So because someone disagrees with you they are wrong. I think you have it backwards over who has to get over it.
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Glossy vs Anti-Glare
- Thread starter MultiMediaWill
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So because someone disagrees with you they are wrong. I think you have it backwards over who has to get over it.
I have always used anti-glare screen covers on my past laptops, but I have made an exception with my 2011 MBP and am quite happy with the gloss
Umm.. what's that "silver bezel" you are referring to? I'm thinking about getting a new Mac again but the display and keyboard on 13" model are just unbearable even in shop lightning. I mean, even 500€ Toshibas have less reflecting screens! I had iBook G4, its backlight died, got cheapo Fujitsu-Siemens for emergency replacement (lasted 3½ yrs while at it and still works), now it's time to upgrade again and hard to imagine using something that glossy now.
Neither iBook nor FS had any "silver bezel" in image and both were matte/anti-glare. Are you referring to viewing angles or what? I have to go see for myself in Apple Store what you mean. It's a shame that Apple doesn't offer 13" AG and on top of that 15" AG hi-res is way above my budget. If 13" model had option for AG for same price as glossy I'd buy it in heartbeat.
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I just read all the 12 pages of the thread, even if I had already ordered a 15" hi-res glossy macbook pro. I am a photographer and doing a lot of photo editing, some video editing, so at the beginning I was sure of getting the matte screen. Then I thought that all apple screens are now glossy, I'm used to it with the iphone, the ipad, my ex (now my wife) macbook. I was using an old 20" white intel iMac that has a good matte screen (the same as the old 20" acd) but the limitations of 2gb of ram did it too slow for my workflow, and I decided to replace it with the new mbp. I used some friends new iMacs and found the glossy screen decent at least. So I ordered the glossy screen, maybe I should have gone before in an apple store to compare them, but here in Italy they are so ****ing far from downtown in some bleak shopping centers, and I don't want to spend a couple of hour in the traffic just for a comparison...
by the way if I'll find it too reflective I still have 2 weeks to change it.
by the way if I'll find it too reflective I still have 2 weeks to change it.
I myself have antiglare, but also have owned a glossy model.
Glossy has great colours, great detail, and you see a lot more, however light really affects your viewing.
I think there are a few conditions that can help decide antiglare or glossy.
The glossy screen, at least for me, tends to make dust more noticeable.
Do you work in front of a window, outside, or somewhere with a lot of light? Get antiglare.
Do you work inside in a dim or reasonably lit area? Glossy is probably for you.
Glossy has great colours, great detail, and you see a lot more, however light really affects your viewing.
I think there are a few conditions that can help decide antiglare or glossy.
The glossy screen, at least for me, tends to make dust more noticeable.
Do you work in front of a window, outside, or somewhere with a lot of light? Get antiglare.
Do you work inside in a dim or reasonably lit area? Glossy is probably for you.
Couldn't sleep so I re-read this thread lol, this is such a good thread. A lot of great posts. So I came upon a couple of thoughts.
Cleaning: I just recently did a clean job of my 15" AG 2010. Man it's kind of scary cleaning it compared to a glossy screen I've owned in 13". I just used a microfiber cloth and gently rubbed in circles over the little nasties on the screen, whether from a finger print or some spit from yelling at the screen hahah. But it all came off nicely, but I didn't like the uneasy feeling I had with cleaning it. It was my first time cleaning the AG screen (new purchase). I much prefer cleaning glass, it feels less risky. I could spray a towel and just clean the glass, but with the matte, I don't know how I would clean any dirtier stuff that could end up on it. Thoughts?
I've read several people say the 2011 Anti-glare is even nicer than the 2010 AG. Care to explain more? Is it brighter? Are colors better? I REALLY like the '10 AG screen and was pleasantly surprised by the vividness and sharpness of the screen although I do remember how beautiful the blacks were in my '11 13" I had for a week. More thoughts on the '11 AG vs '10 would be helpful to me. I'll have to run to Apple to look at their '11 Ag b/c I didn't notice much of a difference, and apparently they're the same panel models I thought.
It seems the consensus for HD movie viewers, glossy is better due to the popping colors. Would this be the same for a gamer to prefer glossy? I know reflections are a pain for games, but what about pure colors? I game at night in the darkness almost always. Opinions from gamers and movie watchers please.
Keep up the great discussion here!
