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Make my decision!!

S

sugarray3000

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 7, 2009
99
0
Hey guys. i really don't know what to do. Since the new MBP were released i'v been walking around and thinking which screen on my MBP i should order.
I think the glossy is the most pretty (design and colors) but the matt is probably more usefull.

Im gonna order a 15" MBP (2.66) and it will be used normally at home. I got a window at the right side of my workingplace (at home) which could probably become very annoying if im gonna choose the glossy?

My question is: What would you guys do?
Is it worth to order a glossy and put on the antiglare film???

Glossy:
- pros: pretty design, rich colors
-cons: reflective, eyestrain, fingerprints, hard to put on the film

matt:
- pros: good screen with no reflections
- cons: not as pretty design as the glossy


I know this has been desguessed a lot but PLEASE give me some advice...

Thank you!!!

Sugarray
 
Go for the antiglare display. Putting a matte film on a glossy display will seriously reduce the quality of the appearance of text on the display. I know from personal experience which is why my own MacBook Pro will be antiglare.
 
sugarray3000 said:
Hey guys. i really don't know what to do. Since the new MBP were released i'v been walking around and thinking which screen on my MBP i should order.
I think the glossy is the most pretty (design and colors) but the matt is probably more usefull.

Im gonna order a 15" MBP (2.66) and it will be used normally at home. I got a window at the right side of my workingplace (at home) which could probably become very annoying if im gonna choose the glossy?

My question is: What would you guys do?
Is it worth to order a glossy and put on the antiglare film???

Glossy:
- pros: pretty design, rich colors
-cons: reflective, eyestrain, fingerprints, hard to put on the film

matt:
- pros: good screen with no reflections
- cons: not as pretty design as the glossy


I know this has been desguessed a lot but PLEASE give me some advice...

Thank you!!!

Sugarray
Click to expand...


Hi Sugarray,

I signed up to Macrumors specifically to respond to your question because I was agonizing over the exact same question as you and also wanted someone to just make the decision for me. And believe me I am probably one of the pickiest people alive when it comes to displays and would most likely even put most of the people on this forum to shame.

To make a long story short I ended up ordering the HR Anti-glare because of the practicality reasons you stated above, however have always loved the aesthetics of the Glossy better. Ever since my order I felt a little hesitation in the pit of my stomach. Two days later I was photo editing on my wife's glossy iMac (with a huge floor to ceiling south facing window on the right) and noticed I had absolutely no problem appreciating the beauty of the screen - the very few reflections (I have to look for) didn't bother me at the very least and without looking for them I tend not to notice them at all. Another thing I immediately realized that morning was that the the Glossy MBP would perfectly match the look of my iPhone and wife's iMac perfectly and would fit nicely into our growing Apple family where as the HR Anti-glare would not.

So what did I do? I called Apple and changed my order to the HR Glossy and that feeling of hesitation immediately disappeared from the pit of my stomach. I have had it now for over a week and can not tell you how happy I am that I changed my order. I now look at the HR Anti-glare and feel so happy with my choice. There is a reason why Apple uses the Glossy for all of their marketing pictures. It does look better and matches the rest of their line up much better. I have taken my MBP all over and have yet to even come close to regretting my decision.

I guess my short story became long but I really wanted to share this with you and anyone else on the fence for the HR Glossy. I would not hesitate what so ever to whole heartedly recommend it.

P.S. I'm also very happy to have gone with the HR over the Standard. I was afraid with everyone saying the text was too small but I have spent hours reading forums until late into the night and have felt extremely comfortable doing so. It feels great!

Cheers! And enjoy your MBP!

Matt
 
High Res glossy for sure.

Windows are meant to be looked out of so I would adjust your desk so that its not behind you if at all possible. My window is in front of my desk so I can look outside while using my MBP and I have no glare problems.

Personally I think if you could see both High res screens side by side you would go for the glossy.
 
Personally I can't stand the glossy displays (hated dealing with it on my MacBook), Matte is without doubt the way to go. At first glance I liked the glossy displays, but overtime I found the picture on glossy screens to look "plastic" and way to bright (even with the brightness turned down). Glare may not be a problem all the times with the glossy displays; but trust me - it will be a real thorn in your side at times (that and I find the black bezel on the Glossy screens to amplify the glare when it happens).
 
The glossy looks awesome...I live in San Diego where it is sunny about 320 days a year and I have no problems with the glossy display on my i5 MBP...
The colors pop beautifully and the display looks very similar to my Samsung Plasma and Samsung LCD tv's which I just love, especially with HD content...just stunning PQ...
 
Damn

Damn you dont make it easy for me guys :)

But i apriciate your answers!

