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Just Got My New 15" Antiglare and Loving It!

groove-agent

groove-agent

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 13, 2006
2,095
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After using a glossy 15" uMBP (2.4Ghz, 2GB, 250GB, 256VRAM) for 7 months, I'm happy to finally get a top of the line 15" antiglare (2.8Ghz, 4GB, 500GB, 512VRAM). I wanted to share my impressions thus far.

At first I wasn't sure that would prefer the silver bezel around the screen, but I have to say that I now prefer it. It looks really sharp, and I actually like the black rubber ring that goes around it as well as it compliments the black keyboard. It looks like a Macbook should.

I can't begin to express my delight with the antiglare screen. The colours are so vivid and sharp as they're not being washed out by the reflections. I find myself being able to use the laptop for much longer durations as my eyes are not straining nearly as much. It is truly a relief to use, and I can see myself much more productive with it.

The hardware increase has made a huge difference. With double the RAM, Snow Leopard, and the faster processor, navigating through applications seems so smooth and responsive. It is very enjoyable to use and would recommend to anyone to spend the extra money to upgrade.

So far, I have not seen any screen flickering of my screen which is wonderful.

Overall I would strongly recommend anyone to get the antiglare screen. Some say that the glossy screen looks more vivid, but I strongly think the antiglare screen looks much better. When people see it, they are usually quite impressed. It is truly a pleasure to use, and I haven't been this happy with a Mac laptop in a long time.
 
Congrats! So glad you are happy with the MBP!!!! I've always been partial to the glossy display (on both MacBooks and iMacs) but glad it suites you well!
 
thats great news, I am in the market for a 17" (well, in 2-3 weeks....). I barely got a chance to check out the difference between anti-glare and glossy at the apple store, cuz someone who spoke no english with a huge baby stroller was playing with an iPhone right near all the MBPs, when there was a table with 10 of them 20 ft away....so could not navigate between the antiglare and glossy, but whatever. I plan on going back and checking out the difference in the two. I plan on looking at pictures and videos to see the true difference. I do remember the glossy one having a lot of reflections, I guess they shouldn't have put the glossy ones facing outside with the sunlight - bad sales eh? Unless they WANT people to buy matte for $50 more

I currently run the 24" Alu iMac with the glossy screen, do you think it's going to be a hard transition from going glossy to antiglare?
:apple:
 
Sounds good. Any chance of some pics? In the dark and in direct light if at all possible?

Cheers
 
it's true

Yeah, I have just seen one at work, I'd seen the normal ones and their owners are very particular about where they sit and seem to be constantly adjusting nearby blinds to catch distracting sunlight.

It's also the first time I've felt like upgrading my nearly 3 year old 17" merom mbp.

The machine is really a much better tool than the gimmicky glass one which admittedly does look quite 'cool' but just becomes a dog to use.
 
palmerc2 said:
I currently run the 24" Alu iMac with the glossy screen, do you think it's going to be a hard transition from going glossy to antiglare?
:apple:
Click to expand...

Although I suspect everyone is different, I can't see there being any problem switching to an antiglare display. As a matter of fact, you may find it a pleasant change and be able to read more easily and work much longer.

I went to the apple store and had a look at the antiglare, but you really notice the difference when you sit down and use it for an extended period of time.
 
The amount of impetus against glossy screens really makes me chuckle, especially since the antiglare is still offered as an option.

That said, glad you're happy with it! One of the guys in my department at school has an antiglare, I've been meaning to compare specs with his when he has it out.
 
groove-agent said:
Although I suspect everyone is different, I can't see there being any problem switching to an antiglare display. As a matter of fact, you may find it a pleasant change and be able to read more easily and work much longer.

I went to the apple store and had a look at the antiglare, but you really notice the difference when you sit down and use it for an extended period of time.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I disagree completely. I hung out at the Apple store the other day for 2 hours testing out the matte screened MBP's against the glossies. While the matte does reduce the reflections, the color is also reduced. It just has a more washed out look and I couldn't live with that. Also don't let any light shine directly on your matte screen, it produces a white glare on the surface, forcing you to move the screen to avoid it. Both screens have plusses and minuses but I would prefer the much clearer glossy.
 
I'm also waiting to buy a 17" MBP as soon as Apple releases new models (I hope before February 2010)... but I'm still not able to choose between matte and glossy screen... All my friends that have a glossy screen say that it is definitely not a problem for them... my problem is that I can not find a place where it is possible to see MBPs with antiglare screen... I've seen some photos and I must say that glossy MBPs have a better look... Then there is also the problem of fingerprints and dust, which I think are cleaned more easily on the glossy screen, right?
 
Xylian said:
I'm also waiting to buy a 17" MBP as soon as Apple releases new models (I hope before February 2010)... but I'm still not able to choose between matte and glossy screen... All my friends that have a glossy screen say that it is definitely not a problem for them... my problem is that I can not find a place where it is possible to see MBPs with antiglare screen... I've seen some photos and I must say that glossy MBPs have a better look... Then there is also the problem of fingerprints and dust, which I think are cleaned more easily on the glossy screen, right?
Click to expand...

