[Merged] Hi-Res Glossy or Hi-Res Antiglare?

[acribb]

How does the Antiglare screen look? Does it look cheap and flimsy like the matte screens on the pc laptops?

This is my first Mac and i'm looking at going all out and getting the top of the line 15". I know I definitely want the HD screen, i'm just not sure which screen looks better. What about a 5400 vs 7200 rpm hdd? Is this upgrade worth it?

 

[greg400]

I personally prefer glossy screens after using both but that really comes down to preference. To answer your other question, yes the upgrade to a 7200rpm is worth the price.

 

[rowensiv]

I like the matte, but if it's like the previous generation then forget it. Get glossy and a matte cover for the screen. The full glass looks a lot better and it's cheaper to just do the cover. It's a win-win in my book.

EDIT: and yes the 7200RPM is definitely worth it.

 

[Stepint0sh]

I like the matte, but if it's like the previous generation then forget it. Get glossy and a matte cover for the screen. The full glass looks a lot better and it's cheaper to just do the cover. It's a win-win in my book.

EDIT: and yes the 7200RPM is definitely worth it.

That's not a win-win, putting a cover over the glossy (from my year of experience with it) is totally not an option. It's hard to put the cover on without any bubbles and the screen get granulous. It's a lose-lose for the people who want a matte screen.

 

[SteveSparks]

Found this on the web ...

 

[greg400]

Found this on the web ...

Total FUD.

I'm using my matte MacBook Pro in that same lighting condition, the screen whites out and becomes almost unreadable.

 

[BaronStein]

Found this on the web ...

This is not accurate. Matte screens do reflect too. But in a less distracting way. There is not that big difference as in that picture.

This one is more accurate.

 

[acribb]

Also, that comparison looks like a SD glossy screen to a hi-res antiglare vs. a hi-res glossy to the hi-res antiglare.

The black boarder on the left is clearly bigger than the silver border on the right.

But is the antiglare one of those soft screens inside the bezel that you can press in with your finger? Won't lint and crap get stuck inside the edge of the silver bezel?

 

[Arie]

Found this on the web ...

It is edited using Photoshop, so not very realistic. Yes, the normal screen does reflect, but it does not bother me when I am directly in front of the screen, which you normally are with a laptop. The matte screen looks cheap in my humble opinion, but does indeed not reflect as much as the normal screen.

 

[greg400]

Also, that comparison looks like a SD glossy screen to a hi-res antiglare vs. a hi-res glossy to the hi-res antiglare.

The black boarder on the left is clearly bigger than the silver border on the right.

But is the antiglare one of those soft screens inside the bezel that you can press in with your finger? Won't lint and crap get stuck inside the edge of the silver bezel?

YES.

It's one of my biggest pet peeves with my MacBook Pro.

 

[acribb]

This is not accurate. Matte screens do reflect too. But in a less distracting way. There is not that big difference as in that picture.

This one is more accurate.

Great post. Good comparison. That made my decision easy- Hi-res glossy looks WAY better IMO!! Sorry, but Apple should DISCOUNT if you want the 'Antiglare', not upcharge for it!

 

[PandaOnslaught]

i reallllyy dont like the matte screens, atleast on my hp(which will be replaced when my MBP arrives this week!!!) i dont know how the macbook pro ones pan out, but i had a glossy screen in the past and the matte just doesnt seem to be as bright, when im looking at a screen i kinda like it bright, and the matte(that i had) wasn't at all, even at the brightest setting. so i went with the HD Glossy screen, i just feel that 50$ is a bit much for something i didnt like lol

 

[Cycom]

I'm sure all the "professionals" here will tell you otherwise, but glossy is soooo much nicer than matte. Control your lighting and you are set.

 

[eyefunk]

I think antiglare is slightly better for graphical work. But at work i will be using an extra display anyway. I would probably have choosen the lowres antiglare if it was available. But it's not. Some of us older than 30 will get tired of watching smal text on a highres screen. (And yes - I know about the zoom in most applications like browsers, indesign, office etc.)
Still I will use the extra cash on somthing else...

