powerful graphics and memory hardware on-board to support such HD feature without slowing down the computer to a crawl. So this is the same thing as mentioning that a computer is "HD-Ready" or has "Intel Inside". So what's the big deal with Apple saying that its computers have "Retina Display"?

Hmmm... I think some egos were too sensitive to any perceivable superiority?

I don't think that the marketing of the "Retina Display" is really Apple's way of saying, "Hey, we have something that PCs don't have — bow to us right now!". What I instead perceive is that it is Apple's way of saying, "Hey boys and girls, this device has very good HD graphics, come and buy this to experience the fun!"

But as always, other rival companies would perceive the mentioning as a threat and strive to deliver a more superior new tech to counter the challenge. Boys with toys de la 'James Bond'... I think I felt a little embarrassed self-conscious to be using a PC.

Samsung Screens May Leave Apple's Retina Display In The Dust

Many critics and haters easily assumed that it was Apple trying to start a HD war when they were just doing business marketing like everyone else to get the HD feature out to their customers. I think many PC users can be too aggressive to assume the wrong things sometimes.

For people to accuse Apple of providing a nice-looking computer feature to customers is the same as trying to accuse Apple of selling something that looks nicer than the PC. I sense some cherry-picking and a little straw man?

Are such HD displays really over-rated as perceived by some critics? There are even articles discussing the vision ability of different people to spot the difference that such displays can make. For someone like me who has a good artistic eye to differentiate between colours and texture, I could easily spot the striking difference many feet away. Perhaps such high definition displays would be more suitable for the artists and designers who are more sensitive to colour and texture. The Mac is after all made for such people. So why haven't I switch to using the Mac? I think I will talk about it in an off-topic post.

I have not been sufficiently impressed with the Apple computer in the past, but now I feel that Apple is finally talking... to me.