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The Ultimate Hi Res Vs Standard Thread

ghsDUDE

ghsDUDE

macrumors 68030
Original poster
May 25, 2010
2,949
763
Okay, if you've read through all my posts you can tell I'm all caught up on whether or not to get the Glossy Hi Res or Standard 15in MBP.

I've gathered all the Pro's and Cons and wanted to list them and see if anybody had anything to add.

Pros for Hi Res
- Higher pixel's = crisper images and font's
- More screen space
- Once you go Hi Res you don't go back

Cons for Hi Res
- Images and font look smaller
- Can cause eye strain
- $100 more expensive

Pros for Standard
- Font and images are larger
- Doesn't cause eye strain
- $100 cheaper

Cons for Standard
- Not as much screen space
- Fonts don't look as crisp
- Hard to look at after using Hi Res screen

Those are my main topics.
I've gone back and forth over 100 times this week.
I'm 21 and have good eye sight, but my eyes do get tired looking at my current 1280x800 screen. So I can only image 1660x1050 would be a little more straining. But if my eyes could get used to Hi Res I would definitely do it. I just don't want my eyes to be affected.

When I decided I wanted Standard I realized even though the font is bigger it didn't look as crisp. I think it didn't look as crisp because Mac uses a different font than Windows.

All I know is I don't care about "more screen space", but I care about overall quality while keeping my eyes happy.

Sorry for the long post but all the responses of "HI RES ALL THE WAY' doesn't really explain WHY (with reasons other than "it's obviously better") its better.

Edit - I ended up going with Standard and I'm very happy.
 
Last edited:
Pointless thread as you've answered your own question in a concise manner even listing pros and cons.....
 
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Do you have an extra $100. If so, get it then.
I really doubt the strains on your eyes will affect that much compare to resolution.
Do you take photography? Videos? Games? Or like looking at high reso picture. If so, get high reso.
If not, there's no point.
 
So I was in an apple store today and went in trying to figure out the same exact thing. I only had the hi-res antiglare to look at and compared that to the standard glossy. I will without doubt go glossy, there is more color vividness, which is a definite plus as long as you aren't going into design where accuracy is needed. The images looked noticeably sharper and crisper, as well as the video (really nice). The font was smaller in most applications, but in different apps such as safari, pages, word and a few others, adjusting the zoom and font size made everything better. The finder bar was noticabley smaller, but not terribly smaller. Eye strain is my biggest concern and I don't think I'll have a problem (I have normal eyesight and don't use corrected lens' now) although I will be careful. The only downside I see is eyestrain and the fact that you can't make some fonts bigger, like the menus and finder bar, they stay smaller, which wasn't a bad thing, but adjustablity would be nice. Frankly, if I'm going to be doing any serious texting writng/reading, it'll be in a browser or word processor where I will have a zoom function. I won't be bringing a tv to college so I want the hi-res to watch tv and movies on. The glare of the glossy wasn't bad at all, and the Apple store is overlit, so I wouldn't worry about glare. I want others input, especially if you have spent time with the hi-res, will it cause eyestrain?
 
Tydog07 said:
So I was in an apple store today and went in trying to figure out the same exact thing. I only had the hi-res antiglare to look at and compared that to the standard glossy. I will without doubt go glossy, there is more color vividness, which is a definite plus as long as you aren't going into design where accuracy is needed. The images looked noticeably sharper and crisper, as well as the video (really nice). The font was smaller in most applications, but in different apps such as safari, pages, word and a few others, adjusting the zoom and font size made everything better. The finder bar was noticabley smaller, but not terribly smaller. Eye strain is my biggest concern and I don't think I'll have a problem (I have normal eyesight and don't use corrected lens' now) although I will be careful. The only downside I see is eyestrain and the fact that you can't make some fonts bigger, like the menus and finder bar, they stay smaller, which wasn't a bad thing, but adjustablity would be nice. Frankly, if I'm going to be doing any serious texting writng/reading, it'll be in a browser or word processor where I will have a zoom function. I won't be bringing a tv to college so I want the hi-res to watch tv and movies on. The glare of the glossy wasn't bad at all, and the Apple store is overlit, so I wouldn't worry about glare. I want others input, especially if you have spent time with the hi-res, will it cause eyestrain?
Click to expand...

I feel you man. The money isn't an issue. It's just I would hate to spend a little over 2k on something and it causes eye problems. But then again, if no one would have ever mentioned "eye problems" with the Hi Res I probably wouldn't have noticed it. I liked the standard...but noticed with the font Apple uses that the words don't always look crisp. And even though my display is worse right now than what I would get standard, the font on Windows looks crisp.
 
The screen's tough to decide on. Pretty sure I'll go High Res now (I'm 23 and wear glasses for long distance stuff), but thinking about the glossy and anti glare now that I'll have that choice going Hi Res...

Testing the different ones out in the apple shop is a bit difficult because of the artificial lighting, but is glossy kind of similar to the iphone screen display, because when light hits that, I can barely see anything.

Anti-glare - what are the negatives? Not as vivid colours, more expensive (slightly)? But apart from that, it matches the glossy minus the reflections...I realise its personal preference, but unfortunately can't test it myself, so experienced users are helpful!

Any thoughts?
 
I'm not a photographer, or video editor, and I'm not bias either way (in fact I really wanted to like the glossy screen) but when I went to the Apple store and compared glossy and antiglare screens side-by-side, the only difference I could make between them is that one had reflections, and the other did not. The glossy may have better blacks, and brighter colours, but in my opinion these pros are easily overtaken by the reflections, which can be very annoying.

I recommend high res antiglare.
 
Did you really need to create ANOTHER thread? You already have the thread Hi Res vs Regular? still active and you only started that thread 1.5 days ago.