Right now i'm moving towards glossy, but i have until tomorrow...
 
I got my 17" MacBook Pro yesterday with a glossy screen. Sat in the conservatory yesterday on a sunny UK evening and didn't bother me at all.

+ it looks amazing!
 
Personally I wouldn't want a screen any more glossy than my MacBook Air, so if it was me I would go for a matte screen. Of course, it is personal preference and only you know what you like the look of best. :)
 
I have a 15inch glossy display

I have a 15inch glossy display on my MBP.

No issues with it at all in light. Only on very rare occasions are reflections noticeable.

It isn't an issue that you should worry about too much.
 
What about lamps in the room (fx. from behind, lamps, tv etc) that doesn't reflect and bother neither?
 
sugarray3000 said:
Damn you dont make it easy for me guys :)

But i apriciate your answers!

Right now i'm moving towards glossy, but i have until tomorrow...
Click to expand...

Matte and really you need to decide for yourself. Whatever you get won't have any affect on us.
 
Matt.XVI said:
Hi Sugarray,

I signed up to Macrumors specifically to respond to your question because I was agonizing over the exact same question as you and also wanted someone to just make the decision for me. And believe me I am probably one of the pickiest people alive when it comes to displays and would most likely even put most of the people on this forum to shame.

To make a long story short I ended up ordering the HR Anti-glare because of the practicality reasons you stated above, however have always loved the aesthetics of the Glossy better. Ever since my order I felt a little hesitation in the pit of my stomach. Two days later I was photo editing on my wife's glossy iMac (with a huge floor to ceiling south facing window on the right) and noticed I had absolutely no problem appreciating the beauty of the screen - the very few reflections (I have to look for) didn't bother me at the very least and without looking for them I tend not to notice them at all. Another thing I immediately realized that morning was that the the Glossy MBP would perfectly match the look of my iPhone and wife's iMac perfectly and would fit nicely into our growing Apple family where as the HR Anti-glare would not.

So what did I do? I called Apple and changed my order to the HR Glossy and that feeling of hesitation immediately disappeared from the pit of my stomach. I have had it now for over a week and can not tell you how happy I am that I changed my order. I now look at the HR Anti-glare and feel so happy with my choice. There is a reason why Apple uses the Glossy for all of their marketing pictures. It does look better and matches the rest of their line up much better. I have taken my MBP all over and have yet to even come close to regretting my decision.

I guess my short story became long but I really wanted to share this with you and anyone else on the fence for the HR Glossy. I would not hesitate what so ever to whole heartedly recommend it.

P.S. I'm also very happy to have gone with the HR over the Standard. I was afraid with everyone saying the text was too small but I have spent hours reading forums until late into the night and have felt extremely comfortable doing so. It feels great!

Cheers! And enjoy your MBP!

Matt
Click to expand...


Thanks Matt... Really nice answer!!!
 
sugarray3000 said:
Thanks Matt... Really nice answer!!!
Click to expand...

My pleasure Sugarray! I just know exactly how you feel and judging from what you were saying it sounds like you would prefer the glossy but are afraid of the reflections. My wife and I are amateur photographers and we are both incredibly happy with our respective glossy workhorses. Which ever decision you make I am sure you'll be stoked - I just wanted to let you know that I was in your shoes and chose the HR Glossy and couldn't be happier. If deep down inside you want the glossy (like I think I did but was trying to convince myself the HR Anti-glare would be better) you won't be disappointed at all. And worse case scenario? 14 days after trying that puppy out and if you're not happy? Call up Apple and they will replace it for you - but I'm pretty sure that it is not going to happen!

Cheers!
 
Here's my thinking.......

Both my daughters have MBPs - one glossy and one matte. They both like their choices, but the glossy always looked nicer to me. I recently purchased my first Mac - a refurbed 21.5" C2D iMac, and photos on the glossy screen are more bright and clear than I've ever experienced. Videos too.

I'm holding out for the upcoming back to school sale before I buy my 13" MBP, and I'll be happy to get the glossy screen. I don't plan on using it outside in the sunlight, and if the glare is too much, I'll just adjust the screen or move my position. I'm sold on glossy.
 
Glossy. I read another thread in comparing the matte and glossy. Had pics and all (forgot the link). But the conclusion between both was that the glossy really isn't a big deal unless you plan on sitting outside under direct sunlight. That was where you would obviously see the most difference. So if you honestly are going to keep it inside your house, go glossy. If the majority of your use is going to be outside or around heavy lighting then go matte.

So pretty much, would you give up the vibrant/better color quality from the glossy for a couple days of using your mbp outside? or would you rather go with the matte screen to eliminate a slight glare that shifting your mbp to a different angle couldn't fix ;)

MikeyJ57 said:
Here's my thinking.......

