[Merged] Hi-Res Glossy or Hi-Res Antiglare?

If you have an Apple Store nearby, take a look at the 17" at 1680 X1050. Just go to the System Preferences/Displays and drop the resolution down one level. When I was comparing a Hi-Res 15" and 17" I also didn't like the font size but when I dropped the res on the 17" to 1680 X1050 I didn't think it looked decent (but I'm going to back and look at this again in more detail). On the 15" Hi-Res however I didn't like the lower res settings.

Depending on what you're doing you would then have two usable resolutions on the 17" one for web viewing word processing, etc and the native hi-res for things like Photoshop where you needed all the screen you can get. You can zoom in and out to read smaller text and change all your apps settings but I don't find this to be an acceptable solution.
 
ramzhh said:
That's a soft-touch Satin, not normal. I'm asking this because it doesn't look like the Soft-touch one.
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What the heck are you talking about? _ALL_ Speck "SeeThrough Satin" cases are "SoftTouch." That's where it gets the name "Satin" in the first place.

http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru-satin/macbook-pro-15-aluminum-black-keys/164

Look at the first feature listed: SoftTouch.

Are you asking about the SeeThrough "Hardcase" perhaps? That one isn't a Satin and therefore doesn't have the Soft Touch.

http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru/macbook-pro-15-aluminum-black-keys/160
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
What the heck are you talking about? _ALL_ Speck "SeeThrough Satin" cases are "SoftTouch." That's where it gets the name "Satin" in the first place.

http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru-satin/macbook-pro-15-aluminum-black-keys/164

Look at the first feature listed: SoftTouch.

Are you asking about the SeeThrough "Hardcase" perhaps? That one isn't a Satin and therefore doesn't have the Soft Touch.

http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru/macbook-pro-15-aluminum-black-keys/160
Click to expand...

I'm deeply sorry for my mistake :eek:

Anyways it still doesn't look like a Satin: much more visible :apple: logo :)

:)
 
Kilamite said:
Beginning to wish I had never sold my 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo antiglare. Was a perfect machine..
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Kilamite said:
I sit back from my laptop and I find it very tiring on the eyes. Unless my face is literally inches away from the screen, it is generally very tiring on the eyes.

I'm not talking about not being able to read the fonts, I can read them fine. It is just very tiring/sore on the eyes.
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It's unfortunate to read about your experience, yet I'm glad you made the post and shared your experience - mine is EXACTLY the same.

I waited and waited for the refresh to come like everyone, I was going to order a new 15" MBP with Anti Glare screen. That plan was canceled when I saw the AG option was only available on the hi res screen - very disappointing.

When I posted about my disappointment I was met with a lot of resistance. No one, or almost no one agreed with my comments about not liking the font size from the higher res screen ...

Now that people are receiving their new hi res MacBooks and using them in real life situations or reading for longer periods of time NOW look at the many posts of people concerned about the font size on the higher res screen.

The only way to create change is to let Apple know your disappointment with no option for an AG display on the standard res 15" MBP ... if they get enough people expressing their concerns then 'maybe' it will help influence change in the right direction for us.

As Kilamite noted the C2D '09 MBP with AG was a nice machine, anti glare option and you have control of the graphics card - no auto switching ... This morning I ordered two C2D 15" MBP's w/ AG for our office, the '09 suits our needs, the new 15" MBP's don't and cost more with intel graphics ... not for me.
 
Let me explain you my situation. I need your opinions.

I currently have a white MacBook Rev E (2 years and a half old), 13'' non LED, and I find the screen too small. The reflections don't really bother me, I use it only indoor, I don't do anything in particular apart from surfing (a lot), pictures (occasionally), iTunes for managing my iPod and that's it actually. Occasionally, but very occasionally, I might work from home and use Citrix to log on to my office PC. I find that after a few hours my eyes feel tired, the screen is just so small and 'shiny'.

Yesterday I ordered a new MBP 15'' Hi-Res with Antiglare thinking that it'd make my surfing more relaxing. I went to the Apple store to check it out first and it looked very relaxing to me eyes! I spent 10 minutes checking random websites. It was comfier thatn the standard glossy 15'' (which was next to the hi-res antiglare, for an easy comparison).

