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Resolved Should I get the Macbook Pro 15" Anti Glare or Glossy Screen?

O

Omar El-Etr

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2012
14
0
Hi guys, well this is the first time for me to buy a Macbook and I wanted to ask previously experienced people on the type of screen I should get and the answer was so confusing :confused: it was like a war between people owning the Glossy and people owning the Anti Glare so please tell me and it would be great if you tell me the pros and cons of both..

I'll be using it for iOS Development and a bit Final Cut Pro

Thanks..
 
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It is personal preference.
 
There are hundreds of threads where people have argued which one is better. The only person that can make that choice is you.
 
I got Glossy. It looks amazing. It isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, if you directly behind the sun its hard to see, but I just crank up the brightness and its gone for the most part.

I can't choose for you though, go in an see what you like. Take a flashlight with you, and shine it on both types of screens, so you can see a difference, if the lights arnt to bright.
 
I've had a 2010 MBP with Glossy and a 2011 MBP with AntiGlare and I prefer the antiglare by a large margin. I travel a lot so I'm in a lot of environments where glare is an issue, but even at home I have lights above my bathroom sink that cause glare all the time too!

There's some loss in sharpness with the AntiGlare but it's not much and is worth it for me.
 
It's always confusing until you've gotten a taste of the ups and downs of glossy.

I hate the add on cost of the antiglare option. Both for price and principle. So I've had glossy on my last two macbooks. But if and when there is a third, i will most likely go antiglare. Glossy does add extra strain on the eyes and i'm often adjusting the screen to avoid reflections, which often angles the screen too far back or forward. So I find a compromise and then continue working.

If you're asking yourself if you want antiglare, you probably do. Pony up the money and get antiglare. That's my advice.

Sent via VM670
 
It truly is a personal preference. The glossy screen does reflect and at times has a nasty glare but [personally] I find it significantly clearer and easier on the eyes than a matte screen.

After using a glossy screen matte screens look washed out, blurry, and a strain on your eyes after prolonged usage.

Again, this is just my opinion.
 
skiltrip said:
It's always confusing until you've gotten a taste of the ups and downs of glossy.

I hate the add on cost of the antiglare option. Both for price and principle. So I've had glossy on my last two macbooks. But if and when there is a third, i will most likely go antiglare. Glossy does add extra strain on the eyes and i'm often adjusting the screen to avoid reflections, which often angles the screen too far back or forward. So I find a compromise and then continue working.

If you're asking yourself if you want antiglare, you probably do. Pony up the money and get antiglare. That's my advice.

Sent via VM670
Click to expand...

Actually I already ordered for the Anti Glare but I wanted to be sure I did the right thing and I think I did.. Thanks a lot you helped :)
 
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I like glossy, but I did not have a choice (MacBook air)
Sometimes I wish I had an AG
 
I am decidedly anti-glassy displays, but the excellent Power Support anti-glare film solved the problem on my new 13" MBP. Unlike less expensive film the Power Support film doesn't introduce color shifts or artifacts.
 
Mojo1 said:
I am decidedly anti-glassy displays, but the excellent Power Support anti-glare film solved the problem on my new 13" MBP. Unlike less expensive film the Power Support film doesn't introduce color shifts or artifacts.
Click to expand...

Can you tell me, is that film easy to put on and off and on and off. Like, can it be used temporarily for occasions when I need to use the computer outside? I really like glossy because i think the colors and brightness are superior over the antiglare and it also offers me a little bit of privacy. But once in a while i have extreme glare issues. Could i just save the Power Support film in a manila envelope for when i need it, put it on, and then when I'm done remove it again?
 
I can understand a little, going and trying to compare screens in a store is tough, kind of like trying to compare TVs in a best buy. I went with HD glossy, and it looks great, but is highly reflective. Either way, it looks loads better than my Rev 1.1 MBP from Jan. 2006.
 
skiltrip said:
Glossy does add extra strain on the eyes and i'm often adjusting the screen to avoid reflections, which often angles the screen too far back or forward.
Click to expand...

I've heard some people say the glossy screen adds strain due to the distractions from reflections. Of course you can try to adjust the angle to minimize reflections, but since it's a TN screen, you may end up having color/contrast problems.

ppilone said:
After using a glossy screen matte screens look washed out, blurry, and a strain on your eyes after prolonged usage.
Click to expand...

I find my 15" MBP with matte screen is kind of difficult to read, but that's because it's high-res and the text looks really small. Not only that but the fonts are all anti-aliased, as opposed to the sharp fonts used in Windows which I'm used to. I'm not sure it'd be difficult to read if it was matte with the normal resolution, but unfortunately Apple eliminated that option after 2009.

So I'm having some strain with my hi-res matte screen, but other people say they have strain with the glossy screens. Sounds like there's no perfect strain-free option. :(
 
Mojo1 said:
I am decidedly anti-glassy displays, but the excellent Power Support anti-glare film solved the problem on my new 13" MBP. Unlike less expensive film the Power Support film doesn't introduce color shifts or artifacts.
Click to expand...

I've got a 17" anti glare and I will never go back to glossy, at least for a notebook.

A thunderbolt display for the house is a possibility, but I can control the lighting here.
 
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Just scored a "new" MBP 15, HR/AG (see "ordered/bought/got" thread :) ).

When I use my integrated display on a notebook, it's out on the deck, offsite in less optimal lighting (or windows), so I wanted it to be as good as possible in as many environments as possible.

When using it in my office where I do have total control over the lighting, desk location (vs. window location), I'm always on an external display (which happens to also be AG, but I _would_ go glossy on my office display).

So basically I chose the display for best use outside my office.

We have a glossy MBP 13 and out on the deck it's a glare-o-rama :D
 
slapple said:
...

So I'm having some strain with my hi-res matte screen, but other people say they have strain with the glossy screens. Sounds like there's no perfect strain-free option. :(
Click to expand...

I really notice a difference with my personal external display (Apple 24" CD - glossy) and work display (Samsung 24" - matte). I notice such a huge difference in quality/strain between the two.
 
skier777 said:
Can you tell me, is that film easy to put on and off and on and off. Like, can it be used temporarily for occasions when I need to use the computer outside? I really like glossy because i think the colors and brightness are superior over the antiglare and it also offers me a little bit of privacy. But once in a while i have extreme glare issues. Could i just save the Power Support film in a manila envelope for when i need it, put it on, and then when I'm done remove it again?
Click to expand...

I doubt that it would work well under those conditions. The film is easy to apply and remove, but once you remove the backing that covers the sticky side you would have problems reapplying the backing as well as dust on the display causing bubbles.

I have had the best results applying the film as soon as I remove a brand new device from its box. If it requires any cleaning it is only a few dust specks. I use the film on my MBP and iPad and there are no bubbles caused by dust.

NutsNGum said:
Said the Power Support customer sales rep.
Click to expand...

Not guilty as charged; I'm just a satisfied customer who has used Apple's matte displays since I purchased a G3 iBook...

I have worked on Apple's glassy displays as a Mac consultant. They are OK under controlled lighting conditions but reflections can be a problem even if lights or windows are not directly visible. A user wearing light clothing will show up clearly in the display. I am also a pro photographer (30+ years) and I find matte displays to be superior when judging image saturation, shadow detail and sharpness.

BTW, have you ever used the PowerSupport anti-glare film? Or are you basing your glib comment on nothing but your lazy and uninformed opinion about the product?
 
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