Cleaning: I just recently did a clean job of my 15" AG 2010. Man it's kind of scary cleaning it compared to a glossy screen I've owned in 13". I just used a microfiber cloth and gently rubbed in circles over the little nasties on the screen, whether from a finger print or some spit from yelling at the screen hahah. But it all came off nicely, but I didn't like the uneasy feeling I had with cleaning it. It was my first time cleaning the AG screen (new purchase). I much prefer cleaning glass, it feels less risky. I could spray a towel and just clean the glass, but with the matte, I don't know how I would clean any dirtier stuff that could end up on it. Thoughts?
I've read several people say the 2011 Anti-glare is even nicer than the 2010 AG. Care to explain more? Is it brighter? Are colors better? I REALLY like the '10 AG screen and was pleasantly surprised by the vividness and sharpness of the screen although I do remember how beautiful the blacks were in my '11 13" I had for a week. More thoughts on the '11 AG vs '10 would be helpful to me. I'll have to run to Apple to look at their '11 Ag b/c I didn't notice much of a difference, and apparently they're the same panel models I thought.
It seems the consensus for HD movie viewers, glossy is better due to the popping colors. Would this be the same for a gamer to prefer glossy? I know reflections are a pain for games, but what about pure colors? I game at night in the darkness almost always. Opinions from gamers and movie watchers please.
Keep up the great discussion here!
If you are photography or designer go with anti-glare.
if you only use MBP for movie or game go with glossy.
What are you all moaning about getting a glossy screen and then regretting it?
Buy one of these:
http://www.gearzap.com/power-suppor...le&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=froogle
I prefer glossy
Buy one of these:
http://www.gearzap.com/power-suppor...le&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=froogle
I prefer glossy
i feel like some people are too picky about the Glossy. I have never owned a macbook with AG and i never plan too. Last week i recieved my new laptop with HR Glossy and it is beautiful, i take to every class with me and i use it at 100% brightness and it is amazing, people around me just watch me take notes because it looks so dam crisp and clear!!!
When people say "with 20% brightness i cant see a thing" or something like them im just wondering why on earth would you use your computer on anything besides 100%?!? these batteries last forever! theres no reason to use your computer on anything less than 80! unless youre laying down in bed and its night time but then it doesnt matter anyways!
However, i do not do photo editing. but i do watch a lot of movies on this in between classes in a very well lit college campus and not one single bother.. maybe its because ive never owned a matte screen so i dont know the difference? my two best freinds have a macbook and a blackbook and i just hate that deam screen it looks godawful compared to mine. but maybe the new ones are cool. my other friend has the 2011 air and his does look very crisp and clear but i still like mine better, just because i have the 15 =) and its glossy.
but bascially im saying i know this option is 100% personal preference but i just dont think it make sense to use your computer on half brightness, i mean 5 hours on one batter is a long of work to get done.. if youre doing any more work then that why would you not want to have a charger with yout? thats just dumb.. and if you had a charger than you could keep it at 100% any dam ways!!!!!!!!!!
When people say "with 20% brightness i cant see a thing" or something like them im just wondering why on earth would you use your computer on anything besides 100%?!? these batteries last forever! theres no reason to use your computer on anything less than 80! unless youre laying down in bed and its night time but then it doesnt matter anyways!
However, i do not do photo editing. but i do watch a lot of movies on this in between classes in a very well lit college campus and not one single bother.. maybe its because ive never owned a matte screen so i dont know the difference? my two best freinds have a macbook and a blackbook and i just hate that deam screen it looks godawful compared to mine. but maybe the new ones are cool. my other friend has the 2011 air and his does look very crisp and clear but i still like mine better, just because i have the 15 =) and its glossy.
but bascially im saying i know this option is 100% personal preference but i just dont think it make sense to use your computer on half brightness, i mean 5 hours on one batter is a long of work to get done.. if youre doing any more work then that why would you not want to have a charger with yout? thats just dumb.. and if you had a charger than you could keep it at 100% any dam ways!!!!!!!!!!
The decision whether to buy a glossy screen or an antiglare screen is subjective as others have already stated. I compared both screens in the store and I chose antiglare. I will be outside a lot and edit photos, so that is why I chose an antiglare screen. My previous laptop has a glossy screen, which did not bother me, but an antiglare screen is lighter on my eyes.
