Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How much glossy is macbook pro display?

M

Michal11

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 31, 2011
64
0
Hello guys,

I would like to ask just how much glossy is macbook pro display in 13 model. I have no chance to see macbook in person and I would like to buy it for my brother for work. (he hates to look at himself in display/mirror btw :D) I have macbook air where the glossy display is absolutely ok same like in every other windows laptop. But I know that macbook pro has glass on top of it so it is going to be much worse.

Is some of you able to tell that in percentages? Letsay that it is 40% more glossy then regular laptop/macbook air etc.

When I look at youtube videos where people review their macbook pro it seems extremely glossy but I bet it is mainly because of camera right? So in person it should not be that much?

Thank you so much
 
Last edited:
I used matte laptop screens for years before I got mine 13'' mbp gloss screen
and I really like it, overall the glossy is not a problem for me,it is really a matter of opinion.
 
Last edited:
ottos said:
I used matte laptop screens for years before I got mine 13'' mbp gloss screen
and I really like it, overall the glossy is not a problem for me,it is really a matter of opinion.
Click to expand...

I am glad you like it mate but it somehow did not answer my question :)
 
Michal11 said:
Hello guys,

I would like to ask just how much glossy is macbook pro display in 13 model. I have no chance to see macbook in person and I would like to buy it for my brother for work. (he hates to look at himself in display/mirror btw :D) I have macbook air where the glossy display is absolutely ok same like in every other windows laptop. But I know that macbook pro has glass on top of it so it is going to be much worse.

Thank you so much
Click to expand...

The first laptop I bought was a windows things with a matte screen as I thought I would hate the glossy. I replaced it with a glossy macbook pro and can't believe how much better the screen looks. One consideration, you can put a matte screen cover on a glossy screen to make it matte, but there is nothing you can do to a matte screen to make it glossy.
 
Well of course I know colors and everything looks more vibrant on glossy. But I am afraid of too much glosiness eveu during dark light conditions. Since this lcd is glass I doubt it is nothing like regular glossy notebook screens but it is much more brutal. Which is the reason I am asking how big the difference is :)
 
Michal11 said:
I am glad you like it mate but it somehow did not answer my question :)
Click to expand...

Tolerably glossy. Doesn't bother me at all, especially since I keep my screen as bright as possible.
Also, the bezel is black. Matte screens have a PowerBook-esque silver bezel. I prefer the black one; it looks much nicer.

No matter how I look at the matte display (my friend has a 2.0Ghz quad core with matte), the blacks aren't as dark as the glossy.

But the hi-res is a must.
 
Prodo123 said:
Tolerably glossy. Doesn't bother me at all, especially since I keep my screen as bright as possible.
Also, the bezel is black. Matte screens have a PowerBook-esque silver bezel. I prefer the black one; it looks much nicer.

No matter how I look at the matte display (my friend has a 2.0Ghz quad core with matte), the blacks aren't as dark as the glossy.

But the hi-res is a must.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I personally hate high res so it is not a "must" for me :). Unless you are graphic designer or video maker it is useless imho.
 
Michal11 said:
Thank you. I personally hate high res so it is not a "must" for me :). Unless you are graphic designer or video maker it is useless imho.
Click to expand...

Believe me, once you go hi-res, you can never go back ;)
And there is no matte low-res display, so if you're going to decide between the matte and glossy, you might as well compare the hi-res version to the matte.
 
Michal11 said:
I am glad you like it mate but it somehow did not answer my question :)
Click to expand...
I feel you. It seems really difficult to answer the actual question. Most people only seem to read some buzzwords and give their usual answer. If human intelligence is like that the AI researchers have a much simpler job than they though they would.

The glossy is quite a bit worse as there are no muted reflections. They are almost full there. It is really difficult to say how much a difference. Compared to an AR glossy TV screen it is a huge difference something like 2-3 times brighter reflections. Most normal non AR glossy Notebooks aren't that much different. I would guess at 30% brighter reflections.
The best thing is still to just take a glass and try it. You probably have some pictures hanging around in your house which are behind some glass or just take a Window. It is quite accurate.
I think if you can deal with a normal glossy notebook you will be fine with the glass glossy and the somewhat brighter screens. Sadly a decent AR coating to get the best of both worlds isn't available among notebooks. Sony are the only ones with a sort of semi matte screen on some models.
 
I'd Have To Say

Michal11 said:
Hello guys,

I would like to ask just how much glossy is macbook pro display in 13 model. I have no chance to see macbook in person and I would like to buy it for my brother for work. (he hates to look at himself in display/mirror btw :D) I have macbook air where the glossy display is absolutely ok same like in every other windows laptop. But I know that macbook pro has glass on top of it so it is going to be much worse.

Is some of you able to tell that in percentages? Letsay that it is 40% more glossy then regular laptop/macbook air etc.

When I look at youtube videos where people review their macbook pro it seems extremely glossy but I bet it is mainly because of camera right? So in person it should not be that much?

Thank you so much
Click to expand...

You won't notice much....I have bot. In certain lighting conditions the glossy is best and vV I guess you work out what light you work in most of the time?
 
Yeah, if you've getting the 13" model you don't have much of a choice at this point. There's no hi res or matte option on the 13" MBP.
 
yeah thanks guys. I will probably buy radtech clearcal matte film as well and I think that could solve the problem if there is too much glare.
 
