Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Glossy vs Anti-Glare

G

glhiii

macrumors 6502
Nov 4, 2006
284
127
Returned AG

As everyone says, the antiglare screen is beautiful. To add to its appeal, the light in the Apple stores is such that the glossy screens look like mirrors. I bought an AG 15" and used it for 2 days. I hated it, even though the screen was beautiful, as it was giving me headaches. Finally, I took it back and got the glossy 2.2. I've been using it intensively for hours without any of the issues that I found with the AG. There's another thread about this -- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1109251/.
 
R

Radex

macrumors member
Feb 23, 2011
34
0
For the things I do, photography, photoshop, video editing, etc. I should have chosen AG, but the glossy is nice, despite the misrepresentation of colors and reflections. The reflections for me are not that terrible, since I am constantly indoors.
 
T

tfa8rva

macrumors member
Jan 18, 2011
59
0
tim100 said:
cnets review of the mba says they dont like the silver bezel. i read somewhere else a negative comment on the lack of the black bezel and edge to edge glass. do others share these opinions?

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/app...05-3121_7-34198701.html?tag=TOCcarouselMain.0
Click to expand...

Before I bought mine, I didn't care too much for the silver bezel, but high res and anti glare outweighed that detail. Now that I've had it for a while I've become quite used to it....and in fact quite like it. It matches the rest of the aluminum case. And now when I see one with a black bezel it looks old and cheap to me. Expanding on old and cheap......most cheap pc laptops seem to come with a glossy finish as to make their lower quality screens look a bit nicer.
 
aznguyen316

aznguyen316

macrumors 68010
Oct 1, 2008
2,001
1
Tampa, FL
glhiii said:
As everyone says, the antiglare screen is beautiful. To add to its appeal, the light in the Apple stores is such that the glossy screens look like mirrors. I bought an AG 15" and used it for 2 days. I hated it, even though the screen was beautiful, as it was giving me headaches. Finally, I took it back and got the glossy 2.2. I've been using it intensively for hours without any of the issues that I found with the AG. There's another thread about this -- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1109251/.
Click to expand...

You sure it wasn't the high resolution and not the AG? Is your Glossy 2.2 a high resolution model? If not, then there are two variables.
 
M

mastaofdisasta

macrumors member
Mar 5, 2011
74
0
I'm in the same camp as ghliii. My eyes couldn't take the hi-res, and I ended up switching for the standard res. Haven't looked back since.
 
SamIchi

SamIchi

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2004
2,716
137
Just to put my input into the discussion for those still trying to decide.

This was pretty much my deciding factor for getting a new 15". I went to the Apple store today and took a good look at both for about an hour. Spent time with both.

First thing that caught my eye was the antiglare. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly attracted me to it. After looking at both for a while, I think I figured it out. I like how the whole screen is undisturbed, and as a whole screen, it looked beautiful. I could see the subtleties of images, especially blacks. Yes I said blacks. I don't understand why people say the the colors are washed out. On the gloss, the high vibrancy of color washes out the intricacies of value change, especially blacks.

I was on a site (thecoolhunter.net awesome blog I frequent) and the blacks and grays all flooded into each other on the gloss, but on the AG I could see the gradations and nuances of the juxtaposed grays and blacks to create a beautiful web page layout. On gloss it was just all black...

The gloss reflection, I probably could've lived with, but with every little shift, from me or others, the screen changes, and I didn't like that. I want the screen to be represented undisturbed and true.

After reading through tons of these threads I just gotta say, IMO of course, I don't think the colors are washed out, and Hi res font wasn't too tiny for me. These were 2 things I was worried about.

So I then went home, and ordered me a 2.2GHz anti-glare 15". The end!
 
deadlystriker

deadlystriker

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2011
221
299
daneoni

daneoni

macrumors G4
Mar 24, 2006
11,682
1,261
^

Agreed, the black bezel only looks good on an iPhone and nothing else.
 
H

HBOC

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2008
2,497
234
SLC
I went back into Apple (had a software issue with my TIFF files) and asked the genius about getting a Matte screen. Apple replaced my Classic 2.5GHZ MBP that I ordered a Matte screen on for a new Quad 2.2 i7, but it has a glossy display.