However, the in store comparison is tainted in favor of the antiglare screen, because Apple's stores are so bright. I would not want to pay their electric bill.
I am a switcher and adjusting to the difference between the textual display of Windows and Mac is taking some time to get use to. Ultimately, one must examine each screen carefully before plunking down the cash. IMHO
However, the in store comparison is tainted in favor of the antiglare screen, because Apple's stores are so bright. I would not want to pay their electric bill.
I am a switcher and adjusting to the difference between the textual display of Windows and Mac is taking some time to get use to. Ultimately, one must examine each screen carefully before plunking down the cash. IMHO
I've had my doubts ordering a MBP with an AG screen but since I've been using it for the past 3 days, I don't miss my glossy iMac at all. In fact, I always found reflections to be distracting. Sure, my eyes would automatically focus on what's on the screen but the reflection is still there. The only thing I found practical about the glossy screen, though, is the cleaning of it.
I do have a theory though why some people prefer glossy over AG. With a matte screen, your eyes have to constantly focus on the distance between you and the screen, with the glossy screen, however, your eyes can "see through" it and focus on any reflection, almost doubling the focus distance. This gives them a chance to relax.
Also, I had to go from a display resolution of 1920x1200 back to 1680x1050 (the same as the 20" iMac I used) because the sharpness of the font and other details started to hurt my eyes.
So, anyone who complains about the AG screen should just go down a notch on the resolution and give it another chance. I haven't had a strain on my eyes since.
I do have a theory though why some people prefer glossy over AG. With a matte screen, your eyes have to constantly focus on the distance between you and the screen, with the glossy screen, however, your eyes can "see through" it and focus on any reflection, almost doubling the focus distance. This gives them a chance to relax.
Also, I had to go from a display resolution of 1920x1200 back to 1680x1050 (the same as the 20" iMac I used) because the sharpness of the font and other details started to hurt my eyes.
So, anyone who complains about the AG screen should just go down a notch on the resolution and give it another chance. I haven't had a strain on my eyes since.
Looking at the display for the anti-glare models, you have a screen surrounded by silver metal. Looking at a glossy display you have a screen surrounded by a black border and both the screen and black border are covered by the glass. The iBook has a white (or black) bezel. Don't know about the FS.
Does anyone have the anti-glare display and uses it recreationally and not edit photos and videos?
Me. I have always used AG even though I don't do any design or photo editing work. Couldn't be happier with the results. In fact, I've never considered glare again after deciding on Matte back in 2007. It's that good.
The laptop I had before my current one had a glossy screen. It was nice for watching movies and playing games due to the colors looking more vibrant. However, in the end, I found the reflection of nearby lights and windows on the screen too annoying, especially when I was in "work mode" and trying to read text on the screen, which easily outweighed the advantages of movies and games looking more vibrant. That's why I ended up switching to an anti-glare display with my current laptop.
I love my shiny screen. Don't have much issue with the reflections. Although I do have an awesome matte Samsung display for my desktop So I don't mind either way. =D
So I don't mind either way. =DThose looking for a valuable opinion, read the quote above. I have been on these forums for awhile now and have used several of this persons .icc profiles. (Calibration Files) This is a huge nugget of information and reliable take on the subject.
Thanks for your input bcaslis!
Im sure if you look hard enough, you could probably find his phone number too. Seeing as though you want to bang him and all.
Thinking different... hmm, I think we would all have/want the glassy screens seeing as though its an Apple staple now.
To be honest, Apple has lost touch with its consumers. Since Apple will not produce a 13" laptop with balls, I have been using a Sony Z with an i7, Dedicated GPU and a 1920x1080p Anti Glare Screen! Did you read that last part? SONY even puts their top of the line FHD in antiglare only!
I have been with Apple products for years. But honestly, iOS has been delaying/destroying OSX and has attributed to Apples lack of focus on their Mac line.
To further punctuate the point. I see this poll is heavily in favor of AG. You may be absolutely right about it being only here on these boards. However, I would consider most of us collectively the enthusiast voice that Apple should be paying attention too. Charging $150 premium for antiglare, $50 more than glassy high res is absolute proof that they are gouging us beyond just Apple tax. (The enthusiasts)
You know the interesting thing is, I just recently customized a Sony 14" 1600 by 900 resolution and I think it looks better than the regular 13" macbook. It's a glossy screen but the whites look better and the screens look incredibly bright. In some aspects, the video and picture quality look very very sharp. I have owned Sony products for years and they are very good when it comes to the sharpness of pixels.