I'm now reading these comments (and many others!) and thinking that _perhaps_ I've done something very wrong here and that all I need is a standard resolution antiglare. All I'm after is comfort for my eyes. I don't need all the extra pixels...I was under the impression that the hi-res antiglare was comfier than the standard res on a glossy 13''...

I'm very close to cancelling the order...(Also, I don't want to spend £1,619 and get something that is actually worse to my eyes than my current glossy 13!)
 
Spend all day playing games, using your computer or watching TV. Get your eyes really tired and then go to the Apple store and check out the hi-res screens. :)
 
parajba said:
Yesterday I ordered a new MBP 15'' Hi-Res with Antiglare thinking that it'd make my surfing more relaxing. I went to the Apple store to check it out first and it looked very relaxing to me eyes! I spent 10 minutes checking random websites. It was comfier thatn the standard glossy 15'' (which was next to the hi-res antiglare, for an easy comparison).
Click to expand...

I think you are confusing screen size with pixels per inch.

Surfing on a 13" screen that has a PPI of around 110 will be the same as a 15" screen that has a PPI of 110. Websites won't appear smaller - they'll look the same as they do on the 13" apart from the fact you have more screen real estate so you can see move the website at once. That is the case with 1280x800 on the 13" and 1440x900 on the 15". They pretty much have the same PPI.

Thing now is that the PPI has increased dramatically on the 15" - so websites and everything else is much smaller.

Some people prefer that - having more pixel screen real estate, but I personally find everything too small.

110 PPI is ideal for me.
 
Everyone is different. You made the right decision of going to the store and checking it out yourself. If you found them comfy, then I wouldn't worry about other people's eyes, the screen suits yours fine.

Personally, I want to like the matte as well. Haven't seen the new hi-res anti-glares. But the previous anti-glares weren't easy on my eyes at the Apple Store, they aren't the same as the old school pre-2009 matte screens.

parajba said:
Let me explain you my situation. I need your opinions.

I currently have a white MacBook Rev E (2 years and a half old), 13'' non LED, and I find the screen too small. The reflections don't really bother me, I use it only indoor, I don't do anything in particular apart from surfing (a lot), pictures (occasionally), iTunes for managing my iPod and that's it actually. Occasionally, but very occasionally, I might work from home and use Citrix to log on to my office PC. I find that after a few hours my eyes feel tired, the screen is just so small and 'shiny'.

Yesterday I ordered a new MBP 15'' Hi-Res with Antiglare thinking that it'd make my surfing more relaxing. I went to the Apple store to check it out first and it looked very relaxing to me eyes! I spent 10 minutes checking random websites. It was comfier thatn the standard glossy 15'' (which was next to the hi-res antiglare, for an easy comparison).

I'm now reading these comments (and many others!) and thinking that _perhaps_ I've done something very wrong here and that all I need is a standard resolution antiglare. All I'm after is comfort for my eyes. I don't need all the extra pixels...I was under the impression that the hi-res antiglare was comfier than the standard res on a glossy 13''...

I'm very close to cancelling the order...(Also, I don't want to spend £1,619 and get something that is actually worse to my eyes than my current glossy 13!)
Click to expand...
 
Sandford said:
We figured out some situations (rare if you want, not so rare to me) in which matte is better than glossy.
In which situations, for which uses, for what kind of user is the glossy better (not equal) than the matte? So why could someone prefer the glossy to the matte?
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Despite what I posted above regarding the decision being dependent on every individual's situation, I think you're right, or, I think I understand how you feel. Matte offers a clear benefit over glossy, but glossy doesn't offer an advantage over matte, so why would someone choose the option that holds no benefit?

I don't buy the "Colours on the matte screens aren't as vibrant", or "matte screens are a bit darker" comments that I see in these types of threads. I've been here a long time, and I've read a lot of really weird comments with no proof to back it up. In fact, there's rarely a good guess presented here.

A screen's colours are due to the lcd panel, while the brightness is due to the intensity of the backlight. Both matte and glossy MBPs use the same LCD panel (is it S-PVA?), so that can't account for differences in colour saturation. In fact, there should be a greater difference in colour saturation between the 15" high-res screen and the standard screen than between matte and glossy. Why? Because the panels are different. A matte surface will transmit less light (affecting brightness, not saturation), but I'd expect the differences to be far less than 1%, and indiscernible by people so easily. There may also be a difference in contrast, but that should also be very very small.

