Mac switching to LED backlighting

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 03 May 2007 04:58

Your IT - Home IT

Apple plans to introduce the first Macs with LED backlighting for their flat panel displays before the end of the year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has announced.

iPods already use LED illumination for their much smaller displays, but like other vendors, Apple uses fluorescent lamps for its computer screens. These lamps contain mercury, an environmental hazard.

But concern for green issues is unlikely to be the only reason for the change: LED backlights are thinner and lighter than fluorescents, they use less power (thus boosting battery life) and provide more even illumination.

Rumours began circulating early this year that Apple would introduce an LED-backlit MacBook Pro during the second quarter. One possibility is that the announcement will be made at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June.

In the longer term, Jobs said "Apple plans to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of mercury by transitioning to LED backlighting for all displays when technically and economically feasible."

Sony and Asus have already introduced notebooks using LED backlighting.