Fingerprints and dust don't show up as much as you might think on the glossy model.

I can't speak for the current antiglare, but my previous gen Powerbook G4 with the matte screen was very hard to clean compared to my current glossy screen MBP. The fingerprints and dust seemed to show up a lot more on it, too.

I'm also enjoying the relatively "smooth" nature of the current MBP vs. the last gen of Powerbooks, which had dust and crap catching crevices and sharp edges around the keyboard and display.
 
Too bad there's still no matte option for the 13"... Anyways, enjoy your purchase!
 
groove-agent said:
After using a glossy 15" uMBP (2.4Ghz, 2GB, 250GB, 256VRAM) for 7 months, I'm happy to finally get a top of the line 15" antiglare (2.8Ghz, 4GB, 500GB, 512VRAM). I wanted to share my impressions thus far.

At first I wasn't sure that would prefer the silver bezel around the screen, but I have to say that I now prefer it. It looks really sharp, and I actually like the black rubber ring that goes around it as well as it compliments the black keyboard. It looks like a Macbook should.

I can't begin to express my delight with the antiglare screen. The colours are so vivid and sharp as they're not being washed out by the reflections. I find myself being able to use the laptop for much longer durations as my eyes are not straining nearly as much. It is truly a relief to use, and I can see myself much more productive with it.

The hardware increase has made a huge difference. With double the RAM, Snow Leopard, and the faster processor, navigating through applications seems so smooth and responsive. It is very enjoyable to use and would recommend to anyone to spend the extra money to upgrade.

So far, I have not seen any screen flickering of my screen which is wonderful.

Overall I would strongly recommend anyone to get the antiglare screen. Some say that the glossy screen looks more vivid, but I strongly think the antiglare screen looks much better. When people see it, they are usually quite impressed. It is truly a pleasure to use, and I haven't been this happy with a Mac laptop in a long time.
Click to expand...
Congrats on bagging yourself one of the Bad boys
 
Man... don't do this to me! I just purchased a 15" 2.8 GHz MBP from Apple and I was very indecisive in my choice between glossy and anti-glare. Needless to say, I went with glossy.

This option was made with the idea that the glossy screen will add protection to the screen and is easier to clean.

However, now with all this talk about the anti-glare I confess that I am having second thoughts! LOL Thanks a lot...
 
ditto that. I'm on a midrange 15" (2.66ghz and 256MB VRam) and I love this thing. It's my first mac, but color me convinced. :D

The antiglare screen is awesome!
 
Agreed..... got my 2.8 Matte last week...... LOVE it. I think the silver bezel really adds the Pro look as well. Much happier than the glossy I had before it.
 
HLdan said:
Sorry, I disagree completely. I hung out at the Apple store the other day for 2 hours testing out the matte screened MBP's against the glossies. While the matte does reduce the reflections, the color is also reduced. It just has a more washed out look and I couldn't live with that. Also don't let any light shine directly on your matte screen, it produces a white glare on the surface, forcing you to move the screen to avoid it. Both screens have plusses and minuses but I would prefer the much clearer glossy.
Click to expand...

What could you be doing on a stock MBP for two hours at an Apple store? Hanging out at an Apple store dicking around is much different than actually owning both laptops and using them for real work in the real world. This is what my comparison is based on.

My colours in no way have a washed out look. You might want to check the colour settings on each screen. That could make a significant difference. Side by side, my antiglare looks better and is surprisingly similar to my 20" apple cinema (which I would never give up for a new 24" ACD). Glassy screens look more "washed out" when the reflection is cast on top of what you're looking at on the screen. I'm not sure how that could be any "clearer". You're saying that a *matte* screen "produces a white glare on the surface, forcing you to move the screen to avoid it". If so, then why do they call it an antiglare? It sounds like you understand things backwards.

Have you noticed that the screens behind the genius bars are matte? That's so you can actually read them from any angle.
 
MacsOnAnabolics said:
This option was made with the idea that the glossy screen will add protection to the screen and is easier to clean.

However, now with all this talk about the anti-glare I confess that I am having second thoughts! LOL Thanks a lot...
Click to expand...

I don't know if the glass adds protection or not. The ones i've owned seemed really easy to scratch. They need to be cleaned regularly as the fingerprints show up quite easily.

We might be doing you a favour by tempting you with an antiglare. There's a good chance it will reduce the strain on your eyes and allow you to work longer with less fatigue. Matte screens are also more liberating since you can pretty much work anywhere and not worry about glare. How much is that worth?

You could also pay Techrestore to retrofit your screen with a matte one if that's more financially viable.

It's funny how the new generation of computer users love the glossy screens. In the 90s we would use antiglare shields over top of the CRTs to prevent glare. It was more well known about the ill effects of glare on your eyes and eye fatigue.
 
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