Both my daughters have MBPs - one glossy and one matte. They both like their choices, but the glossy always looked nicer to me. I recently purchased my first Mac - a refurbed 21.5" C2D iMac, and photos on the glossy screen are more bright and clear than I've ever experienced. Videos too.

I'm holding out for the upcoming back to school sale before I buy my 13" MBP, and I'll be happy to get the glossy screen. I don't plan on using it outside in the sunlight, and if the glare is too much, I'll just adjust the screen or move my position. I'm sold on glossy.
Click to expand...

didn't even read your post after typing up my own right above lol. shows that my thought was on point! glossy has me sold as well. always has :D (not hating on the matte owners, its all apple love on these forums! :apple:)
 
It's really a personal choice; which do you like more? There are people who like matte and people who like glossy.

I was planning to get a MBP a little over a year ago and, while I was willing to accept the glossy, I was a little disappointed about it. When they (re-)released the matte MBPs, I was quite happy and bought a matte one without a second thought. In my opinion, the matte display is a "no-brainer" when it comes to a laptop. The matte display is gorgeous and I don't have to worry about the glare.

However, as you can see from this thread, there are tons of people who disagree with me. I'm not "wrong" and they're not "wrong" (well, maybe they're a little wrong :) ); we just have different preferences.

From what you say, it sounds like you're leaning towards the glossy. If that's what you prefer, go for it! Apple wouldn't sell these computers if either one of them were "bad." The variety just reflects a range of preferences.
 
I just bought my first Mac, a 2.53 i5 with HR glossy and am completely satisfied with my decision.

I compared many panels in my local Mac store as well as friends' Macs - both glossy and matte, and under as many different light conditions - before buying.

While it will come down to your personal preference in the end, try on this analogy that worked for me:

Looking at the glare on a glossy screen is kind of like looking at raindrops on a windshield. If it's raining and you've got intermittent wipers, you'll end up with some drops on the windshield half the time. Focusing your vision on those drops will drive you nuts if you let it...instead, look through the windshield at what is beyond.

Similarly, I find that if I look for the glare, I can notice it in bright light or slanting/backlit situations. However, if I just focus on what I'm doing and just look at the screen, I hardly ever notice the glare at all.

Hope this helps. Either way, enjoy your machine. I certainly am.

bb

Disclaimer: I am a moderately casual user, not a graphic designer or video editor.
 
well i am kinda in the same position, although i am not sure if i am getting the 15" at all yet.

however i would really like the matte screen. i just think it sucks that it costs €150 more.

I wanted the 13" initially but now am looking at the base 15". I went to check it out at the apple store (yes i know about the lighting there) and on the glossy 15" i couldn't even see OSX just the reflection of the town street and myself. as clear as a mirror. turning it didn't help either.

The matte Mac that was there didn't even show my own shadow or the reflection of the extreme bright lights. I must admit that it looked a *LOT* better.

i prefer the black bezel on the glossy and the price of the glossy so i wanted to prefer that one .... but looking at them side by side really makes me want to get matte.

lots of people tell stuff about the color richness or saturation of the glossy being better then the matter, but for the life of it i couldnt see any quality difference between the two.

s.
 
I look at text most of the time so the AG is perfect for me. You've read the threads, you've read the replies but at the end of the day we don't know where and how you are going to use your MBP. Only you know. I think you already know in the back of your mind what you really want its just those little demons in your head messing you up. You are not going to go wrong either way so get your ass in gear and do it! Buy it and put yourself out of your misery! Oh!... and most importantly, enjoy it when you get it! :)
 
If you're unsure the best is to look at both in the flesh.

I had thought that I'd be OK with the glossy, and preferred the black surround, until I visited my local Apple store and compared side-by-side (09 models). That completely changed my opinion - I found the matte nicer than reported, and the reflections of the glossy (even inside the shop) very annoying. Others have different experiences though.

But the bottom line is that it's your machine, and you need to choose what suits you, not what suits anyone else. That's why I suggest seeing them for yourself first - second hand reports and opinions are no substitute.
 
matte screen if you travel and use it outside in bright areas frequently

glossy if you use it indoors most of the time.
 
I'd suggest anti-glare. I've always had anti-glare (old Mac that died), I then went to a glossy (win 7 machine) for 4 months while I waited for the new MBP's to be released. I absolutely loathed having a glossy screen. Then again I often use my machine at coffee shops, restaurants, etc.

Just last week I was at a Starbucks with my back to the hot AZ sun. The sun was so direct on me that it felt like my back was on fire but I had to get a couple of invoices out on my Quickbooks. Even with the sun blaring right behind me I could easily see the machine to work.
 
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