Plus there are so many other threads on this subject it is ridiculous. The bottom line is - only YOU can decide what is best for you, your computing needs and your eyes. I feel this thread is pointless.
 
johndoejohndoes said:
I feel you man. The money isn't an issue. It's just I would hate to spend a little over 2k on something and it causes eye problems. But then again, if no one would have ever mentioned "eye problems" with the Hi Res I probably wouldn't have noticed it. I liked the standard...but noticed with the font Apple uses that the words don't always look crisp. And even though my display is worse right now than what I would get standard, the font on Windows looks crisp.
Click to expand...

I'm still debating if the eye strain is a true worry right now, but many people say, once you go hi-res, you don't go back, as you said.

Erasmus said:
I'm not a photographer, or video editor, and I'm not bias either way (in fact I really wanted to like the glossy screen) but when I went to the Apple store and compared glossy and antiglare screens side-by-side, the only difference I could make between them is that one had reflections, and the other did not. The glossy may have better blacks, and brighter colours, but in my opinion these pros are easily overtaken by the reflections, which can be very annoying.

I recommend high res antiglare.
Click to expand...


So many apple electronics come with glossy displays, so I assume that apple acts in good faith when they put them as standard on every device, so I feel that I will be one of the many people with a glossy screen, and be ok.
 
Tydog07 said:
So many apple electronics come with glossy displays, so I assume that apple acts in good faith when they put them as standard on every device, so I feel that I will be one of the many people with a glossy screen, and be ok.
Click to expand...

Apple uses glassy displays because they make everything shiny. And Apple loves shiny shiny.

Get the antiglare. I've had both glassy and antiglare, and unfortunately I'm stuck with a glassy display because I don't like the small fonts.

Glossy is fine, glassy isn't. I had a MacBook Air for a while, and was never bothered by reflections. Glassy on the other hand.. I'm bothered by reflections every single day on my MacBook Pro.

If there wasn't a sheet of glass over a glossy screen, then I wouldn't be bothered by glare at all. Stupid design Apple.. Aesthetics over functionality as usual.
 
Tydog07 said:
I'm still debating if the eye strain is a true worry right now, but many people say, once you go hi-res, you don't go back, as you said.

So many apple electronics come with glossy displays, so I assume that apple acts in good faith when they put them as standard on every device, so I feel that I will be one of the many people with a glossy screen, and be ok.
Click to expand...

Your purchase, either way, is going to be a couple of grand. It's worth your time and petrol money to find your closest Apple store and compare for yourself.

In my opinion, glossy may look better in some situations, but only slightly. And look much, much worse in others. But antiglare looks the same no matter where you are. Which is why antiglare is worth the extra money: for consistency.

EDIT: Also, remember if you get a high res screen, you can always lower the resolution, or increase text size. If you start with a lower res screen, and you want more text on it, the result will be more blurry and pixellated.
 
Erasmus said:
Your purchase, either way, is going to be a couple of grand. It's worth your time and petrol money to find your closest Apple store and compare for yourself.

In my opinion, glossy may look better in some situations, but only slightly. And look much, much worse in others. But antiglare looks the same no matter where you are. Which is why antiglare is worth the extra money: for consistency.

EDIT: Also, remember if you get a high res screen, you can always lower the resolution, or increase text size. If you start with a lower res screen, and you want more text on it, the result will be more blurry and pixellated.
Click to expand...

I understand what you say about matte, but so many devices are already glossy from apple. Many of the menus and finder bars are NOT FONT SIZE adjustable. Lion should be resolution interdependent.
 
LOL EYE STRAIN?
High-res. has anti-glare (in most cases), and is MUCH better for the eyes than glossy will ever be buddy.

Printing something? Well the glossy screen tells you lies while the anti-glare screen tells you the truth. Do you prefer lies or the truth? Probably truth. Choose AGHR.
 
Tydog07 said:
I understand what you say about matte, but so many devices are already glossy from apple. Many of the menus and finder bars are NOT FONT SIZE adjustable. Lion should be resolution interdependent.
Click to expand...

Use keyboard shortcuts, lol. :p

Seriously though, if Lion is going to be resolution independent, what's the problem? The OP will get it for free. Also, system fonts are comparatively large anyway, and easily read on high res screens.

ShootingStars said:
Printing something? Well the glossy screen tells you lies while the anti-glare screen tells you the truth. Do you prefer lies or the truth? Probably truth. Choose AGHR.
Click to expand...

Choose to calibrate your screen. Fixes both.


To the OP, have you decided to go and check out the screens in person yet? If not, you should. Not sure if I've made that clear yet.

GO CHECK THEM OUT SIDE BY SIDE AT AN APPLE STORE.
 
Another note on the high res screens: the next major MacBook Pro (rumoured for early 2012) update will likely only offer the high res displays.

There is no 'standard-res' choice for the 13" MacBook Air, and the Pro's will go that path. I just wish Apple would enhance the OS to deal with high res displays.
 
Tydog07 said:
I found some information on eye strain, I thought it was permanent, using these tips, I'll manage! Hi-res glossy it is. I can always add a filter if the glossy is too much for me.


http://www.pasadenaeye.com/faq/faq08/faq08_text.html
Click to expand...

I got the Standard Res and I think you'll be fine with it man.
Some texts are still small with Standard, so I can't even imagine how Hi Res would look. Its only on some websites though.

If you need a lot of real estate on screen go Hi Res. But if not (like me) get Standard and you'll be fine.

Type what is my screen resolution in Google and click the first link. My old laptop was 1280 x 800. So 1440 x 900 was a step up even though it was Standard. Goodluck with your decision.
 
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