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Which one is it?

  • Pleased with matte

    Votes: 79 47.3%
  • Pleased with glossy

    Votes: 66 39.5%
  • Wish I got the glossy

    Votes: 6 3.6%
  • Wish I got the matte

    Votes: 16 9.6%

  • Total voters
    167

secretpact

macrumors 6502
May 24, 2007
271
0
I have a glossy macbook and it's fine for me. However, I'm planning on upgrading to macbook pro and I think I'm going to go with Matte when I do... I don't know how much the colors jump out at you with glossy (seems regular to me) but I have a matte monitor and it's really great.
 

stevenfarrisohi

macrumors newbie
Jan 28, 2008
29
0
Surprise I like the matte...

I was dead set to get the glossy and then I changed my mind when I saw them side-by-side. First off, any reflection does not bother me. I have terrible eye strain being a diabetic and upon talking with my Apple rep. he said there is less eye strain on the matte finish. The colors were gorgeous on both. If you like watching movies on your MBP then go with the glossy - It's just preference.
 

UltraNEO*

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2007
4,057
15
近畿日本
Hiya!
I have a glossy MBP but now it's Matte finished.

From previous experience a matte screen would slowly but surely become slightly glossy but this is due to human intervention - namely, some of us like to clean our screens and it's a fact, no matter how gentle you try, it'll become slightly glossy over time! Also from preivious experience, occasionally our beloved powerbooks/macbooks have been know to damage the screen, leaving behind markings - especially when you travel alot!

What I did was to buy a Glossy model and purchase a user replaceable Anti-Glare film, once affixed it appears to be a identical to a Matte screen.:D
 

paul.b.davis

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2007
370
0
Over the hills and far away...
I used to have a PowerBook G4 and loved the matte (even though then there was no glossy) and when I got my MBP, I tried out both and just loved the matte still. I was considering an getting an iMac and keeping my PBG4 (which ended up going to my little sister) for recording purposes only, but the glossy screens just really turned me off.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.
 

nomad01

macrumors 68000
Aug 1, 2005
1,727
73
Birmingham, England
I've used both and you get glare either way. It's a more focused reflection on a glossy screen but you get a diffused glare on the matte screens. Personally, I prefer the glossy.

It is down to personal preference at the end of the day though.
 

AntiPhoenix

macrumors newbie
Jan 7, 2008
13
0
Guys, how do you tell youve got a matte or glossy MBP?
I got it as a pesent and i really dont know...
 

skyrider007

macrumors 65816
Aug 5, 2007
1,388
1
Bangkok
I've got a glossy screen and I love it. Everything just looks vibrant and full of life on it.

P.S. you can tell it's glossy when it's mirror like, more reflective etc.
 

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,799
The Black Country, England
I've got a matte MacBook Pro and would never buy a Mac with a glossy screen if there is a choice offered.

It's also the reason I didn't get a new aluminium iMac, though I have found the glass on the iMac a lot worse for glare than the glossy screen on the MacBook.
 

Gus!

macrumors member
Feb 15, 2008
32
0
Down Under
It's funny, some people can use glossy screens with no problem and others just cannot stand the glare of them, but anyone can use a matte screen with no problems. Matte is definetly the safe choice, and is more versatile.

Gus...
 

JSpence

macrumors regular
Oct 4, 2007
200
0
Orlando, FL
Have a glossy, future roomie has a 15-inch matte MBP.
Idk, his just kind of looks.... dull...
Like the glossy, but we both have different uses for our MB's, so.. :)
 

MYRZ

macrumors member
Feb 11, 2008
73
0
Holland
Going to buy a MBP soon... (Also waiting as the rest of us...:rolleyes:)

As a Webdeveloper i guess i need a matte, right? I really need to seen EVERY pixel to do my job...
 

teknikal90

macrumors 68040
Jan 28, 2008
3,346
1,901
Vancouver, BC
Guys, how do you tell youve got a matte or glossy MBP?
I got it as a pesent and i really dont know...

Step 1. Press thumb on screen
Step 2. Remove
Step 3. Examine screen for fingerprints
If your result from Step 3. is 'fingerprint is present' proceed to Step 4. Otherwise, proceed to Step 5.
Step 4. Wipe the glossy screen
Step 5. Continue enjoying your matte screen
 

Stridder44

macrumors 68040
Mar 24, 2003
3,973
198
California
It really does suck though. I've been using a matte iMac for 6 years now and plan on replacing it with a MBP (yes, waiting...) and I was so set on getting glossy at first.

