iMac Matte Display - Solution

Hey guys,

I am new to the forum. I've read many posts in the past but for some reason never joined. I have an iMac and like many of you, I hate the glossy panel. I am a freelance photographer in Florida, and I spend a lot of time in front of the computer. Due to the limitations of the room I edit in, there is no way for me to completely cut down reflections with the glass panel on the iMac. I use a monitor hood, which helps a little (and I mean little).

I've searched and searched and searched for a good solution to this problem. The best I could find were suggestions to remove the glass panel of the iMac to expose the the semi matte display behind it. I thought this was a great idea, except for the fact that it left the display looking like a DIY project gone bad. Today, I came a across a site that makes a replacement bezel. It is basically a black frame without the glass over the display. It allows you to remove the glass panel and cover the edges of the LCD, hiding and protecting the iMac's internal components. I really wish I came up with this idea.

I haven't had a chance to purchase one yet as I just came across this today, but I thought it was worth sharing. Screen glare has been my only gripe since buying my iMac in 2009.

You can see the frame here: www.macframes.com

I am really surprised that I have found so little about this product on the web. It is a great solution for photographers, designers, and anyone in general that hates monitor glare.

I'll try to post a more thorough analysis of the product when I have a chance to buy one.


On a side note: For my capstone semester of my business degree, my team and I created a 5-year business strategy for Apple and competed against other teams with the same goal. Thanks to the information on sites like this, our team's 118 page strategy won. Thanks everyone for keeping the world informed on everything Apple.

Best,

Bernard

 

I can assure you this is my first time on this forum. I hope it doesn't get deleted. I am not affiliated with the company, just trying to pass along my find.

I am a real person. I am not sure how else to write about the thing. I suppose I could have misspelled every other word in broken English.

On a side note, how are we supposed to share information if we can't talk about what we find?

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I don't think it would make the display any more vulnerable than the matte screen options on the MBPs. At least I don't think so. I can't believe Apple would make the screen more fragile. Anyway, as soon as I buy one, I'll let you know the results.

 

I call it semi-matte because it is supposed to be more like the glossy finish of the MacBooks. It is glossy, but not nearly as reflective as having the glass in front of it.

 

The only reason I am avoiding museum glass is the potential color shift. My wife has her Master's degree framed with museum glass and I can see the green/red colors of the anti-reflective coating when I move my head. I am not sure how hardware calibration will deal with this. It could be a non-issue, just something to consider.

 

Maybe your museum glass is different than ours. We have a custom fram with museum ordered through Michaels. If you look at it straight on, you don't see the coating. However, if you are at any angle, you see a very apparent green anti-reflective coating. Again, my fear with the glass that is available to me is that unless I am sitting perfectly straight on, my eyes will be influenced by the green tint regardless of the accuracy of the hardware calibration. In photography, hardware calibration is merely to ensure what you see is accurate. However, if your eyes are influences by other colors, your perception of the image may be off. From the photos you posted I don't see the green tint. I do notice a significant reduction in glare with no glass vs. either of the glass pieces though. I am not daring enough to pull the glass of until I have a Macframe to cover the exposed orifices to keep out dust.

 

I think I will finally order one. Once it comes in, I will provide more feedback and some pictures.

 

No windows definitely helps. It may not bother you at all. My editing area is not ideal, so I need a way to help things out a bit.

 

I just received my Macframe in the mail.

It literally took two minutes to install. Be careful when putting it on as the magnets that Apple uses are much stronger than you'd expect. I was using the provided suction cup to install the new frame and the magnets pulled it away from me and snapped it in place. It was a frightening sound, but everything worked great.

Esthetically, the frame looks fantastic. It is basically a solid sheet of metal that is powered coated black.

Here comes the best part. The screen looks amazing. I can't stress this enough. My best comparison would be going from standard def to HD. The sharpness and clarity of the screen are SIGNIFICANTLY improved and reflections are minimized to the point that I can finally get some work done during the daylight hours.



The picture I took doesn't begin to describe this frame. I was in a rush to get you guys feedback.

My conclusion:
For the low prices offered on the website, and the significantly better viewing experience, I can honestly say that I would buy the Macframe a 1000 times over. I just wish I knew about it two years ago. Do yourself a favor and don't buy a anti-glare film. All you would be doing is further diluting the sharpness and clarity of the actual screen.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. After installation, I would recommend re-calibrating your monitor if you are working with color critical media. If you have no idea what I am talking about, than ignore the last statement.