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Law School: Glossy or Matte screen???

N

nbe

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 3, 2008
3
0
I'm going into my first year of Law school and I'm buying a mac pro, though I can't decide between the glossy or matte screen because I dont know any law students who have a mac/glossy screen. I'll be reading and writing almost all day, everyday for the next 3 yrs on the computer i choose. I'll be in San Francisco where there isn't too much sun, but i fear a bad glare from a desk lamp will distract me. Since I'll be staring at this thing all day, my eyes will already be tired, but I hear the glossy screens further fatigue.

Help me decide if you have a glossy screen and aren't using it for just pictures, film, visual arts, etc.

I would love a glossy screen but ... potential issues?
 
As an academic I spend a lot of time writing , and I'd definitely go with the matte display if you will be doing the same. It is easier on the eyes and can handle a wider variety of lighting environments, like libraries, lecture halls, seminar rooms and so forth. I've used glossy too and the picture is wonderful, saturated and contrasty, but just not as good for the kind of use you mention.

If you can, go check them both out and decide base your decision on that. Good luck!
 
nbe said:
I'm going into my first year of Law school and I'm buying a mac pro, though I can't decide between the glossy or matte screen because I dont know any law students who have a mac/glossy screen. I'll be reading and writing almost all day, everyday for the next 3 yrs on the computer i choose. I'll be in San Francisco where there isn't too much sun, but i fear a bad glare from a desk lamp will distract me. Since I'll be staring at this thing all day, my eyes will already be tired, but I hear the glossy screens further fatigue.

Help me decide if you have a glossy screen and aren't using it for just pictures, film, visual arts, etc.

I would love a glossy screen but ... potential issues?
Click to expand...

I have the glossy screen. The ONLY time i have a problem is if the screen is facing the sun directly. I live in Hawaii, so this happens from time to time when i use it outside. I have never had a problem inside with any type of lighting.
 
It's not that glossy is really a problem, but that there WILL be reflections that are annoying if you're writing all the time and staring at the screen. Even if you eyes seem to adjust to it, my experience is that my eyes tire much quicker when they have to look through the reflections...
 
its almost like i need to get a glossy screen and test it out in different lighting set-ups to make a better decision, considering the Apple store is ridiculously bright ... i went in yesterday, saw a beautiful glossy screen, but i also saw my shadow-like reflection. Though, I didn't see it in Word ... I may go back to the store and pull up that app. It seems like I would have to contruct the lighting in my dorm so as not impose a glare.

My biggest concern: fatigue and in taking 3-8 hour exams in lecture halls.
 
To me, glossy is just a pain. Why would you want to see constant reflections everywhere you go when instead you could see a faint outline of the object. Just look at these pictures. It should be obvious which is glossy and which is matte.
 

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GUILTIE said:
To me, glossy is just a pain. Why would you want to see constant reflections everywhere you go when instead you could see a faint outline of the object. Just look at these pictures. It should be obvious which is glossy and which is matte.
Click to expand...

tbh the glossy screen looks a lot better in your picture.

i would recommend the matte, simply because of all the text you will deal with. with my MBP i went with glossy because i game, dont do much professional stuff, and use my machine indoors in low-lit rooms.
 
...I don't think the matte MBP is actually switched on....which may explain why the glossy macbook look a lot more vivid!
 
Well since it is law school and lawyers are generally slick slippery folks you should pay tribute and get glossy. I mean because your grades will suffer if you make the wrong decision. :cool:
 
Now I am not in Law School but I would go with the Matte. I sold my MacBook for that reason...the glossy was impossible. I hated it because the light would beam off of it, it got dirty...fast, and my eyes killed after playing BiA for more than 10 minutes. Get a matte screen...you will like it more.
 
I wanted to be a Lawyer but I could never pass a BAR...mmmmmm Beer! I do read a lot and the matte is much easier on the eyes. If you do anything with photos then Matte is a must. Good luck.
 
I've just bought the matte, and it's great for documents. The good thing about the 15" and the 17" hi res models is the LED backlight, and the display is so crisp and bright I don't think there's much benefit you'll get from a glossy screen. The colours are perfectly sharp on the matte.
 
I've received the matte one...its just perfect, not as mat as some laptop, just perfect....
 
My MBP is matte and my dad's laptop is glossy. There is no comparison for writing papers, etc. -- Matte is the way to go. There is always some reflection on his screen (even indoors) and it's annoying when you're trying to concentrate on work. If you really like glossy for movies, etc. you can always buy an external, glossy monitor. To be honest, though, I think glossy is more of a gimmick to sell laptops in stores, since they are really eye-catching...but when you start working on them for any real length of time, you'll discover that matte is the better choice.
 
nbe – I don’t think which screen you buy will make much difference, either should be very nice. Good luck in law school, it’s like jumping off a bridge. If I could be allowed one word of advice, it would be that knowing how to write simple declarative sentences is a lot more important to a first year law student’s success than which screen he selects for his Mac.
 
gwsat said:
nbe – I don’t think which screen you buy will make much difference, either should be very nice. Good luck in law school, it’s like jumping off a bridge. If I could be allowed one word of advice, it would be that knowing how to write simple declarative sentences is a lot more important to a first year law student’s success than which screen he selects for his Mac.
Click to expand...

I don't think choosing a screen and learning how to write simple, declarative sentences are mutually exclusively. At least I hope they are not. What matters is choosing a tool that will allow you to work long hours in a comfortable manner, and for that I highly recommend going with the matte display.
 
Whenever I see this thread pop up in the Spy, it makes me laugh.

Could there possibly be a less relevant question in terms of his future career?

"Your Honor, as you can see, I have a MacBook Pro with a glossy screen."
"Hmm... You're right. *gavel* Case dismissed! *turns to plaintiff* It's a good thing he didn't have matte..."

I'll be going matte. Glossy's too reflective for my taste.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Whenever I see this thread pop up in the Spy, it makes me laugh.

Could there possibly be a less relevant question in terms of his future career?

"Your Honor, as you can see, I have a MacBook Pro with a glossy screen."
"Hmm... You're right. *gavel* Case dismissed! *turns to plaintiff* It's a good thing he didn't have matte..."

I'll be going matte. Glossy's too reflective for my taste.
Click to expand...

I do admit, success in my future career probably won't be determined by the screen I choose, though I will say that this indeed is a valid point of concern. If I were choosing as an undergrad there would be no question- a glossy screen would be great. Undergrads don't stare at their computer reading/writing for 12-16 hrs a day like law students. Now, adding glare/reflection issues (distracting) and more eye fatigue on top of that experienced with staring at a computer for 12-16 hrs, and it could legitimately affect my study stamina. With 3-8 hr. exams the screen could abolsutely affect performance- increased eye fatigue, distracting relections, all can play a role under some of the most stressful times in law school. This is why I wanted to figure out if the "cons" of the mac/glossy were more rumor than legitimate. I do appreciate most of these postings, as they have been very helpful :) And just for the record, I am a "she" and not a "he"
 
Congratulations on getting into law school. I will be a 3L in the fall. :D

I have a glossy MacBook and it's been a dream to use. It has been my experience that unless the classrooms and libraries are really bright or you're sitting by a window, you will not have any problems with the glare on your screen.

ETA: You may want to check out www.maclawstudents.com - a wonderful site for mac-using law students. The owner/author of the site just recently graduated from a California law school.
 
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