My guess is that the black border around the glossy screen gives the illusion of greater brightness and saturation. I suppose it's a valid reason to choose glossy over matte, illusion or not. :)
 
I really like the 1440x900 glossy screen on my MBP and think it's the best screen that I have ever had the pleasure to use!

However, I'd like to compare it side-by-side with the high resolution model and see if the high res one is harder on the eyes.
 
Kilamite, how about increasing the font sizes of things. I know it's a pain to go into each program and change the font size initially, but I know that I had to go and increase the font size in Aduim and in TextMate.

You can increase the system font sizes using TinkerTool: http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerTool.html

I must say that I've gotten used to the high resolution, but I am using a glossy and so maybe the fonts appear more crisp and thus easier on my eyes. I am not having issues with glare... I like the added real estate and even if you adjust the fonts to be the same size, you'll at least have the added benefit of having a better picture from more DPI.

PS: You are mad!
 
I just switched as well. I was using a late 2009 15" MBP anti-glare and upgraded to the 15" i7 hi-res anti-glare. Just sent it back today after a week and bought the 15" glossy i7. The Hi-res anti-glare had a beautiful screen, but I found the fonts too small and it was a hassle changing them all the time. I haven't used the glossy for a year or so and am liking it again.

Both screens are nice - use whatever fits your needs and feels comfortable.
 
I would highly recommend going with the display resolution that is easiest on your eyes. While I don't care for the glossy screens either, maybe you can try to maximize the brightness and see if that sufficiently reduces the reflection.
 
That’s my point as well. Apple should perceive there is enough demand for a standard resolution matte display. I waited a lot of time (like many people) for the new MBP to arrive and now I’m disappointed with the options. I don’t like having to make a decision between two options that won’t suit me. These computers cost a lot of bucks to buy something I’ll regret, no matter which option I choose. I hope sooner or later Apple will know about our concerns. I’ll have to keep waiting.

entatlrg said:
It's unfortunate to read about your experience, yet I'm glad you made the post and shared your experience - mine is EXACTLY the same.

I waited and waited for the refresh to come like everyone, I was going to order a new 15" MBP with Anti Glare screen. That plan was canceled when I saw the AG option was only available on the hi res screen - very disappointing.

When I posted about my disappointment I was met with a lot of resistance. No one, or almost no one agreed with my comments about not liking the font size from the higher res screen ...

Now that people are receiving their new hi res MacBooks and using them in real life situations or reading for longer periods of time NOW look at the many posts of people concerned about the font size on the higher res screen.

The only way to create change is to let Apple know your disappointment with no option for an AG display on the standard res 15" MBP ... if they get enough people expressing their concerns then 'maybe' it will help influence change in the right direction for us.

As Kilamite noted the C2D '09 MBP with AG was a nice machine, anti glare option and you have control of the graphics card - no auto switching ... This morning I ordered two C2D 15" MBP's w/ AG for our office, the '09 suits our needs, the new 15" MBP's don't and cost more with intel graphics ... not for me.
Click to expand...
 
Going to go to the Apple Store next Monday and see if they'll let me exchange it for the base Core i5 glossy model.

I'm gutted.. I love matte..

molala said:
led vs. lcd (pre-2009)
obviously not the same screen
Click to expand...

That's just the backlighting method that'll affect the brightness and battery life. There might be a slightly higher contrast ratio achieved from having LED as the backlighting method.

But it is still an LCD matte screen - and if you stuck both side by side and looked at a website, they'd look the same.
 
I feel your pain! I can't buy most laptops because of their high resolution, haha.

Anyways, if you're not doing anything involving the most accurate colors, how about a screen cover? I used a $20 ClearCal on my old 13" and it was lovely. The whites were a little prismatic, but they weren't unbearable and barely noticeable. I put a similar one on my iMac because every room in my home has a lot of windows. It's not perfect, but I don't do anything with color so it never concerned me.
 
If I cancel my order for the hi-res AG (placed yesterday, still showing 'Not shipped'), will I get back all the £1,619 I paid? How long will it take?
 
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