Macbook Pro 13.3" matte LCD Screen and bezel

[l.a.rossmann]

Hi,

I'm curious; I know TechRestore offers this, but there's no DIY option I can find anywhere.

If you were able to get a matte bezel and display of identical quality to what was in your 13.3" A1278 Unibody Macbook Pro or Macbook, for under $100, is this something you'd be interested in? A conversion kit that included the anti-glare 13.3" LCD screen, and a bezel to replace the glass that looked near identical to the glass but had nothing covering the LCD.

I'm just trying to gauge demand. It's not something I would ever solicit or offer on the site, but as it's a large investment to get everything so cheaply(large runs are necessary), I am curious if the enthusiast community has any interest in it, and don't know much of a bigger Macbook enthusiast community than this one.

My apologies if this question breaks any rules.

 

[bill-p]

Quite honestly, I think Apple already got this covered with the Macbook Air. The Air's screen is quite a good antiglare layer (not as glossy as glass at least), and it does fend off reflection quite well. Plus it's a higher resolution screen.

 

[dusk007]

What is the point of this? A few responds in a thread mean nothing.
You need to at least start a poll better yet one amond the real population. You can use some mailing lists you have access to on a university those can sometimes reach enough people.
Such a thread may reach a few hundred.

Me personally I wouldn't buy a notebook without a matte screen ever again, but I also have no interest in the 13" form factor, I wouldn't buy one even if it was matte option.
Despite that I think 100 bucks to be reasonable but that really is only my opinion and I know many people just live with glossy and don't give it a second thought. Among my friends there are very few people with matte notebooks and those usually own some that are definitely above average in price. Most of them just buy some of the cheapest stuff they can get their hands on or 13" MBP and rarely if ever complain about reflections. It is like they don't know it any other way, which is probably true.

 

[bill-p]

I think there is the fact that glossy, or to be more precise, glass, is easier to clean than matte. And it's harder to scratch as well.

Depending on the situation, I think durability might be more important than fending off my reflection, plus under direct sunlight, neither glossy nor matte would be able to show anything worth seeing.

That's for reinforcing the "live with glossy" remark. Obviously there are benefits to matte that I no doubt have overlooked, but it's not like glossy is something horrible someone has to live with.

 

[azentropy]

Quite honestly, I think Apple already got this covered with the Macbook Air. The Air's screen is quite a good antiglare layer (not as glossy as glass at least), and it does fend off reflection quite well. Plus it's a higher resolution screen.

The higher resolution screen is also a problem to some. I have crappy eyes. Glossy/Glass screens give me really bad headaches after just a few minutes because of the eyestrain from reflections. Apple's anti-glare options are at such a high DPI they also cause me eyestrain issues.

I'm using a Moshi iVisor Pro 13 on my current MBP (Early 2010) and it is not bad. Very easy to put on and does a decent job of cutting down the reflections. Other anti-glare films I have used before were just awful as I could never get them on without some bubbles and they had more orange peel effect then I liked.

I next plan to update with the release of an update 13" MBP with hopefully a quad core setup next year. So I would be interested in a screen replacement then if Apple doesn't provide a true matte option.

 

[randomrazr]

its called macbook air 13.3

 

[Mojo1]

The higher resolution screen is also a problem to some. I have crappy eyes. Glossy/Glass screens give me really bad headaches after just a few minutes because of the eyestrain from reflections. Apple's anti-glare options are at such a high DPI they also cause me eyestrain issues.

Agreed. The 11" MBA gave me a headache in 15 minutes and 8+ hours of eyestrain symptoms, the first time in 15+ years of using CRTs and LCDs.

Other anti-glare films I have used before were just awful as I could never get them on without some bubbles and they had more orange peel effect then I liked.

I've been very satisfied with the anti-glare film from Power Support. I use it on an iPad and 13" MBP. Reflections disappear; the display resembles my 2008 15" MBP. Minimal matte "graininess" (my new NEC display is similar in appearance in that respect...) and no color refraction. At $35 it may be the most expensive but it is relatively easy to apply and it stays-put. If you apply it on a brand-new display it requires minimal or no cleaning to be dust-free. There are no bubbles on either device.

 

[dusk007]

Depending on the situation, I think durability might be more important than fending off my reflection, plus under direct sunlight, neither glossy nor matte would be able to show anything worth seeing.

That is wrong. Everything above 350 ntis and matte is perfectly readable in the brightest of sunlights. I often put myself in the grass or a sunlounger in the garden in summer, studiing pdfs and writing papers or programming a little. With the 15" matte screen at close to 400 nits that works perfectly well. Although another 30% brighter like 600 nits wouldn't hurt, but 400 is enough to comfortably read for an extended period of time and not squeeze your eyes out.