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About to convert to mac. Glossy or matte?

D

darsoccer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 15, 2007
4
0
Hey, I am finally going to get a mac! A macbook pro to be exact, after jan 15th of course.

I just need to know what you would recommend in terms of the monitor. Glossy or matte? I don't do much photo editing or anything. I will probably use the mbp just for school stuff (documents, 3-d protein visualizer programs, etc) watching movies, music, and browsing the web. I do like to use my laptops outside though. If I buy the glossy? Does that pretty much mean I can't use it outside if the sun is out?

And any other suggestions in term of configuration?

Thanks in advance.
 
I have matte MBP and glossy MB. I much more prefer matte, but its just personal decision. They are just a bit different. Go to the store and check out what suits you more.
 
go to an apple store and do a side by side comparison. I don't think this is about, "which is better" more like a personal preference.

by the way, I chose matte. Glossy screens looked good. Very saturated and blacks seemed to be richer. However, I didn't like the high reflection. I could see myself on the screen. I also thought the colors were more "truer" (more natural, not as saturated)
 
go into a store and look at them side by side. If you are not caring about color accuracy it is just you personal opinion. I prefer matte though.
 
My girlfriend has a glossy screen, and when I use her Mac I find it alright. On some of the occasions, when I can spot the reflection of a lamp that's somewhere behind me it can get really irritating though.
So personally I'll be going with a matte screen once I get my own MBP (some time in March).

I'd really have a look in the stores though, nothing can beat your own eyes seeing and comparing the two side by side ;)
 
Naimfan said:
Here is what a knowledgeable person said in another (very similar) thread:

(Emphasis added.)
Click to expand...

Matte and glossy are just as accurate if the displays are calibrated.

If you don't bother to calibrate your displays to your workflow, neither will be accurate to begin with.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have any stores around me because I am in Oklahoma.

I think I will hunt down some mac users around campus and see what they use and force them to give me a demonstration. Thanks for the help!
 
That's like asking us if you should get chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Except for in certain specific situations, there's nothing inherently better about one over the other. It's just a matter of personal taste. Go to an apple store and develop your own opinion.

Personally I hate glossy. Matte rules! :p
 
Fuchal said:
Matte and glossy are just as accurate if the displays are calibrated.
Click to expand...

But for industries where color accuracy is important, I have to imagine that even if it is calibrated, glossy will not be very accurate due to the varying reflections in different screen regions. Even if the screen is calibrated, it compensate for the reflected light variations from region to region on your screen where the reflected light sources will naturally be different from area to area.

For example, lets say you have a lamp behind you that reflects a yellowish glow around the upper right quadrant of your glossy screen. So if you create an image with a specific solid green color as the background filling the screen, in the lower left corner the green will be green, but the green will fade to a slightly yellowish green toward the upper right hand of the screen where the lamp is reflecting.
 
As a professional graphic designer.....

motulist said:
But for industries where color accuracy is important, I have to imagine that even if it is calibrated, glossy will not be very accurate due to the varying reflections in different screen regions. Even if the screen is calibrated, it compensate for the reflected light variations from region to region on your screen where the reflected light sources will naturally be different from area to area.

For example, lets say you have a lamp behind you that reflects a yellowish glow around the upper right quadrant of your glossy screen. So if you create an image with a specific solid green color as the background filling the screen, in the lower left corner the green will be green, but the green will fade to a slightly yellowish green toward the upper right hand of the screen where the lamp is reflecting.
Click to expand...

I disagree with the varying reflections comment. My iMac is 24" and most of the photo work I do does not fill the screen. Reflections on the glass is over stated. My studio has 5 windows in it, and with the shades up I can view the pictures just fine!

Also this examples is not accurate either. I went from an ACD 22" matt to a 24" glossy and I love the glossy. Photo's and design work are so much more crisper, and I see NO difference in the accuracy of the pictures!
 
For me, the biggest problem with glossy is the glare. I know some of you glossy fans claim that the glare can be mitigated easily, but I don't buy it. I had a glossy laptop before my mbp, and it was not as easy to get rid of the glare as one would imagine.

I went with matte, I've never had a problem with it, and I'd recommend it based on my experiences using both glossy and matte screens.

However, you must decide for yourself. OP, if you're at school, I can't imagine why your school wouldn't have a campus store with laptops. They needn't be macbooks/macbook pros for you to tell the difference. Simply go to any electronics store and ask to see both a glossy screen and a matte screen. Shine the backlight of your cell phone onto both screens, and if you find that the glossy is livable, then go with it. That's the best advice I can give you. :) Good luck. :)
 
At first I was against the glossy screens, however, now I'd rather have glossy than not. While its true, you do get glare, the big thing is that you can still read what's on the screen behind the glare whereas a matte screen disperses the light all over and makes the screen generally hard to read. Outdoors, for example, I find glossy screens a lot easier to read. Maybe its just me though.
 
I too had the same question 2 months ago before my first MBP... I stood there at the Apple Store in SLC starring at the both side by side.. Went for the glossy and have not looked back.
 
motulist said:
Yeah, that's because you can see everything that's behind you relected in your screen! :D
Click to expand...

Nice :^) Seriously though, I briefly had a matte screen again when I used an iBook as my main comp for a couple of weeks. It was so weird not having to even *think* about reflections. Sure, the screen wasn't as bright or sharp or colorful, but at the same time, I never had any problems reading it. Now I've got an MB, which is, of course, glossy, and although I love the screen, I still remember the iBook screen fondly.
 
darsoccer said:
Unfortunately, I don't have any stores around me because I am in Oklahoma.

I think I will hunt down some mac users around campus and see what they use and force them to give me a demonstration. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

Where are you in Oklahoma? Tulsa and OKC both have stores. Dallas too if you are far south in OK.
 
for your use i'd say glossy.

edit: matte is hardly usable under sunlight as well.
 
heatmiser said:
Sure, the screen wasn't as bright or sharp or colorful
Click to expand...

Bear in mind that screen brightness on portable LCD screens grow dim rather quickly. When I first got my matte screen powerbook 4 years ago, even on the very lowest brightness setting, the screen was sometimes still so bright that it was almost uncomfortable to look at. Now, 4 years later, even in a dark room my screen isn't quite bright enough even at its brightest setting. So comparing a new screen of any type to any other screen that's a year or two old will be a totally false comparison and give you a false impression of their differences.

Fyi, LED backlights (regardless of matte or glossy) purportedly lose brightness less quickly.
 
jericho53 said:
Where are you in Oklahoma? Tulsa and OKC both have stores. Dallas too if you are far south in OK.
Click to expand...

Oh, my hometown is in northeast Oklahoma. I am only an hour and half away from Tulsa. I was unaware that Tulsa had a store. I guess I will have to make a trip down there soon. I will also try my campus computer store if they are still open.

Do both types of screens have about the same lifetime? Or does one seem to last longer than the other?
 
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