I was stoked to get a new one, and really didn't ask about the screen (glad I got the high end, but then again mine was a high end when it was new). I didn't realize how effing annoying the glossy is until I had this one.

So I asked the genius if it was possible if I can get a Matte screen, and i would even be willing to pay the difference, but since this was a replacement, i was unsure if they would do it. The genius quickly looked up my repair history and said I should've gotten the Matte screen and thought it was weird how I didn't get one with a Matte screen to begin with.

Anyways, they are going to call me in a few days (when they hear back from the software engineers about my TIFF problem & Preview/Aperture) and let me know what they are going to do.

PS..I like the "classic" bezel look, as I think the "Classic" MBP's were better looking than the unibodies.
 
A

Andeavor

macrumors 6502
Aug 19, 2010
297
1
I like glossy. I have an iMac, which looks great, but I still believe glossy is purely an aesthetic option. The edge-to-edge glass gives the computer a classy and clean look and conveniently makes the colors pop.

I haven't had a problem with it but since I really pondered about whether matte is better than glossy ( ordered a new MBP with AG), I realized how distracting the reflections can be on a glossy, especially when you have a window or a source of light behind you.
 
H

HBOC

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2008
2,497
234
SLC
Macaroony said:
I realized how distracting the reflections can be on a glossy, especially when you have a window or a source of light behind you.
Click to expand...


I totally agree with this. It is always raining here, but can't imagine how bad the reflections will be in the summer...
 
M

Meetster

macrumors member
Mar 9, 2011
73
0
I had several PC's and Laptops with Glossy Displays and they sucked. So with Macbook i went with Anti-Glare :)
 
B

biyahero

macrumors newbie
Mar 8, 2011
3
0
Cleaning the AG

koruki said:
I always have AG but I actually like the Glossy lol. Other than deeper blacks and vivid color, the Glass is much easier to clean without worrying about damaging the panel. I never bought a Glossy for myself but at night I wish I had the glossy. I bought the Glossy for the g/f and shes never complained.
Click to expand...

Speaking of cleaning the AG that is why I started reading this thread. My son has a 15" MBP AG and I questioned whether that iKlear solution they were selling at the local Apple Franchise was appropriate to clean it with. The store said Oh Yes, we clean all out screens with it, but the Apple Online Store told me that some people have complained it leaves streaks so they quit selling it.

What do you use to clean your AG display with that doesn't damage it?

That is one thing good about the glass cover .... you could probably use anything, even Windex to clean that with :)
 
iAmLegend

iAmLegend

macrumors regular
Jul 8, 2007
200
0
I've owned both glossy and anti-glare macbooks, and I'm sorry, but the grey bezel on the anti-glare looks like *****.
 
E

eagle63

macrumors newbie
Mar 1, 2011
27
0
SamIchi said:
...I could see the subtleties of images, especially blacks. Yes I said blacks. I don't understand why people say the the colors are washed out....
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not sure where this "washed out" comment comes from either. It definitely doesn't look washed out to me.
 
T

tekjunke

macrumors member
Aug 13, 2008
50
1
Florida
Had a glossy 13" MBP for 2 years... until last weekend when I moved to a new 15" Ag.

One word: WOW!

I don't know how I lived with glossy for so long, Antiglare is AWESOME!
 
I

iZero

macrumors regular
Mar 8, 2011
224
0
Got a glossy this time around. Have had/extensively used both glossy and antiglare before. Never once had trouble with reflections on glossy with the way I use it. Even on our outdoor patio. On the other side, never noticed color quality or any other kind of loss on the antiglare either. Said it before, and I'll say it again, extreme arguments on both sides are entirely bogus. It's all about personal preference, really. Both are amazingly great displays. One is just sexier than the other :p This time for me, glossy won out :D
 
serenesam

serenesam

macrumors member
Jan 15, 2011
73
0
SamIchi said:
I could see the subtleties of images, especially blacks. Yes I said blacks. I don't understand why people say the the colors are washed out. On the gloss, the high vibrancy of color washes out the intricacies of value change, especially blacks.
Click to expand...

Beautifully said.

I was on a site (thecoolhunter.net awesome blog I frequent) and the blacks and grays all flooded into each other on the gloss, but on the AG I could see the gradations and nuances of the juxtaposed grays and blacks to create a beautiful web page layout.
Click to expand...

Beautifully said once again. :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom