MBP: Glossy or Matte?

[iBorg20181]

cleaning glossy is easy!

Cleaning is a lot of work on the glossy and waay easier on the matte.

<snip>

Both screens are ok for me but for long term usage, cleaning and maintenance included my gut tells me the matte screen woulf be perfect BUT the glossy is just soo pretty........

Cleaning is equally easy for either. You can use commercial things like iKlear (sp?), but I've always just used a dampened microfiber cloth and it wipes clean in a few seconds! I mean, you generally use computers in a "clean" place, so unless you're using it next to the fryer at McDonald's, how hard can it be? (The keyboard and palmrests can get more oils/dirt from your skin/fingers, but even those wipe clean with a dampened cloth .... unless you're drooling food or pop between the keys!)

I've had both - current MBP glossy is equally easy to clean!

You'll be happy with either - both excellent screens! But the side-by-side comparison made my decision easy! GLOSSY!

iBorg

 

[daneoni]

Eek!

Eek!

Is this glare or is the display just defective. I cant make out if its glossy or not?

 

[Hls811]

Cleaning is equally easy for either. You can use commercial things like iKlear (sp?), but I've always just used a dampened microfiber cloth and it wipes clean in a few seconds! I mean, you generally use computers in a "clean" place, so unless you're using it next to the fryer at McDonald's, how hard can it be? (The keyboard and palmrests can get more oils/dirt from your skin/fingers, but even those wipe clean with a dampened cloth .... unless you're drooling food or pop between the keys!)

I've had both - current MBP glossy is equally easy to clean!

You'll be happy with either - both excellent screens! But the side-by-side comparison made my decision easy! GLOSSY!

iBorg

I've also had both (glossy on MB, Matte on current MBP and previous PB's) - I agree the physical act of cleaning them is similar - but the need to clean is more frequent w/ matte.. it just shows dust and smudges more... I don't use mine in any environment that would be considered dirty, but the glossy picked up more dust. (I kept a lens cleaning rag in my bag and did a wipe down almost every day... not necessary with matte.

 

[Hls811]

Eek!

Is this glare or is the display just defective. I cant make out if its glossy or not?

I think it looks like a matte screen because the reflections are somewhat diffused.. If it were glossy, it would be even worse - like the reflections on the glass in the background of the 2nd and 3rd pictures!

 

[miniguu]

... I was happy with my MB's glossy screen, so I chose glossy on the MBP, as well. I'll be curious to see if the two are actually noticeably different.

So did you notice any discernible differences between the MB glossy and the MBP's?

 

[iBorg20181]

I've also had both (glossy on MB, Matte on current MBP and previous PB's) - I agree the physical act of cleaning them is similar - but the need to clean is more frequent w/ matte.. it just shows dust and smudges more... I don't use mine in any environment that would be considered dirty, but the glossy picked up more dust. (I kept a lens cleaning rag in my bag and did a wipe down almost every day... not necessary with matte.

Completely subjective, of course, but I haven't had to clean my glossy screen since I got it 3 days ago - and I live in a large rural home with lots of inherent dust!

Point is, the cleaning of each screen would be a poor reason for purchase choice, IMHO.



iBorg

 

[xfiftyfour]

So did you notice any discernible differences between the MB glossy and the MBP's?

I'll be sure to let ya know once it finally gets here!

 

[andrewfee]

Eek!

Is this glare or is the display just defective. I cant make out if its glossy or not?

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/9846/2028117770ecce3397eoir9.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2936/2063956462bdddc9ec1oii8.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1374/2063956568c01f5b73eoqp7.jpg

That's matte, and it's not defective - look at the lighting in that place though - a glossy would be so much worse in there.

My MacBook Pro turned up this morning unexpected, so here's a shot of it and the MacBook at full brightness in a pretty bright room:

The colours are much stronger on the MBP screen, and it's far easier to read in my opinion.

 

[Chrispy]

I decided to go with Matt simply because I will use my mac quite a bit at work to track what I have going on (thank you THANK YOU iCal haha). The lighting in my office is HORRIBLE. I have two long runs of florescent lights hanging from an 8 foot ceiling. Needless to say, glare is an issue even on the matte screen to some degree. I think the glossy looks better but for me I had to take the matte for practicality reasons

 

[ventro]

andrewfee, is that a glossy or matte display? If its a matte, does it have uneven brightness? If its a glossy, is it more or less reflective than the macbook?

 

[azzurri000]

I chose matte, because I do a bit of graphic design in my spare time, and I wanted the colours to be truer.

 

[hqsbud]

When I bought my daughter a MacBook, I was disappointed in the glossy screen's limited viewing angle, and figured I'd never get a glossy MacBook Pro. But then I saw a glossy screen MacBook Pro at the local Apple Store, and was sold. I tried an experiment comparing their viewing angles today, with the result shown. First straight on, then from two angles above.

Both screens have been calibrated with a Spyder2. I just realized how stupid I was to choose this photo for the desktop. The colors are so rich I figured it was a good demo, but the vignetted corners make it look like uneven screen lighting. It's just the photo.