I like to keep the glass on mine clean.

As a result it serves as a perfect mirror.

I can't get much work done since the ladies are always stopping by to touch up their makeup. But hey, it could be worse I guess.
 
I put a Power Support anti-glare film on my 13" MBP. I compared it to my 15" MBP with a matte screen and they are comparable. I have the same film on an iPad.

Another option is a replacement matte display from Tech Restore. It costs around $200 including return shipping.
 
vitzr said:
I like to keep the glass on mine clean.

As a result it serves as a perfect mirror.

I can't get much work done since the ladies are always stopping by to touch up their makeup. But hey, it could be worse I guess.
Click to expand...

My glossy screen's perfectly clean, but there's no reflections on it.
So only the black bezel is a mirror.
Useful for checking for stalkers, agents, or the occasional spy.
I keep an insane pyromaniac with a flamethrower next to me at all times, just in case.
 
Last edited:
MBP and iMac have the glossier screen in the market because of the glass they put on top of the screen. If you can't stand glossy screen, you definitely won't stand the MBP glossy screen. The screen is a perfect mirror when your looking at something black.
 
Prodo123 said:
So only the black bezel is a mirror.
Useful for checking for stalkers, agents, or the occasional spy.
Click to expand...

Now i know that you work for the CIA! :D

Prodo123 said:
I keep an insane pyromaniac with a flamethrower next to me at all times, just in case.
Click to expand...

More proofs that you work for a three letter organisation! ;)

jekyl said:
One consideration, you can put a matte screen cover on a glossy screen to make it matte, but there is nothing you can do to a matte screen to make it glossy.
Click to expand...

I use olive oil to solve this problem. Tasty! ;)

Prodo123 said:
Believe me, once you go hi-res, you can never go back ;)
Click to expand...

I agree 100 %.
 
Mojo1 said:
I put a Power Support anti-glare film on my 13" MBP. I compared it to my 15" MBP with a matte screen and they are comparable. I have the same film on an iPad.

Another option is a replacement matte display from Tech Restore. It costs around $200 including return shipping.
Click to expand...

Yeah I will probably buy radtech clearcal as I have heard it is even better than power support. However it is funny like some people say matte films are absolutely fine and some say it is absolutely horrible. Just another evidence how different everybody is :).

Techrestore would be my No.1 choice if I lived in U.S. I have already asked them but unfortunately they do not offer international shipping :/
 
I use RadTech products and like them a lot. But ClearCal has some problems according to this reviewer: http://www.andymcintosh.com/

"I waited until I had plenty of time and patience before even attempting to install the ClearCal and was delighted when I got it on straight (more-or-less), and without air bubbles or trapped dust particles. I wasn’t disappointed with the product at all until I turned on my computer and noticed slight rainbow sheen when looking through the anti-glare film at light colored backgrounds. It’s not that noticeable, but the more I saw it, the more it bugged me. The film also slightly distorts the super crisp text that I was seeing before installing it. Bummer."

The Power Support anti-glare film does not have these problems. I have used both devices under a variety of lighting, including outside.

Whichever film you wind up ordering, I suggest applying the film as soon as you open the box containing your new Mac. I did this with both my MBP and iPad and I did not have to clean the screens, except for a few dust specks on the MBP that I removed with a microfiber cloth.

Both installations went without a hitch: no dust and no bubbles that I couldn't rub-out with the microfiber cloth. BIG improvement over the "glassy" display!

Good luck!
 
Mojo1 said:
I use RadTech products and like them a lot. But ClearCal has some problems according to this reviewer: http://www.andymcintosh.com/

"I waited until I had plenty of time and patience before even attempting to install the ClearCal and was delighted when I got it on straight (more-or-less), and without air bubbles or trapped dust particles. I wasn’t disappointed with the product at all until I turned on my computer and noticed slight rainbow sheen when looking through the anti-glare film at light colored backgrounds. It’s not that noticeable, but the more I saw it, the more it bugged me. The film also slightly distorts the super crisp text that I was seeing before installing it. Bummer."

The Power Support anti-glare film does not have these problems. I have used both devices under a variety of lighting, including outside.

Whichever film you wind up ordering, I suggest applying the film as soon as you open the box containing your new Mac. I did this with both my MBP and iPad and I did not have to clean the screens, except for a few dust specks on the MBP that I removed with a microfiber cloth.

Both installations went without a hitch: no dust and no bubbles that I couldn't rub-out with the microfiber cloth. BIG improvement over the "glassy" display!

Good luck!
Click to expand...

thank you so much! so regarding the screen quality you suggest to use powersupport instead of clearcal right?
 
Yes, based on my own experience with the brand. It's more expensive than the RadTech option, but you get what you pay for... ;)

BTW, I really like RadTech OmniCleanz for cleaning displays, electronics and cameras/lenses (I'm a pro photographer). It's non-conductible, so No Worries using it on electronic devices that can short-out when exposed to water. It removes dirt that water does not and it leaves no visible residue. The best value is the larger bottle; I use the 1 ounce bottles for traveling. RadTech even included a free ounce bottle with my last order. A large bottle last around a year; if I didn't use it to clean our eyeglasses it would last a lot longer.
 
Last edited:
Power Support 10% Discount Code

I just stumbled upon this in another thread: Oct9193

I tried it and it works; it isn't much off but $3.50 saved is worth the effort required to input a discount code!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back