Ok - final thread on the anti-glare v glossy conundrum

[dsprimal]

lol, first check the description on the side of the box before you open it. It should say Hi Res or something next to the model.. Then go into your settings and into display options or whatever. It should should show 1680x1050. Or go to about this mac in the top left corner (apple logo) and click on more info, then look at the display details..

And if your still paranoid you can take it to a store and compare.


DHagen4755, Nice pictures by the way.. You really make the glossy look good in those.

Thanks pac88, lol yeah that pretty much makes me satisfied now =] all i need to do now is see what movie quality would be best for it. I was thinking 1080p dvd rips. but i doubt i would get the best quality since its more then the hi-res screen has to offer.....but then i thought of the 2nd best which is 720p....which is lower then the hi-res screen has to offer....ugh decisions, decisions

 

[TxMacAddict]

Thanks Dave nice pictures.

 

[coolbreeze]

Ok so DHagan's post got me thinking...I've been thinking about how BAD glossy really is. I mean I use my iPad and it works fine unless I'm in direct sunlight. Not so bad. Then I remembered how hard it is to keep dirt, etc out of the silver bezel of the matte screen - especially a challenge with two dogs who shed. Lastly, I kind of admitted to myself that based on my daily use, I am in an area where sunlight is not a factor.

I do travel a lot and actually think I can get away with carrying a T500 and my 17" MBP in my Tom Bihn Empire Builder bag. Use a brain cell for the MBP and a simple sleeve for the Lenovo.

Well, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this but I've canceled my order for the 15" custom order ( which BTW still has not shipped) and ordered the i5 17" from Amazon. The price was actually cheaper than my employee discounted 15" i5 order.

So, thanks for the spirited discussion. You all have made great points and convinced this die hard matte fan otherwise.

 

[entatlrg]

I wonder if the so-called stretched pantyhose effect is just the black LCD pixel element grid lines.

I would describe stretched pantyhose effect as something you can see on a white or light background, such as typing a pages/word doc or here in MacRumors the background is light in color.

It looks like a film, kind of grainy, some say fine watery/greasy film over the screen, "stretched pantyhose", is the best way to describe it. If you stare at it or focus on it for a bit it can become irritating too, just as the glossy glass bothers some, this may as well.

I don't think you can get away from it on any anti glare screen, the film is what diffuses the light and stops the reflections.

 

[mathieuplante]

Do yourself a favor and choose the antiglare option

Back story: I've been shopping for the base 15-inch MacBook Pro for a few weeks now, since they released the new i5 model. I've been wanting to upgrade to a 15-inch after having been with a black 13-in MacBook for a year and an entry-level 13-in MacBook Pro for about 7 months. I'm still on that one until the new one is delivered between May 6 and May 13. I ordered online on Monday night, May 3rd.

I've never been a fan of glossy screens, I really dislike them. I can't stand seeing what's behind me when I'm working or reading. The only reason my last two computers have been glossy is that stores only seem to carry glossy computers and I didn't even know Apple made antiglare screens at the time. I read many many pages on this forum about glossy vs. antiglare, trying to convince myself that I don't need to spend the money on antiglare. I eventually ordered the antiglare anyway since it was so obvious that it would be better for me and how I use my computer. Yes, I ordered without having seen the antiglare model.

A day later, my girlfriend said she wanted to go shopping in Montreal, which is about an hour and a half away. Since the closest Apple store is in Montreal, I thought «why don't we go to the mall with the Apple store?».

I wanted to take a look at both and decide if I had made the right decision. Of course I already knew how a glossy looked, so I pretty much knew my decision was the right one for me. In my opinion, you shouldn't believe people who say that there is no glare or that they don't have a problem with it. I'm sure it's just because they're used to it. I'm sure people who live next to a big highway get used to the noise. Even in the Apple store, all you could see were reflections and people trying to move around on their chair so they could see what they were doing (ok, maybe I'm reaching just a tiny bit on that last part, but it's partly true).

By the way, the Apple store in Carrefour Laval in Montreal only had *one* model with antiglare, a 17-inch model, and it was actually hidden behind a really big iMac (glossy, of course). There are probably a few dozen computers in that huge store. I don't understand why they don't want people to see it. I mean, it costs more... with the premium they charge, it's probably almost pure profit for them. I'm sure if people saw it, they would gladly pay Apple for the better screen, that's what I did. And I will probably convince a few Apple fans around me with this screen once I receive the thing.

Anyway, I couldn't be happier. It's the best-looking screen I have *ever* seen on any computer. It's not even a question I should have asked myself, the answer is so completly obvious to me now. The argument about more vivid colors is a non-issue for me. Side by side, with just a few inches between them, and with the same full-screen demo photos on each, the difference was night and day-with-the-shades-down-so-you-can-see-the-screen.

If you're impressed with the mirror effect of a glossy screen, go ahead. Glossy screens look like a varnished hardwood floor, sure, that's good-looking, but you don't look at the floor all-day. If you're a girl, it's probably like a transparent nail polisher thing, or whatever you call that, yeah, it's shiny. If you're a cat, it's like the reflection of a wrist watch on the wall... meaning it's really distracting when you're working or reading.

Moral of the story, visit an Apple store or a store that carries an antiglare model and see for yourself *before* you order it. Then the choice will totally be yours.

PS: if you're choosing your Mac based on the black or aluminium screen bezel... you probably choose a t-shirt based on the size of the Ed Hardy logo and you probably buy shoes that hurt your feet but look really really nice on you. You're a superficial douchebag, that's okay, I respect that.

I hope my little story helps other people make a decision.