 

[hqsbud]

I've also had both (glossy on MB, Matte on current MBP and previous PB's) - I agree the physical act of cleaning them is similar - but the need to clean is more frequent w/ matte.. it just shows dust and smudges more... I don't use mine in any environment that would be considered dirty, but the glossy picked up more dust. (I kept a lens cleaning rag in my bag and did a wipe down almost every day... not necessary with matte.

I have exactly the same experience. I have a matte external display hooked up to my glossy MacBook Pro. I've cleaned both, and the glossy just takes one treatment with iKlear to get rid of all smudges and streaks. The matte screen shows lots of streaks after using the drying cloth, and I have to keep working at it.

On images, I calibrated both the internal and external displays with a Spyder2, and what I really notice is the black point on the glossy is far blacker. I have no slouch of an external display, either.

 

[daneoni]

When I bought my daughter a MacBook, I was disappointed in the glossy screen's limited viewing angle, and figured I'd never get a glossy MacBook Pro. But then I saw a glossy screen MacBook Pro at the local Apple Store, and was sold. I tried an experiment comparing their viewing angles today, with the result shown. First straight on, then from two angles above.

Both screens have been calibrated with a Spyder2. I just realized how stupid I was to choose this photo for the desktop. The colors are so rich I figured it was a good demo, but the vignetted corners make it look like uneven screen lighting. It's just the photo.

So clarify, the MBP is sporting a glossy screen as well?

 

[andrewfee]

andrewfee, is that a glossy or matte display? If its a matte, does it have uneven brightness? If its a glossy, is it more or less reflective than the macbook?

It's matte and no, the screen isn't perfectly uniform, if that's what you mean, but no laptop display I've seen has been.

 

[hqsbud]

So clarify, the MBP is sporting a glossy screen as well?

Yes, I should have made that clearer. Also, you can see the reflection of both keyboards in the bottom photo.

 

[miniguu]

When I bought my daughter a MacBook, I was disappointed in the glossy screen's limited viewing angle, and figured I'd never get a glossy MacBook Pro. But then I saw a glossy screen MacBook Pro at the local Apple Store, and was sold. I tried an experiment comparing their viewing angles today, with the result shown. First straight on, then from two angles above.

Both screens have been calibrated with a Spyder2. I just realized how stupid I was to choose this photo for the desktop. The colors are so rich I figured it was a good demo, but the vignetted corners make it look like uneven screen lighting. It's just the photo.

Great photos. Thanks for posting them. It's a small comfort to know that I'm getting some difference besides an alu shell with the MBP.

 

[chiefillini]

Check out this and cast your vote.
http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=527

I have been using my matte for about a week now and can't say anthing bad about it. I would really like to see someone do a set of pics with two MBP one glossy and one matte like the above pics that HQSBUD did with the MB and MBP.

 

[eddietr]

Check out this and cast your vote.
http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=527

I have been using my matte for about a week now and can't say anthing bad about it. I would really like to see someone do a set of pics with two MBP one glossy and one matte like the above pics that HQSBUD did with the MB and MBP.

Will do as soon as Apple sends me my glossy 17"!

My 15" MBP is Matte, as is my Al G4 of course and my Ti G4. I'll take pictures of all 4 next to each other in different lighting conditions for comparison.

 

[JackSYi]

Matte all the way. I had the MacBook with the glossy screen, although it looked good, the matte has true colors. When people say the matte screen cannot show blacks as blacks I beg to differ, when I use my MBP inside of my apartment, the blacks are very rich. The glossy screen just makes the computer feel cheap and although the colors looks "sharper" they are a little too saturated.

 

[Lady pomeko]

Matte. Glossy has to much glare.

 

[Maximus434]

Glossy ALL THE WAY. I just got one and I swear to god I keep thinking it is matte because of the lack of glare. Let me tell you that the MBP glossy screen is MUCH less reflective than its Macbook counterpart. I couldn't believe it. It's such a rich and beautiful screen it should come standard with all MBPs.

The display is so bright it washes out any reflections so that you honestly can't see them. I'm never going back to matte. So pleased.

 

[iBorg20181]

Glossy ALL THE WAY. I just got one and I swear to god I keep thinking it is matte because of the lack of glare. Let me tell you that the MBP glossy screen is MUCH less reflective than its Macbook counterpart. I couldn't believe it. It's such a rich and beautiful screen it should come standard with all MBPs.

The display is so bright it washes out any reflections so that you honestly can't see them. I'm never going back to matte. So pleased.

Ditto!

As has been stated in many threads before, you can't compare a MacBook screen to a MacBook Pro screen, especially the newer C2D MBP screen.

Glossy, all the way!



iBorg

 

[iBorg20181]

Matte. Glossy has to much glare.

Not mine!



iBorg

 

[iBorg20181]

Matte all the way. I had the MacBook with the glossy screen, although it looked good, the matte has true colors. When people say the matte screen cannot show blacks as blacks I beg to differ, when I use my MBP inside of my apartment, the blacks are very rich. The glossy screen just makes the computer feel cheap and although the colors looks "sharper" they are a little too saturated.

MacBook glossies are not the same as MacBook Pro glossies, so please, everyone, stop making that comparison! It appears that the C2D Merom MBP glossies may be different than Yonah MBP glossies.

If posters are going to compare, you need to compare current generation MBP screens against each other - any other comparisons are meaningless.

iBorg