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

kobewankenobi3 said:
hello everybody
i am about to buy a new mbp
i am still unsure about getting the glossy or antiglare

i work with lightroom and will start with photoshop soon

i will start printing my pictures, and i would like to know if there is any difference in color rendition between the 2
which colors are more real?

please share your thoughts, especially photographers and designers

thanks for your help
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I have heard from professionals on both sides of the glossy vs. matte debate when it comes to accurate color rendition. I think it comes down to where you will be using the screen -- almost always indoors with indirect lighting? Glossy is likely fine. Using it outdoors, or even in cafes/rooms with windows or direct lighting? Basically, anywhere where you would have to "look past" the reflective images on the glass rather than the displayed images of the monitor? Matte's your choice. For anywhere in between, go with your gut or preference.

For me, Anti Glare a/k/a matte is a no-brainer choice, but it is a personal choice for sure. That's why there is so much discussion: there is no universal truth here.
 
Great pictures, i recently sold my last gen MBP as i knew something new was coming and what do you know my wish came through, finally anti glare :D

I'm just wondering if this is the same as the matte screen (old MPB's) or is it like glass (glossy screen) which has been improved not to reflect ??

By the way i hate the fact that the Speck Satin Case sits so tight and also the edges feels like they scratch the body when you put it in and out. I went with Invisible Shield myself and i can really recommend it.
http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/apple-macbook-pro-15-inch-3nd-gen-cases-covers-skins-shields.php
 
Hos said:
I bought a 17" i7 anti-glare from the Apple Store Regent Street. I am in LOVE. I have to say I had so much internal (and external if you ask my girlfriend and mates) turmoil on deciding which type of screen to go for. My main concern (frivolously now with hindsight) was the aesthetic. Yes the black bezel looks smart echoing the black keys BUT now having used the anti-glare for a short few hours I can honestly say the silver bezel is just as beautiful. For function the anti-glare is a no brainer.

I am over the moon with my decision and it also meant I HAD to get the faster processor as I was buying from in-store stock (they had glossy 17" i5 or anti-glare 17" i7 builds only).

OP congratulations on your decision and new purchase. Enjoy. I certainly am. :D
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Ditto. Compared 15" i7 Hi-Res matte and 17" i7 matte in the store and went with 17". 17's screen just blows away, plus superfast E-SATA with the ExpressCard is indispensable with external hard drives. Couldn't be happier. There's just something about this 1920x1200 display... 15" 1680x1050 is nice and sharp, but the bezel looks like wasted space. 17" feels much more professional. In the store, 17 looks huge compared to 15, but when you take this puppy home, it feels just... PERFECT. 15, in comparison, will feel tiny.

17" i7 is THE paradise.
 
I've owned a glossy unibody for almost two years now and never regretted it. I think images look more vivid and I think the black bezel with glass looks way better than the matte. I'm a clean freak as well and I love having my actual screen protected by glass so I never have to touch it. The glass is so much easier and safer to clean and feels more sturdy. It also goes edge to edge so I have no cracks where dust and stuff can accumulate. I've found the screen to be so bright that I've never been bothered by the glare issue. It only would be a problem possibly for someone using it outside in bright direct sunlight. None of these pictures that show glare do any good because what the camera captures is not what you would see. Your eyes focus on the screen, not the reflection so I find them very misleading. The only way to tell is to compare them in real life. But there is no right or wrong, just taste.
 
I'm on my HR Anti Glare rightnow and from what people have said about it being "muted" they may need their eyes checked. Yes I agree its not as vivid or Saturated as the glossy, but as someone else pointed out. If you are doing Video, or photography/print design work, you want a screen that will give the best rendition of what the final product will look like.

I am loving my new HR AG screen. the extra realestate is nice and the font is really not that much smaller than on the 1440x900. Not to mention I do not have to look at myself all day in it ;).
 
samiznaetekto said:
15, in comparison, will feel tiny.
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I take it you have never owned a 17" before? Just wait a while until the novelty wears off and you have to lug this thing around, or go to a coffee shop and try to maneuver around the table, same during business meetings.

It is a laptop after all so ease of portability is important for me which is why I 'downgraded' to a 15". The high res screen gives me more screen real estate in a smaller package and I don't have to be a tool lugging around a giant brick of aluminum all the time. my $.02.
 
dausone said:
I take it you have never owned a 17" before? Just wait a while until the novelty wears off and you have to lug this thing around, or go to a coffee shop and try to maneuver around the table, same during business meetings.

