Terrible glare even from Retina screen

JohnDoe98 said:

Some in this thread have given arguments to explain why Apple pulled the option out. In the past offering a Matte option and a Glossy option was possible since both screens looked pretty much as good as each other. The only difference was one regarding personal choice, what do you prefer. However, so far as I can see, with these new Retina screens there is simply no way to make them in Matte and keep them as good as the Glossy ones sold now. As soon as you throw on some form of Anti-Glare sheet you will mess with the sharpness of the screen and it'll look terrible compared to the uncoated ones. I won't rehash why, reread the comments of others in the thread. So in short this isn't Apple dumping pro's, it's Apple dumping tech that could no longer keep up.

So the simple answer, why no multiple options? Well, so far as I can see is because Apple is setting a new standard for it's screens, and Matte can't meet it. Disagree? Them please offer us some arguments and less whining.

TY

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Ok, so that might explain the retina screens, what about the Cinema Display? Or the MBA? Or the iMac? Or the cMBP?

As to some of the previous comments I don't see any actual definitive reason. What I did see is someone telling people who are wanting screen options to go away. Not helpful, some of us have invested a lot of money on the Apple platform in the software we use to work. Of course leaving is fine if you're playing Angry Birds.

m00min said:

Ok, so that might explain the retina screens, what about the Cinema Display? Or the MBA? Or the iMac? Or the cMBP?

As to some of the previous comments I don't see any actual definitive reason. What I did see is someone telling people who are wanting screen options to go away. Not helpful, some of us have invested a lot of money on the Apple platform in the software we use to work. Of course leaving is fine if you're playing Angry Birds.

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It's impossible for Apple to apply scratch-resistant coating on matte texture. So matte displays are significantly more prone to scratching than glossy/glass.

Also matte is just a thin plastic film on top of the display panel. It's not protecting the display against dust/debris/impact as well as glass. I think that's Apple's reasoning for choosing to go with laminating the display directly to the glass layer as opposed to just layering a thin piece of glass on top of the display.

So it's not just a visual concern, it's a durability concern as well.

I'd gladly sacrifice some durability for the option of matte. I'm not in the habit of jamming my keys or money in my laptop.

m00min said:

I'd gladly sacrifice some durability for the option of matte. I'm not in the habit of jamming my keys or money in my laptop.

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Fair enough, but if there are a lot of people who do happen to have these accidental damages, even if it is ultimately their fault, they will nevertheless complain to Apple saying the screens ought to be more durable. We don't know how many such cases were brought in to the genius bar in the past. There are probably a multiple of reasons why Apple moved away from Matte. In cases like these, I do wish Apple was less secretive and at the very least issued some kind of statement explaining their decision, but we know that'll never happen, as it too is likely to come under heavy scrutiny.

I also wish they'd make a matte version. I mainly do development and the colour fidelity doesn't matter to me, just the readability of text. I know matte still causes reflections but they're spread out which is nicer for me when reading. Less contrast is indeed a side effect but much less of a problem with my use.

Samsung actually does a retina display in their matte 13" with 2560 res so the point that the coating removes the benefit of the retina resolution doesn't seem valid.

I think if we keep complaining enough to Apple directly they will cave in. Like they did with the unibody pro.

A film would actually be an option now that the screen is laminated, but I haven't seen any yet and it'd be a nightmare to put on without dust or bubbles.

I'm not buying one now anyway even though I love the retina resolutions for reading text in particular. I actually replaced the screen on my MacBook myself and love it in matte but for the retina that'll never work because it's a custom part.

I think you should get a monitor hood. It would solve your glare problem.

alphaod said:

I think you should get a monitor hood. It would solve your glare problem.

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once again, some people arent interested in solving a problem. if next years rmbp came with a matte screen we'd see posts like "wth! i didnt spend this much money for a retina screen that looks fuzzy and has dull colors compared to the glossy! i guess theyre catering to people who like their shiny toys to play angry birds on!"

flipnap said:

once again, some people arent interested in solving a problem. if next years rmbp came with a matte screen we'd see posts like "wth! i didnt spend this much money for a retina screen that looks fuzzy and has dull colors compared to the glossy! i guess theyre catering to people who like their shiny toys to play angry birds on!"

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Even though I prefer an antiglare display, I'm not going to lose sleep over the glossy display on my rMBP.

Also this does solve the problem of glare for the time being. What comes in the future is irrelevant.

alphaod said:

I think you should get a monitor hood. It would solve your glare problem.

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That won't work with a laptop.. Besides, those are for people wanting great colour accuracy. I couldn't care less about that. Just about the readability. I'm not going to stick my head in a fabric box when I'm programming, I often have books next to it which I use as a reference.

Most consumer laptops have glossy now because it looks nice and shiny in the shop, but 90% of business laptops (which are sold by the 1000's and store appearance doesn't matter) still have matte because their users actually have to work on them.

Where I sit at work I have big bright fluorescent lights above me and a wall of windows behind me, there is just no way to turn to avoid seeing reflections through the text. It's the main reason I moved back from my MB Air to my old plastic MacBook.

But anyway I'm not saying I'm demanding a matte retina MacBook. I'm just saying I'd actually buy one if one was offered. I also understand it doesn't suit everyone, but it would be great if we could choose again.

I'd probably even go for a good AG foil if there was one, the added benefit there is that it'd protect the screen as well and could be replaced if damaged.

What I find amusing is when you see a product shot for the latest Apple device it will have that Photoshopped shine added to the screen, like it's a feature or something.

m00min said:

What I find amusing is when you see a product shot for the latest Apple device it will have that Photoshopped shine added to the screen, like it's a feature or something.

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maybe because people would buy it and say "what a ripoff! i saw your ad and it was clearly a matte screen! i didnt see any reflections at all on the ad!"

flipnap said:

maybe because people would buy it and say "what a ripoff! i saw your ad and it was clearly a matte screen! i didnt see any reflections at all on the ad!"

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So you're saying they need to cover their asses over an inferior viewing experience?

m00min said:

So you're saying they need to cover their asses over an inferior viewing experience?

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i wish there was an "end thread" button

flipnap said:

i wish there was an "end thread" button

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Well I'm sure you can find the door.

entatlrg said:

I greatly appreciate the 75% reduction in glare, it's a huge improvement. Retina display is best I've ever seen.

I dislike AG screens and the stretched pantyhose / screen door effect they have. Very irritating and eye straining ....

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Sony manage it just fine with AG and the Vaio Z.

GekkePrutser said:

Samsung actually does a retina display in their matte 13" with 2560 res so the point that the coating removes the benefit of the retina resolution doesn't seem valid.

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What model? You talking about the series-9 prototype? If so, I am interested to see what it'll look like in the real world and how it'll actually fare compared to the MBPs. Then we'll have a real benchmark indeed.

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Steve121178 said:

Sony manage it just fine with AG and the Vaio Z.

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Not Retina is it though? So far as I know the best Sony currently offers is Full HD, i.e. 1900x1200, which isn't very good compared to Apple's offering.

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m00min said:

So you're saying they need to cover their asses over an inferior viewing experience?

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Interesting take on it, so far as I can see all the reviews are raving over the screen quality in the Retina MBPs. And from my personal viewing experience, there hasn't been anything quite like it, ever. My ipad and iphone aren't as impressive as my RMBP, and that's coming from an old Matte display on my previous MBP.