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All Apple MacBooks to use LED backlighting by 2009

Apple plans for all of its MacBooks to use LED-backlit displays by 2009, completing a transition across its notebook lines away from mercury-laden panels that began last year with an update to its MacBook Pro.

According to a report in the Wednesday edition of the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, back light unit (BLU) maker Kenmos Technology will be the primary beneficiary of the move. The Taiwan-based firm is said to have been the Mac maker's primary supplier of LED BLUs in 2007 when it introduced BLU technology on the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Since then, Apple has gone on to make LED-lit displays standard on its 13-inch MacBook Air. It also offers them as a build-to-order option on the more generously proportioned 17-inch MacBook Pro.

The movement is part of the company's charge towards "a greener Apple," which kicked into overdrive last year amid increased pressure from shareholders and environmental organizations who accused the electronics maker of dragging its feet when it came to removing environmentally harmful toxic chemicals from its products.

As part of an open letter on the matter, chief executive Steve Jobs said plans to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of mercury by transitioning to LED backlighting for all displays when technically and economically feasible.

"Our ability to completely eliminate fluorescent lamps in all of our displays depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays," he explained.

Jobs in the same letter added that Apple also has a plan to completely eliminate the use of arsenic in all of its displays by the end of 2008.



56 Comments

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clive at five 18 Years · 756 comments

Now Greenpeace will write a scathing letter, whining, saying it's not quick enough...

dhagan4755 23 Years · 2010 comments

"All of its displays by the end of 2008" would lead me to believe that we might actually see a Cinema Display upgrade soon. Hell it's way overdue.

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vulcan1 17 Years · 54 comments

Wow, what a surprise! Not...And i'm not sure if it's right to say that it's (only) because Apple wants to become greener, i think it's because they are just better than the conventional ones, pure and simple, and that they are sexier!!! If it makes Apple any greener then that's just a bonus.

Now please, bring that revised, slimmed down 30" Cinema Display with LED, HDMI etc, so that i can finally put my claws in one

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thegar 18 Years · 92 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vulcan1

Now please, bring that revised, slimmed down 30" Cinema Display with LED, HDMI etc, so that i can finally put my claws in one

Ditto !!

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onceuponamac 17 Years · 122 comments

I wonder how long the led screens will last - there was a report a week or so ago that sony's new oled TV was performing at a fraction of what sony was representing the life of the screen would be.