I donno the whole glare thing doesn't bother me really, but then again I've only ever used it in an Apple store or Best Buy. I don't want to find out one day the glare is a big issue. Finger prints aside, I LOVE the vibrant colors and just how "clean" it looks.

Ugh, choices.
 

steve31

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2007
940
72
Edmonton Canada
I have matte on my MBP but none of the stores where I live carry a glossy MBP so the choice was easy. I do love my matte screen but after I bought my new toy (a MBA) I might be leaning towards a glossy screen.
 

Gen3tix

macrumors newbie
Aug 3, 2007
27
0
I am very pleased with my matte screen. However...I don't think glossy is that bad. I've used my sister's MacBook, and I didn't really mind the glossy screen too much. However, I definitely prefer matte.
 

tanjacob

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2007
62
0
I'm getting an MBP once it comes out, and a reason for getting it is for the matte screen. When I'm on the move, I often turn down the brightness to conserve battery power and for privacy purposes, and the glossy screen on my current PC laptop quickly becomes nearly unusable from all the reflections.
 

haner

macrumors newbie
Feb 23, 2008
20
0
the glossy is less straining on my eyes

I read a lot of people saying matte is better than glossy for text-intensive uses. I really disagree. The text on the glossy is MUCH sharper and blacker than on the matte. On the matte it's a bit fuzzy. And the white/light backgrounds on the matte has that annoying anti-glare "sparkle."

Reflection from the glossy isn't as huge a problem as some people think (especially for the MBP glossy), since our eyes focus the reflection out. At the store, the reflection problem may seem bad, because you are just casually viewing the screen. When you actually focus on the text, you really don't notice the reflection that much.

Whenever I spend a lot of time on my girlfriend's G4 Powerbook and then switch to my glossy MBP, my eyes feel a visceral sense of relief. I can't stare at a Word document on a matte for long periods of time, it's simply too harsh on my eyes (if I lower the brightness, it just looks bled out). When I switch to the glossy screen, it's like taking my eyes away from the computer to relax. There's a certain sense of depth in the glossy that relaxes my eyes.

So here's my conclusion: For older people whose eyes might not focus as quickly (can't focus out the reflections), the matte may be a better choice. For people who are near-sighted and light-sensitive (like me), and spend a lot of time on high-contrast environments like Word, the glossy is the way to go.
 

bit density

macrumors 6502
Mar 5, 2004
398
2
Seattle
I have a macbook

Which means that I have a glossy screen. I used to have an ibook with the mattes screen and I was terrified, but to no real issue, the macbook screen is fine.

They are NOT the same as the glossy screens on some PC laptops I have seen which are damn near unusable.

But I would, if I could, choose a matte screen.
 

aiterum

macrumors 6502
Nov 17, 2007
499
0
United States
The macbook has a fairly nice glossy screen I will admit. Many PC laptops with glossy screens are pretty awful though. I have seen some that are better than others, but its enough to convince me to always look for a matte option in whatever laptop and/or monitor that I am purchasing
 

Mark16q

macrumors newbie
Jan 22, 2008
23
0
Agoura, CA
daughter's laptop is glossy, and find myself constantly adjusting the screen angle for good viewing.

My MBP is matte, by choice, as are my desktop and Lenovo XP laptop.

Glossy is cool for movies, but for prolonged work, can't handle it.

Mark
 

rezonat0r

macrumors 6502
Nov 2, 2007
398
0
One of the reasons I switched to a 17" MBP is the option of the matte screen. Looks great in all lighting conditions.

The "sparkle" that some describe with matte is really no worse than on glossy, it is actually a variable thing from screen to screen. The purity of the glass/material between the panel itself and your eyeballs varies due to production/quality control issues.

As far as color goes, the glossy screens I have seen tend to be over-saturated which is why many people think they look better. The reality is that out of the box, neither screen is very good and both need hardware calibration to be anywhere close to accurate. I'm amazed that Apple doesn't use a better default color profile.
 

gibbz

macrumors 68030
May 31, 2007
2,701
100
Norman, OK
Matte all the way. I couldn't be happier with the screen as I spend 8-10 hours in front of it everyday.
 
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