Trench Warfare.
Hi all,
sorry in advance, english isn't my native language. In my opinion this is much more a political discussion than an informative thread.
I for one used Apple products all my life, starting at late 1984. For more than a decade i worked as a graphics designer and in video editing. And when i tell you i could lose my job for posting here, you probably know what i do for a living right now.
I read the entire thread carefully, and i also have a strong opinion about this topic. I prefer glossy.
The previously mentioned "confirmation bias" is definitely a relevant factor here. If you worked with a screen type all your life, you tend of course to defend that. It's the same as with the age-old Mac vs. PC-discussion, unfortunately. So "I have always used AG" is not a good answer ...
Glossy IS a relatively new thing. And that's probably why not many old people catch on with that, and so many more young people prefer glossy. In normal environments, it IS superior for the average Joe imho.
1. Glossy has a Higher Contrast.
Most normal people work with text, surf the web, send and receive E-Mails. For text-rich environments i prefer the glossy, because text looks darker and at least in my case that makes it better readable. And if you dim the display to a minimum (or have bright light conditions), it definitely works much better with text than the AG. Theres a great picture a few pages back (with the iMac on the right) that shows exactly what i mean.
2. Glossy has richer colors.
Most people don't EDIT Pictures and Movies, they CONSUME them. We here are a relative small group of content creators. Thats a big difference. IF they edit them, its a fact they tend to not care about color accuracy. They just play on the sliders and choose what they like best.
Pictures and Movies look definitely better, "deeper" and more lively on a glossy screen. And from my professional perspective i have to tell you that i even prefer the glossy screen for video editing, because it much more accurately simulates a modern TV Set with Contrast and Colors. If dark greys tend to black out, it will most certainly do so on a consumer tv set, too. If you disagree with me, you are probably one old school editor that started before the flatscreen caught on. Flatscreens are the standard today, if you like it or not. That changed a lot if you care for colors.
The argument that the colors are more intense on a glossy - has some truth to it. BUT: The AntiGlare really "washes" the colors out in exactly the OPPOSITE direction. So that argument is moot.
3. The reflection argument - Thats an interesting one.
When you work in bright sunlight outside on a park bench (what you antiglare-people obviously do a lot, thats why you primartily buy for that case), Every Laptop has its problems. And its not the reflection, it's the brightness of the sun which makes every screen dark and unreadable. The backlight just cant keep up. Yes, you may have more reflections on a glossy, but thats the least of the problems in this situation. And: the contrast is actually a bit better, which helps a lot. (i wont go in detail about this new back-reflective technology that is not primetime-ready right now).
Just dim your laptop display to minimum at a glossy and AG side-by-side, you can do about the same effect, then you know what i mean.
To people who get annoyed by the reflections: If you stand in an Apple Store, thats surely one of the worst lighting situations you can get. Bright lamps and panels on all sides. Just dont focus on your reflection, you are not objective. The contents on the screen are whats important to you.
If you still get distracted under normal lighting situations, you are in fact easily distractable and in this case you definitely shouldnt get a glossy.
Focussing / eyestrain / getting tired: There are many studies to this topic. There are people who get tired if they just stare in one focus layer all the time. I for one are from the other group. I need constant refocusing to stay awake so i even tilt the display or not sit directly in front so tat my eyes can work. Again, if you are from group one, get a AG-Screen.
And, last but not least:
4. Other, not so important factors (?)
Glossy is easier to clean. You have a flat glass surface against a plastic screen with a dust-gathering (when cleaning) bezel. And the black bezel looks better (to most). Looks are very important for many people, thats mostly why the white MacBook is still selling good besides a vastly superior MBP for not much more.
So, for 90% of people 90% of the things they do looks better on an Glossy screen, IF:
- they try to be objective about the whole thing and
- don't have any health/psychologocal issues or
- really bad desktop placement (Window directly in the back for example)
just my 83 cents ... would really appreciate follow-ups.
Hi all,
sorry in advance, english isn't my native language. In my opinion this is much more a political discussion than an informative thread.
I for one used Apple products all my life, starting at late 1984. For more than a decade i worked as a graphics designer and in video editing. And when i tell you i could lose my job for posting here, you probably know what i do for a living right now.
