Which are the best Macbook's to the eyes (that we can use today)?

lillo9546

We still don't have a complete list of the best Macbook for the eyes.
Anyway, which do you think it's the best macbook, usable today, which is best model for eye?

(I'm using the M1 macbook air, and can't use for more than 10 minutes)

Donux

lillo9546 I have a feeling it's either MacBook m4 pro or M2 13 inch pro without latch. But let community cast it's vote.

AshX

Donux

It’s more a matter of “which is the least awful.” The consensus seems to be Mac is only usable on an external display with third party plugins. It also depends on how sensitive you are to their various flicker methods.

I’m stuck with a 13” M2 MBP and just downgraded it to Monterey from the Ventura it shipped on. Immediate improvement about 25%. It’s like a completely different laptop now. I can go below 50% brightness without it being brutal. Screen is less bright overall. But the FRC and weirdness of the panel is something I will still have to mess with after resting my eyes and system for a while. The DFU downgrade was hard to get through. I should note I did a DFU restore not a DFU revive. The latter is not a true fresh install (you get to keep your files). DFU restore with an IPSW will completely wipe the device and restore it that OS’s firmware it’s you’re using Apple Silicon.

I will write about my experience but it will probably take a few weeks.

PazT

Still using my early 2015 13" macbook pro, also on Monterey, and it's fine. It's no longer supported/updated and the battery is barely holding it's charge (2-3hrs max) so I don't know for how long it'll last, but it works for my needs at the moment. I can use it at different brightness levels with minimal strain, and most importantly it doesn't give me that punched in the eyes feeling or headaches. It also has equal brightness settings increments which I love, the new ones don't.

AshX

PazT

I get that same punched in the eye feeling! What Macs and versions of MacOS caused this for you? I haven’t really tested my 2022 13” M2 much on Monterey yet. I got the punched in the eye feeling and dizziness when using it on the internal screen and an external display on Ventura. I downgraded it to Monterey 12.4 and have yet to test because I got so messed up from having to use another MacBook Air M1 to DFU restore it.

Can you share your config and any accessibility settings or apps you’re using on your 2015 13”?

PazT

AshX Got that feeling from my M4 Macbook air that shipped with Sequoia. My girlfriend's M2 Air shipped with Sequoia also (she bought it refurbished from apple at the end of 2024) but it doesn't give me the same feeling, even if it's not a comfortable experience. On a side note, I accidentally received a Philips Hue Light Strip from amazon and my gf wanted to try it out. I noticed after 2-3 days that it was giving me the same feeling as the M4 Air ! We put it back in it's box and my eyes feel better now. We also have some Philips hue color bulbs but they seem less bad.

My 2015 pro is a Macbook Pro 12,1 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Graphics 6100, standard color profile and automatic brightness disabled on Monterey 12.7.6. Nothing else. Sometimes I put the grayscale color filter on and it makes it even easier on the eyes. Whenever I put color back on I can feel my brain get overstimulated.

AshX

PazT

That’s wild about the difference between MacBook Air’s of the same model. But I believe it since a lot of folks on MacRumors had to buy several iPhone 17s before they found a panel that worked.

Thanks for the tip on the 2015 13”…may be worth a try just for experiment’s sake.

NewDwarf

MacBook M4 14'' with disabled dithering is perfect to me. Regarding PMW… I measured it by an oscilloscope, DC dimming is used up to 8 brightness bars, then PWM is activated. So auto-brightness is disabled and I manually set brightness level at 9 bars.