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Pax

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2003
593
0
Vivid colors and images that pop - trademarks of the glossy screen. The matte images look too diffused and even a tad "soft" to me. And the glass is so much easier to keep clean vs. cleaning the actual LCD panel of a matte screen.

But you do get reflections - which I can live with.

+1

It is very easy to clean, and it's well protected. I didn't think about those before buying, but they are quite big advantages. The reflections are a pain in the butt though. I wish Apple would anti-reflection coat the glass, it would cost peanuts to do.
 

twilightrose

macrumors member
Feb 8, 2010
72
0
+1

It is very easy to clean, and it's well protected. I didn't think about those before buying, but they are quite big advantages. The reflections are a pain in the butt though. I wish Apple would anti-reflection coat the glass, it would cost peanuts to do.

Yupper. But thats fine with me. When using a laptop outside for me will be just brief, or in proper shading (padio in car etc) so the light reflections don't bother me to much personally, and the added appeal/durability/easy to clean aspects of the glass are a plus for me. I absolutly cant stand fingerprints on screens >_>;;
 

gwsat

macrumors 68000
Apr 12, 2008
1,920
0
Tulsa
It is very easy to clean, and it's well protected. I didn't think about those before buying, but they are quite big advantages. The reflections are a pain in the butt though. I wish Apple would anti-reflection coat the glass, it would cost peanuts to do.
I agree that modern reflective coatings work very well. I don't know what would be involved to add it to the glass Apple uses but it would certainly be a worthwhile addition.
 

Alvi

macrumors 65816
Oct 31, 2008
1,207
309
Mars
I have to say that i won't pimp glossy because i have one and hate matte ones before someone shoots me :D

I don't bother to have some reflections since most of them are on the bezel and most of the ones on the screen space are just very light.
However i use my computer for light stuff like writing on this forum. But if i was going to get a 3,000$ MacBook Pro for visual stuff like Photo/Video editing I'd probably go into tons of customization details like a matte screen or just get an external 20 - 30" screen like most of the people which do that kind of stuff

that said, i prefer a nice looking glass which is easier to clean for a light usage computer than a matte screen which i don't consider a real improvement nor downgrade
 

neteng101

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2009
1,148
163
I agree that modern reflective coatings work very well. I don't know what would be involved to add it to the glass Apple uses but it would certainly be a worthwhile addition.

An AR coated glass and IPS panel would be an awesome addition. Basically a bigger version of the iPad display!
 

Horseapple

macrumors newbie
Apr 4, 2010
6
0
Rigidity

I read that the lid on the matte versions flexes more without the reinforcement of the plexiglass panel. The result was that the keyboard keys came into contact with the screen and sometimes mark it up. Not sure how widespread that issue for people is or whether they've fixed it in manufacturing more recently.

I also read that the glossy was considered by some to be more legible in bright outdoor conditions because the matte becomes milky looking in sunlight.

My eyesight isn't all that great, and I found smaller text to be slightly easier to read on the glossy than the matte.

I certainly don't like the reflections of the glossy, but so far haven't found it to be a problem. Those that aren't angled away generally disappear once the screen lights up, and I don't notice them. There are a lot of lighting conditions I haven't tried, however.

It's all personal preference.
 

mschaef

macrumors newbie
Apr 5, 2010
28
0
Just bought a MBP 13, which is my first laptop with a glossy display. Prior to buying the machine I would have told you that the glossy display was one of the big 'cons' of the machine. After having used it for a couple weeks, that was probably a bit unfair: I like it a great deal. The vivid colors are just that nice, and while there is some glare, it hasn't been an issue. I'm sure there will be some lighting situations where it's a problem, but that was true for my previous matte-display laptop too.
 

fehhkk

macrumors 6502a
Jun 11, 2009
728
202
Chicago, IL
My work laptop is a 15.4" matte and I have fluorescent lights above me. When I bring my MBP to work, I can see the reflections on it. Annoying, but I can just shift/tilt the screen so it doesn't bother me.

Since the LED backlighting on the MBP is so awesome, I can put it high enough so that the reflections are not an issue. I can see this being an issue if I had LCD backlighting.

So,no, I love the glossy screen.
 

spedney

macrumors newbie
Nov 29, 2007
20
0
Norway
I was buying a my MacBook Pro last year and wanted to buy a 15" but at the time the matte screen was only an option on the 17" model - so I went for the 17" with the matte screen. Two weeks later Apple started offering the matte option on 15" models! Typical.
I'm very pleased with the matte screen and glad I chose it.
Several of my friends have the glossy 13" model and the colours look great, but I have to admit there is a noticeable reflection there.
Obviously it comes down to personal preference. There are enough people around with glossy screen models, so it's easy to get a look at one and see what you think. But I have never seen another MacBook Pro user who has the matte screen - maybe I mix in the wrong circles! But I guess they just aren't that common.
The only drawback with my beautiful 17" matte screen is the smaller dot pitch... it looks lovely and sharp, yes, but the system font is so small that I actually get tired eyes from trying to read it. I've got good eyes too. Never needed glasses and still don't.
Most of the time I use it connected to an external 24" monitor which is perfect, and when I need to take it on the road I bump down the screen resolution a couple of steps. The screen is less sharp of course but at least I can read the system font without straining my eyes. Would be nice if there was a setting in OS X to adjust the font size/dpi or something like that.
Oh... The only other drawback of my 17" - it was too big to fit in to my laptop case - had to buy a new one.
 

PAC88

macrumors 6502
Apr 23, 2009
457
0
Am I the only one who thinks matte screens are easier to clean and you clean them a lot less often?
Everyone with glossy keeps saying how easy it is to clean, like thats some big deal.. it's probably because you must have to clean it all the time since how easily it starts to look like a dirty bathroom mirror. The matte screen is so resistant to marks, it takes so long to get dirty that you barely have to clean it (maybe once a year). it will collect dust before it even shows a fingerprint or imperfection.

not putting the glossy down. it's a nice screen even if it does get dirty very quickly. I just don't understand when people say it's easier to clean.
 

ozreth

macrumors 65816
Nov 5, 2009
1,362
97
I find that hard to believe. A lot of people order matte screens, it's not an unusual request. The Apple production line will be more than capable of spitting out Macbooks with matte screens quickly. Any extra time/cost to install them could stand to be balanced out by lacking the additional cost of having a glossy glass layer.

Sure, a lot of people that order MBP's may order matte, but even the percentage who order online is low compared to the people who buy in store (your average joe).
 

gotzero

macrumors 68040
Jan 6, 2007
3,225
2
Mid-Atlantic, US
+1

It is very easy to clean, and it's well protected. I didn't think about those before buying, but they are quite big advantages. The reflections are a pain in the butt though. I wish Apple would anti-reflection coat the glass, it would cost peanuts to do.

This sums up my feelings about it. Not having a bezel is great, but I do wish the glass had a matte coating.
 

jamesryanbell

macrumors 68020
Mar 17, 2009
2,171
93
"More vivid colors" drastically outweighs "reflective issues" due to the fact that I never use it outside, and I don't ever use it in a room with direct lighting behind me.
 
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