Laptop screens - any real difference?

I'm going to finally replace an ancient laptop and was leaning toward another PC and wasn't sure if there were differences between the different brands. However, I recently wandered into an Apple store and thought that the screens on the Macbooks were noticeably sharper and more pleasing than what I had recalled at PC shops. I realize I need to do a side by side to do this proper, but was I under the influence of some weird Applestore drug? If I'm looking at 15" screens, won't they all be similar resolution (1440x900) and "sharpness"? Also, if I go the slightly used route, would there be any difference between a 2007/08 screen and a 2010 screen???
P.S - I'm PC/Mac agnostic, only care about the screen