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Worth the extra for anti-glare?

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colinthejanitor

macrumors member
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Mar 13, 2009
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Hey all, I've spent the last few days eyeing up the new iMac's that just went on sale and after a fair amount of thinking I've decided that It's just not going to do what i want it to do so I'm going to build a new desktop.

I do still, however, intend on buying myself a MacBook Pro. But i can't decide wether to just go basic and get a 13" or up the anti and get a 15" anti-glare machine.

The laptop is mostly for couch surfing and maybe a little coding. I do intend on playing a couple of old games on it too, but the most intense of these would be elder scrolls iv oblivion.

I've had a 13" MacBook Pro before so i know the size is going to be okay for me, I do however really like the idea of an anti-glare screen on a macbook.

Would it be pointless for me to get the 15" just for the anti-glare?

Any thoughts are very welcome.
 
I've been using a 13" MacBook for over 3 years, and also decided to buy a 15" HR AG MacBook Pro. But I was very disappointed.

For one I found it to be way too big compared to my 13". In the stores they all seemed so small, but after working with it for a few days I was glad to use my 13" again. It feels more like a laptop to me than the 15", which is more like a desk-only-machine because of its dimensions. The 13" is just so easy to use everywhere, and I didn't have that feeling with the 15" at all. Also, for almost everything I do the 13" resolution isn't that bad. Most of the time I just had a similar-sized screen centered on the 15" not really utilizing the extra space I had.

Secondly, I thought the AG screen was horrible. The screen itself was perfect, technically speaking. No yellow fading like people talk about on these forums. Good backlight. No bad pixels. But I simply couldn't find a proper brightness setting on which it looked good. If I turned it up, the whites became so blinding my eyes would be destroyed within a week, and when turning it down the whole screen (and especially the colors) just became very dull, like there was a grey haze covering everything. I expected it to be a lot better than my 3+ y/o MacBook screen, but it simply wasn't.

Thirdly, for me the HR made everything too small. I never doubted I wanted the HR when they came out, but it turned out I was wrong. I loved the extra space, but it really strained by eyes with basically everything I did. When I was right in front of it, it was OK. But I usually sit back a bit with my 13" to browse and what not, and with the 15" HR that just wasn't possible without resizing fonts all the time. This, along with the AG-backlight-problems made me return it after a few days.

Now, all of this is very personal. I'd advise you to find the HR AG-model in a store first though to properly test it out and compare it to other screens. When you look at it for a while you notice less how dull it can be, so it's good to do some side-by-side comparisons.

Apart from that you need to ask yourself if you need the higher resolution, if you really can't live with the more reflective screen, if you really want the 15" or the more mobile 13" since your already have an iMac, etc. Personally, I really started to appreciate my 13" more after using the 15", especially for things like couch surfing. Coding as well, my main usage for the machine. If I really use something that needs more space, I just hook it up to an external screen. Best of both worlds.

All hard choices though :) Good luck.
 
At the minimum, you'll be paying $1950 for an HR AG 15" versus $1200 for a 13" MBP. If you go refurbished, you could buy a 13" MBP for $1029, while the cheapest HR AG model they normally keep in stock is the i5-540M (2.53 GHz) 15" for $1829.

It's really a matter of cost-benefit analysis. Is that HR AG screen really worth $750 to you? Do you care about the other features that the 15" MBP has that the 13" doesn't?
 
Look at them in the store -- only you can decide. The glossy screen reflections are very distracting to me. Also, if you work in a dark environment, you may prefer the matte. Some like the glossy for watching movies, etc. It really depends on your eyes and your perception. It's a deal breaker for me -- I would 've gotten an imac years ago if it came with a non-glare option, and the lack of a non-glossy screen option is making me hesitate about getting an ipad, as well. I have a non-glare old 17 inch macbook pro and love it, so will definitely pay for the antiglare on my next one, as well. I prefer the larger screen for the laptop, and rely on an ipod touch for couch surfing, casual on-the-go use, etc. I imagine ipad would be great for that too -- but haven't had a chance to see how it looks in a darkened room with bright (tv) light reflections, whereas ipod touch is small enough so you can easily shield it from random bouncing light.
 
Two very informative replies, thanks guys!

C64 - I just liked the idea of a screen that isn't insanely reflective, but then again i guess it's not too bad just different.

