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Apple Again Offers Matte Display Option on 15" MacBook Pro

icanboogie said:
This is great news for every friend of Apple.

Would be great to have this option for the 13" MBP as well. The glass is really bad. the old glossy screens, like on the air, (without the glass) are ok though, IMHO.

Charging more for it is not that much of a deal, people. Think about how prices used to be! These MBP now are quite cheaper, and you probably wouldn't cry about it if the glassy ones were 100 Dollars more, so you could feel some kind of price reduction for the "less equipped" matte displays......

When buying a Mercedes Benz, you pay more if you do not want the name of the model on the back ("E320", e.g.) at least it used to be like that - it is all about production costs, not material costs. Or, if you prefer, "Economies of scale" ....

If people will prefer the matte over the gloss, this will reverse! :D
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I'm thinking about how prices used to be...and it used to be the matte was "free"/$0 while the glossy was $$. way to be a fanboy.
 
I voted Negative

This kind of sucks. No, this really sucks. Around this time last year I ordered a MacBook Pro with the matte option because I was going to college and didn't want a glaring laptop screen. However, in November, after the 3rd repair of the messed up trackpad, Apple insisted that they replace it with the current model (at the time) MacBook Pro. Of course I lost the matte display, and I've missed it a lot. Now they come out with this option...

First, why didn't they do this to begin with?
Second, I wonder if Apple would be kind enough to swap out the display for what I originally ordered. Yea... I already know the answer.

I voted negative because this should have been an option from the beginning.
 
A long time comparing the two

I have the previous generation 17 inch MBP with the high-rez screen ($100 option at the time). At the Bellevue WA store a little while ago, they had the new 17 inch MBP Glossy and 17 inch MBP Matte side by side.

I spent about 30 minutes calibrating each, adjusting viewing angles, downloading color test images, etc. Then did a side-by-side. Noting that the lighting in the store ain't perfect, I still think this setup was pretty good.

Here is what I found (these rely on some assumptions):

1) Cuerent MBP-M screen in the store (at leat the one I was view) is the same screen I have on my previous gen 17 inch MBP with the high-rez. It is a beautiful screen, and I love it. Screen and bezel are identical.

2) The MBP-G screen in the store is the same screen again. It simply has the glossy glass screen laid over the MBP-M screen. This has two advantages and two disadvantages for the MBP-G vs. MBP-M (apart from the bezels being different -- and I like the silver bezel of the MBP-M better):
a) Dis: Slightly heavier.
a) Adv: Screen is much more rigid (MBP-M flexes pretty easily).
c) Dis: Reflections
d) Adv: Scratches will be on glass vs. screen itself.

As I noted I spent a lot of time trying to see if I could detect a difference in colors represented by the MBP-G and MBP-M in the store. Note that I have spent some time in design work so I know what to look for, but I am not an expert. Also, I had downloaded and was using some pretty standard color checking images.

Color conclusion: There may be a difference, but if there is, I had a very hard time seeing it. If someone maintains that he/she can see big differences, then I would be pretty suspicious of either their comparison setup or perhaps there being prejudice affecting judgement. If my assumption is right that the two underlying screens are the same, then the only color affect would result from the covering glass having poor light transmissive qualities. I can't imagine that the glass used is not the best that Apple can source.

So, the bottom line for me is about the reflections. Personally, it is not that bad, so I'm getting the MBP-G when I upgrade. I've really tried to find the "it affects the color quality" claims, and just could not do it. Methinks those stridently complaining are more prejudices than properly informed.

ps: I have a very minor scratch on my current MBP screen -- it can be scratched VERY easily. This is a pretty significant deciding factor as I am pretty sure a scratched glass in the MBP-G can be replaced.
 
What else can be said? This, once more, proves that Apple is the MOST RESPONSIVE consumer IT company in the world, along with what is already regarded as the best build quality and customer service of the whole industry. Stacks, FW, matte displays (even if they are not REALLY necessary for 99% of users)...these are just the latest examples of a GREAT reaction to feedback by its base.

So yep: congratulations for yet another wise move and PROMPT response to customer's demands, Apple! Any "pundits" and MS-loving trolls to counter these facts?

p.s.: And I STILL remember those around here that used to bash Apple for NOT having "Tru-Brite" glossy screens in its laptops... ;)

p.s.2: MS IS DEAD.
 