I read the entire thread carefully, and i also have a strong opinion about this topic. I prefer glossy.
The previously mentioned "confirmation bias" is definitely a relevant factor here. If you worked with a screen type all your life, you tend of course to defend that. It's the same as with the age-old Mac vs. PC-discussion, unfortunately. So "I have always used AG" is not a good answer ...
Glossy IS a relatively new thing. And that's probably why not many old people catch on with that, and so many more young people prefer glossy. In normal environments, it IS superior for the average Joe imho.
1. Glossy has a Higher Contrast.
Most normal people work with text, surf the web, send and receive E-Mails. For text-rich environments i prefer the glossy, because text looks darker and at least in my case that makes it better readable. And if you dim the display to a minimum (or have bright light conditions), it definitely works much better with text than the AG. Theres a great picture a few pages back (with the iMac on the right) that shows exactly what i mean.
2. Glossy has richer colors.
Most people don't EDIT Pictures and Movies, they CONSUME them. We here are a relative small group of content creators. Thats a big difference. IF they edit them, its a fact they tend to not care about color accuracy. They just play on the sliders and choose what they like best.
Pictures and Movies look definitely better, "deeper" and more lively on a glossy screen. And from my professional perspective i have to tell you that i even prefer the glossy screen for video editing, because it much more accurately simulates a modern TV Set with Contrast and Colors. If dark greys tend to black out, it will most certainly do so on a consumer tv set, too. If you disagree with me, you are probably one old school editor that started before the flatscreen caught on. Flatscreens are the standard today, if you like it or not. That changed a lot if you care for colors.
The argument that the colors are more intense on a glossy - has some truth to it. BUT: The AntiGlare really "washes" the colors out in exactly the OPPOSITE direction. So that argument is moot.
3. The reflection argument - Thats an interesting one.
When you work in bright sunlight outside on a park bench (what you antiglare-people obviously do a lot, thats why you primartily buy for that case), Every Laptop has its problems. And its not the reflection, it's the brightness of the sun which makes every screen dark and unreadable. The backlight just cant keep up. Yes, you may have more reflections on a glossy, but thats the least of the problems in this situation. And: the contrast is actually a bit better, which helps a lot. (i wont go in detail about this new back-reflective technology that is not primetime-ready right now).
Just dim your laptop display to minimum at a glossy and AG side-by-side, you can do about the same effect, then you know what i mean.
To people who get annoyed by the reflections: If you stand in an Apple Store, thats surely one of the worst lighting situations you can get. Bright lamps and panels on all sides. Just dont focus on your reflection, you are not objective. The contents on the screen are whats important to you.
If you still get distracted under normal lighting situations, you are in fact easily distractable and in this case you definitely shouldnt get a glossy.
Focussing / eyestrain / getting tired: There are many studies to this topic. There are people who get tired if they just stare in one focus layer all the time. I for one are from the other group. I need constant refocusing to stay awake so i even tilt the display or not sit directly in front so tat my eyes can work. Again, if you are from group one, get a AG-Screen.
And, last but not least:
4. Other, not so important factors (?)
Glossy is easier to clean. You have a flat glass surface against a plastic screen with a dust-gathering (when cleaning) bezel. And the black bezel looks better (to most). Looks are very important for many people, thats mostly why the white MacBook is still selling good besides a vastly superior MBP for not much more.
So, for 90% of people 90% of the things they do looks better on an Glossy screen, IF:
- they try to be objective about the whole thing and
- don't have any health/psychologocal issues or
- really bad desktop placement (Window directly in the back for example)
just my 83 cents ... would really appreciate follow-ups.
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1. They are about the same
2. They DO care about color accuracy
3. AG is obviously better for stopping glare
4. The Silver bezel looks better IMO
Dont Cherry-Pick. I wrote more than that.
"The argument that the colors are more intense on a glossy - has some truth to it. BUT: The AntiGlare really "washes" the colors out in exactly the OPPOSITE direction. So that argument is moot."
And no: most customers dont care about "Color Accuracy" like we talk about in this forum. They dont even know what color profiles are. They want their Pics, Games and Videos to look great, not "accurate". That is hard to understand if you are a professional, but you have to look beyond one's own nose.
One thing to your very first thread though: i think the 2011 Antiglare displays are definitely better than the 2010 ones. And even they were really good.
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