Brand new MacBook Pro screen is so dim...

hi all, I've been a lurker here for a few years and finally registered today. Usually I've been able to find what I needed and then move on, but I haven't had any luck with my current predicament. I purchased a new, 17" MacBook Pro 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB blah blah blah, not sure if I should sit here and type out all the specs, but basically it's a new computer, arrived yesterday and I was so excited as it was a replacement for my 15" which was running super slow and didn't have enough screen space as I needed.

Everything about it (the new MBP) is great, except that the screen, at its brightest setting, is considerably dimmer than my older MBP. For me this is maddening... lol... I feel like everything is "off" as far as colors and contrast goes. I have adjusted the brightness, purchased an app from the app store which is supposed to help (it didn't) and I have tried all of the different calibration options, as well as the contrast in the Universal Access settings. From what I can tell, adjusting the contrast a bit has been the most helpful, but still not quite what I need it to be. :-/

I'm considering taking this to the apple store to see if they can remedy this situation, but I thought I would check here first.

Thanks in advance and please let me know if there's any info I should provide that may be of assistance.

Is it a anitglare MBP 17" ?
Because, Apple is still using the displays from the Pre-unibody 2008 MBP's in the anitglare unibody MBP's they sell.
And those displays are less bright all across the brightness settings, presumably because the old ones weren't LED backlit and the new displays are.

McYukon said:

Is it a anitglare MBP 17" ?
Because, Apple is still using the displays from the Pre-unibody 2008 MBP's in the anitglare unibody MBP's they sell.
And those displays are less bright all across the brightness settings, presumably because the old ones weren't LED backlit and the new displays are.

Click to expand...

Oh... okay that may be why. It's an antiglare. However, my 2009 MBP 15" was also antiglare, but was much brighter. I'm seriously aggravated with this, and for it to have been so expensive, it's a HUGE let down that it's so dim.

Suggestions? Should I have the screen replaced? And thank you for your reply!

It could just be the MBP that you got is the problem and a replacement might be a solution unless this is a problem with all 17" screens. I haven't heard many people complain about a similar problem because I was told the antiglare MBP is the same as the glossy MBP in every way except that the glass is removed.

I don't stay up to date about the 17" MBP so it could be that the 17" uses the older screen since your 15" antiglare didn't have this problem. If that is the case then you might have to get another 15" instead. Try comparing it to other 17" MBPs before you return it though.

Suggestions? Should I have the screen replaced? And thank you for your reply!

Click to expand...

Ok if the other MBP was brighter, I'd take it to the Apple Store and do as EnlessMac suggested and compare it to other 17" MBP's.
Then if it really is dimmer, see what they can do for you. Good luck!

Just in case

I know you wrote that you adjusted your brightness, but just in case you only did this on your keyboard, there is a brightness adjuster under Displays in System Preferences. I also turned off the "automatically adjust brightness" function on that same screen since it regularly caused my screen to be too dim. good luck!