Kwill said:
It is a big deal when it is only available as a BTO. The millions of people walking into Apple retail stores cannot walk out with a boxed laptop with a matte screen.
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That doesn't have to be the case and part of the reason for the increased costs. If you go to most Apple stores the 17" on display is the matte version; at least that is my experience locally. [ By the way, the earlier post of "what does it look like".... find a 17" on display, will likely see one. ] There is likely both matte and non matte 17" versions in the store. However that complicates inventory ( and manufacturing). Some stores may not have it in stock and you'd have to wait for it to come in. (when Apple starts shifting matte versions around between stores because the demand is uneven .... that is yet another potential cost that the extra $50 can be applied to. )


If matte was worth protesting extensively about then the feature must have some value, right? If it has value then $50 is 3% of the lowest end mac costs ($1669 US). ( wasn't there a shop that was offering to do a swap out for $100+ ... $50 is cheaper than that. Might have been bigger clue to Apple that folks were paying lots of money to get rid of the glass that was higher value in not putting it there in the first place. )


The a couple other BTO options ( external screen , hard disk , ) could be done on-site if really pressed (and the user pays enough for the install costs. ). For most laptops there is probably a low amount of variability of configuration at the store. For the 15" jumping from 4 GB to 8 GB is very expensive. The drives can be done relatively straightforward by a semi-skilled person.

The screen/keyboard would be harder to do quickly and correctly at a store. So would have to deploy/inventory those.
 
Hi
chan2004 said:
Matte making a comeback is a good news

But charging 45 euro for this is more like daylight robbery.
More and more it feels like apple is taking its customers for a ride:mad:

aren't anyone pissed off by this????????????
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This kind of statement is why Apple or any other company should not give into whiners. Those who make polite suggestions should be considered but whiners are just that... You give them what they want but than they need to find something else to bitch about. If Apple made it free, you'd bitch about something else. I bet your birthday parties are a real downer. :D
 
As many others have said, choice is good. We don't always get it with our favorite fruit products so the more the merrier (to an extent of course). :apple:
 
Mattnh said:
Now chuck in an analogue videoport and a FW400-port and I'll get me one.
Click to expand...

Um. You do realize that all you need to plug a FW400 cable into a FW800 port is a cheapo $5 cable, right? And you also realize that Apple will never, ever make a Mini DisplayPort to S-Video or composite video adapter? If you absolutely need to hook up your 20-year tube TV, just get the DisplayPort to VGA adapter, and get a VGA to S-Video/Composite dual-purpose cable. They're $10.

If these unrealistic issues are the actual reasons that are holding back your purchase, I have a newsflash for you: Apple will NEVER manufacture a laptop for you. Hope you enjoy never owning one!

Seriously, either buy one or don't, but don't manufacture "issues" that either have solutions or will quite obviously never be addressed.
 
neuropsychguy said:
In any case, Apple is a "good" business meaning that they are well-run and know how to make money. It also means that they don't always do things for free even if it doesn't cost them money.
Click to expand...

Charging people money for something that costs nothing to provide is not good business. That ripping people off. It is one thing for a business to provide a value added service or good. Exchange for providing something for which you incurred a cost is fine. However, if it there was no cost and charging then the business is not providing added value. Hence there is no justification for charging for it.

For example many dentists get free samples of toothbrushes and toothpaste from vendors. They are suppose to hand those out for free to the patients at the end of a session. If the dentist starts charging the patients for those (or takes them to some store who sells them ) that is ripping those patients off (or ripping off the vendor if pass onto a store).

Good businesses provide value for their customers. It is not purely a contest of who can collect the biggest pile of money by whatever amoral method possible. It will be debatable as to what the "fair" profit margin should be between folks with differing value judgments. Is $50 a 10%, 20%, 40%, 60% markup on the additional costs for Apple. Fine debate that. But infinite% markup is jacking your customers.
 
FINALLY! Oh wait it's BTO only? $50 extra you say? Will other retailers that actually have sales on Apple products get these? No?

Guess it's wait for a refurb to hit... yay?
 
RebootD said:
FINALLY! Oh wait it's BTO only? $50 extra you say? Will other retailers that actually have sales on Apple products get these? No?

Guess it's wait for a refurb to hit... yay?
Click to expand...
Refurbished Arrandale MacBook Pro with a matte screen. I'll see you there. :cool:
 
BRLawyer said:
What else can be said? This, once more, proves that Apple is the MOST RESPONSIVE consumer IT company in the world
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The MR Forum's own Baghdad Bob does it again.

Reinstating the option to get a normal screen instead of a mirror, after a year of very vocal complaints, is not "responsive". Responsive would've been to do it when the matte option was introduced for the 17" model in January. But their slow response isn't the main problem here. The main problem is that Apple's judgment was so incredibly poor that they had to go back and modify the products. They're so out of touch with the customer base that they actually thought everyone would like having a mirror where the screen used to be.
 
Woo hoo! I can now actually begin to think about upgrading from my ancient 1 GHz powerbook, which has definitely seen better days.
 
Oh thank goodness. That took much, much too long and was a bad decision to begin with. I need the ExpressCard slot back now Apple so I can get direct bus access for my CF cards back.
 
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