 

[Azathoth]

Great post. Good comparison. That made my decision easy- Hi-res glossy looks WAY better IMO!! Sorry, but Apple should DISCOUNT if you want the 'Antiglare', not upcharge for it!

Applying 'matte' to a screen is an extra processing step, not to mention that Joe Q Public prefers shiny things, hence lower volume. People that already own mirrors tend to prefer the matte.

 

[jjahshik32]

Antiglare forsure!

I've owned glossy and matte before and found the matte to be always much brighter and crisper.

Its better in the battery department imo as well since you dont have to put the brightness high at all to drown out the reflections in certain conditions.

I just keep my matte display at 1 notch and its PLENTY bright. Saves a considerable amount of battery life.

 

[jjahshik32]

Total FUD.

I'm using my matte MacBook Pro in that same lighting condition, the screen whites out and becomes almost unreadable.

Well your using a ccfl backlit matte screen from the first gen mbp. You should check out led backlit matte displays, led is awesome!

I can use 1 notch of brightness outside with my 17" antiglare and its more than viewable.

 

[jjahshik32]

This is not accurate. Matte screens do reflect too. But in a less distracting way. There is not that big difference as in that picture.

This one is more accurate.

This is exactly what my experience was when I had a glossy 13" and a 15" around campus (even indoors).

It was a pain to use! I felt like I was using a mirror half the time. It was a great detective tool nonetheless, where I can see who was walking behind me.

Also my hair was never messed up. But half the time I dont want to look into the mirror!!

 

[Sleazy E]

Glossy looks soooo much better then anti-glare. I understand the function of anti-glare but it just cheapens the look and quality of the screen.

 

[rwdebes]

ANTI-GLARE all the way !

 

[rwdebes]

I'm sure all the "professionals" here will tell you otherwise, but glossy is soooo much nicer than matte. Control your lighting and you are set.

yeah but sometimes you are outdoor , or you cant control the lightning in a office or in a room with other people. glossy is good if you use the computer on a low light ambient.

 

[apw100]

I will never buy a laptop with a glossy screen, the reflections are way too distracting for me. Anyone who says that there isn't much of a difference between the amount of reflections in a glossy and a matte screen are insane.
If you are doing photo editing, matte is really the only way to go. Other than that, its just up to personal preference.

 

[JasonR]

Posting from my 17" MBP Anti-glare...love it! I think the Bezel (or lack of a bezel) looks just fine. I had a 13" MBP and the glossy screen started driving me nuts.

 

[Hooksta]

I've always owned Matte/Anti-glare screened laptops. To me they are dull and I already try to avoid using it outdoors. I travel in sales and it's a pain to look at my Matte Screen in the car....and I have tinted windows!

My sister has owned a 13" MacBook with the glossy screen for over a year now and I have yet to find a situation where I could conclusively say my Anti-glare screen looked anywhere near as nice as hers.

And cleaning....she just wipes off the glossy screen and it looks like new. Me, I wipe and wipe and wipe and wipe and eventually I can get it down to only a few streaks and finger prints.

To each their own, but I ordered my 15" with glossy.

In a bit of irony, my entertainment room in my basement has a Panasonic 58" THX certified Plasma which my friend hates because he says the THX certification setting is too dark. He prefers the blinding lights of a LCD TV (which I do use upstairs where sunlight would hit the screen). He works at Wal-Mart so I guess you get used to what you are around.

 

[Ca$hflow]

Above picks are completely inaccurate

The above pics are comparing the pre unibody with the unibody. Below are pictures that compare apples to apples.

The new displays are awesome. It's absolutely gorgeous. I ordered one because my old MacBook Pro one was matte before they charged for "antiglare". Looks way nicer than my old one. Web cam is smaller in size then the old one. Also it has a black gasket/bumper pad around the display, which is not in the above pictures. Very elegant.