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Glossy Screen Owners - how can you stand the GLARE?

S

Sounds Good

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 8, 2007
1,692
57
I think the size of the Macbook is probably a better fit for me vs. the larger MBP, but one thing keeping me from it is that it only comes with a glossy screen (I wish it had a matte screen option).

My question to the glossy screen owners is this: How the heck can you stand the GLARE??? :eek:

I found some pics online to demonstrate my concern:

9-gloss.jpg

147623069_ea07008dae.jpg

147623342_9e485ae2cc.jpg

mb-mirror.jpg

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Answer: You don't notice it. At all.

Most of your photos were taken at an angle. That helps to see the glare, but is not how most people view their notebooks.

I had a matte MBP. When that got stolen I replaced it with a glossy. The glossy screen is nicer.

Remember, before LCD screens became affordable, CRT screens were just as prone to glare. Did it bother people then? If you cannot help seeing the glare, then what is on your screen is just not interesting enough to divert your attention.
 
Well, I don't know how people feel about it who had a non-glossy disply before but I owned an acer notebook with glossy display and I found the acer display to be much worse. In fact, I was very suprised when I first started my macbook because of how disappointed many have been with the display. I realy like it. But if you have the possebility I would advise you to go to an apple store and have a look.

Greetings from germany
 
I don't use mine with any bright lights behind me. Even when I am outside, I just sit without the sun at my back. Works fine. There's no place that I use my lappy that I can't adjust to reduce glare. And the quality of the screen makes the adjustments worth it, to me.
 
Sounds Good said:
My question to the glossy screen owners is this: How the heck can you stand the GLARE???
Click to expand...
:eek:

*shrug* I guess some people (myself included) are exceedingly lucky and work in environments where glare isn't such a problem.

That said, you're ALWAYS going to get glare and other undesirable effects if you're pointing your screen into the sun. I've never been able to use a laptop or LCD screen, matte OR gloss, with the sun shining on it.

Even so, my office window makes my office quite sunny and as long as my LCD screens are at an angle from the window, the glare doesn't reflect into my face, and I can use my MBP just fine.
 
the only time it has ever bothered me was at school, only because i had the backlight on the lowest setting at all times and the classrooms were bright because of all the florescent lighting, so that led to lots of glare, but otherwise when your face is parallel to the screen as it is in normal use not at the angles these pictures were taken, and the backlight is at a descent setting, glare is not the slightest bit noticeable...but thats just my opinion
 
I notice that in all of those pictures the screen is either tilted at an angle that you wouldn't normally work at, off, or both. Each of those factors contributes to the glare that you see in the photos. I haven't had any problems on my glossy 15" MBP because I either 1) don't work with the screen at a weird angle and/or don't angle the screen at a bright light source, or 2) don't worry about the glare when the computer isn't in use. Its a non-issue for me.
 
Can't say I notice it normally to be honest. It's probably there but the crispness of the colour seems a fair trade off to me. :)
 
Sbrocket said:
I notice that in all of those pictures the screen is either tilted at an angle that you wouldn't normally work at, off, or both.
Click to expand...
Well, I wasn't really looking for "perfect" pictures :)... I just did a Google search for "Macbook glossy screen" and these are the first pics that came up.

Thanks for the comments everyone!
 
I've mostly used my MBP at home so far, but I've had it for 2 weeks, and no issues with glare.
 
if you're looking at the macbook straight on and considering how bright the display is, you really don't ever notice the glare. my problem with the glossy screen was the colors, but that's another story.
 
weckart said:
Answer: You don't notice it. At all.

Most of your photos were taken at an angle. That helps to see the glare, but is not how most people view their notebooks.
Click to expand...
Bingo. :)

I was worried about the whole "glare" thing until I had the chance to use a MB for a couple of days. I fell in love. And that's when I decided to sell my 12" iBook for the MB.

Would do it again, gladly.
 
it's really just a matter of choice. The MB and MBP glossy screens I have to saw are much less reflective then a lot of glossy screens out there, and are probably some of the most usuable and nicest. I have a matte MBP simply because I prefer the color CORRECTNESS over the crispness as I do a lot of design work and prefer to have the contrast more accurate to printing, however, the glossy screens I used were quite nice. I could see for school maybe having a matte screen can be better in a lot of instances (not having to worry abouat where I sit with my mac vs. my friends having to sometimes move around abit in small windowy classrooms to find a good view) but it's really not as bad, and once you start usin your computer you will forget about the glares anyway if there are any :)

It would be nice to have a matte option though for the Macbooks.
 
geez... if the glossy REALLY bothers you that much just get some fine sand paper and sand it down so it isnt glossy ;)
 
wako said:
geez... if the glossy REALLY bothers you that much just get some fine sand paper and sand it down so it isnt glossy ;)
Click to expand...

or more realistically. Search the forums. There was a post on here a few months ago that was about how he switched out his macbook screen for a matte samsung? or some other brand he got for a few hundred that fit perfectly.

You could always do that... if you REALLY want a matte macbook and feel comfortable.

edit: there... do this :) lol https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/267104/
 
ktbubster said:
There was a post on here a few months ago that was about how he switched out his macbook screen for a matte samsung? or some other brand he got for a few hundred that fit perfectly.

You could always do that... if you REALLY want a matte macbook and feel comfortable.
Click to expand...
:) This thread?
 
I have both a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. If you look at the machines at the Apple Store, you get a lot of glare. For the most part, that's because of their lighting conditions and the fact that you're viewing the notebooks from an angle.

I don't notice any reflection or glare on my two machines. The only issue I have had is working at a Starbucks with a window directly behind me. But, even if I was on a non-glossy screen, I'd have some problems with a window behind me.
 
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