It is a laptop after all so ease of portability is important for me which is why I 'downgraded' to a 15". The high res screen gives me more screen real estate in a smaller package and I don't have to be a tool lugging around a giant brick of aluminum all the time. my $.02.
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I fully agree (even thought its a matter if taste/preferences).

I had the 15' last time and this time i am even considering to go 13' but i really want AG and the new hi-res + "i" CPU's so it leans towards 15' :)

They are a thing of beauty indeed.
 
Since when is glare in a living or working environment a good thing? Seems like a marketing blunder to call the alternative "anti-glare"?
 
Just compared them in a shop.

Side by side the colors of a glossy screen looks slightly funkier, more crisp.

But those reflected distractions. It's a no-brainer for me to go anti-gloss.

And yes, I prefer the silver metallic frame.

If you work in many different light conditions the glossy screen will prove to be tricky. If the laptop sits on your desk with no window or light source in the back, then go glossy.
 
The silver bezel, is it aluminum/metallic or just silver plastic?
 
cyberone said:
If the laptop sits on your desk with no window or light source in the back, then go glossy.
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If the laptop sits on your desk, then shut the lid and connect a real external monitor, keyboard and mouse for superior ergonomics. I don't get why people buy laptops to use mainly at a desk...
 
Smoothie97 said:
For those who didn't know, the anti-glare bezel is not "frameless" or "endless" like on the glossy screens. On the glossy screen, you can run your finger from left edge to right edge and your finger will be on the same plane. On the anti-glare, the screen is actually recessed inside the frame (just like on most HDTV screens and older laptops). I wasn't happy about the screen being recessed, but I guess it is necessary to get the anti-glare look. THEREFORE, yes, if you press on the LCD screen itself, it will distort and change colors briefly. With the gloss of course, the screen is protected behind a piece of glass (or is it plastic) so you can't physically touch it's screen at all.
Click to expand...

Thanks Smoothie for posting these great pics! :) I also love the anti-glare screen and really want to get that option when I buy it online. So I stopped by an Apple Store in Tokyo today to check it out. The display was really awesome compared to the glossy.

I agree with you, I also don't like the idea of the "recessed" screen. After some observation, it seems the anti-glare LCD panel is on the same plane as that of the glossy one. While the edge-to-edge glass and the metallic silver frame are on top of that plane.

As you said, the glossy model is protected behind a piece of glass... So my major concern is, what kind of protection (from smudges, dust, prints, scratches, etc) can I use for the anti-glare panel?

I've asked the folks in the Apple store and they said they only had protective anti-glare film for the glossy panels. The area that needs protection on the anti-glare is surely smaller than the area of the glass panel. Are there any third-party suppliers of screen protectors that match the 15" anti-glare screen's dimensions? :confused: Any suggestions?
 
Smoothie97 I like the pics, can you tell me how long it takes you to launch photoshop (I saw it on the pic)

and

Can you post a pic of photoshop open with a *pic* open in it

and

the 15 hi-res is just below 1080p, so can i connect a 1080p screen (26 inch +) to the macbook, then will the external monitor have full resolution?

Thanks
 
17" diagonal screen is 14.4375 inches wide. Divide that into 1920 and you get 133 ppi.

15.4" diagonal screen is 13.125 inches wide. Divide that into 1680 and you get 128 ppi.
 
The silver bezel, is it aluminum/metallic or just silver plastic?
 
I just got my 15 inch hi res anti glare

Wow.

The screen is fantastic. Like a fine painting. Pictures don't do it justice. Really even much better than I anticipated.
 
I have not tried a film on a macbook pro. But have one on my iphone. I find it fine for the iphone. However it does reduce brightness and gives it a bit of tint. If does the same on macbook I would not like it.

I would say if you want anti glare to get a macbook with antiglare. They are not coating the screen but essentially giving you screen without glossy glass overlay. So you get vibrant colors with no tinting effect like a film can do.

That is not to say there might be a film out there that does not reduce brightness or tint the screen. I just have not seen one.
 
I got the 17 i7 antiglare on Friday and without a doubt it is the sharpest, cleanest, brightest matte screen I have ever seen. It isn't matter of me trying to justify what I have, if I wanted I could switch to glossy, but the colors are cleaner, no blurriness to speak of. I do understand how folks have an issue with matte screens, because I admit, most other laptop brands are darker and blurrier, but I can't say that's the case with the Macbook High Res antiglare.
 
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