Tmacfan4321 - You've really boiled down the numbers for me! When you put it like that it's defiantly not worth almost double the amount for anti-glare!

I guess having the more powerful cpu and graphics card would be nice but I don't see it making a difference on the sort of games i play on a laptop. Remember, if I'm playing a really intense game then it's on the new pc I'm gonna build. I guess this answers the question, 13" it is!

I'm also going to go for the SSD option too, a friend of mine gets 15% off being a student so do i just buy the machine 15% off with the ssd pre-installed or do i buy it base configuration and buy an after market ssd? If you think after market then what ssd would you recommend?

Thanks again, great advice!
 
Don't buy the Apple SSD: overpriced, and not the best out there. The Intel X25 is a very good choice. And with a current 13" plus a proper SSD you'll be blown away and won't have any speed-complaints for a long time.
 
Don't get an Apple-supplied drive. Aftermarket SSDs will perform much better.

If you want a combination of speed and capacity, get the X-25M. If you want speed alone, get a SandForce controlled drive like the OCZ Vertex 2, Corsair Force, or OWC Mercury.
 
I probably wouldn't bother with antiglare. I don't think the glossy is all that problematic in reality. Even the antiglare will have bright lightsources reflected, the difference is that instead of seeing sharp reflections you'll see a diffused light that is just as annoying IMO.

The high res display is all worth it though. I think it's perfect on the 15".
 
I love the AG screen but that's just because the glossy was annoying the crap out of me. I got it replaced with the HR AG and I haven't looked back. I absolutely love my 15 inch MBP. It's not all that heavy, decently small enough to carry to class and with bootcamp I can run some games pretty well on it.
 
I personally hate the Glossy screen on my 2010 13" MBP.

But, I didn't want/need a 15" (too big, more money, specs I don't need).


I can't use my laptop outside in sunlight. It just is pretty much impossible.

I really wish they made a 13" matte screen. I tried one of those 'matte' protectors and it was just god awful.
 
Hi

I went for the 15 mbp with high res and anti glare two days ago. Bought it in store and had a great demo from the sales guy who showed me ag and glossy side by side.

We spent time looking at different types of photographs and how they look on both screens. Note photo editing is what I will be using the mbp for. There is no doubt that the colours seem to have a little more saturation on the glossy but I want to be able to see true colours so I can get very close with my
Prints. Have now calibrated my ag screen using eye one and the results look fantastic. The glossy is great I am sure but the reflections were already bugging me in store which was another reason for my choice.

Best regards

Josh
 
I was thinking of trading my 13' MB in for a 15" MBP but now I'm thinking I like the small screen laying in bed or on the go, however they backlit keyboard is something thats making me crave it.

Now I found myself working from home alot and working on a 13" screen is killing my eyes. Thinking of getting a 23" or bigger monitor. Should I go HDMI or VGA out?
 
applejack22 said:
I was thinking of trading my 13' MB in for a 15" MBP but now I'm thinking I like the small screen laying in bed or on the go, however they backlit keyboard is something thats making me crave it.
Click to expand...
The 13" MBP also has a backlit keyboard.

applejack22 said:
Now I found myself working from home alot and working on a 13" screen is killing my eyes. Thinking of getting a 23" or bigger monitor. Should I go HDMI or VGA out?
Click to expand...
Most monitors are DVI, so you'll want a Mini DisplayPort to DVI cable.
 
josh bear said:
Hi
The glossy is great I am sure but the reflections were already bugging me in store which was another reason for my choice.

Best regards

Josh
Click to expand...


I loooove my glossy screen. Yes, it acts like a mirror, but AG just diffuses the light and casts a larger "glare" over the screen, too (though it's obviously diffused). I will say, though, that you can't judge the screens accurately in the Apple Store. Most of us use our computers at home or at work and we don't have insanely bright showroom lights in our rooms...
 
CBAviator said:
I loooove my glossy screen. Yes, it acts like a mirror, but AG just diffuses the light and casts a larger "glare" over the screen, too (though it's obviously diffused). I will say, though, that you can't judge the screens accurately in the Apple Store. Most of us use our computers at home or at work and we don't have insanely bright showroom lights in our rooms...
Click to expand...
The florescent lights in my school are nearly as bad as the Apple store; that's why I chose the HR AG screen.
 
Anti-glare is gorgeous. I love the higher pixel density, it makes everything so crisp and clear. Don't listen to the haters, anti-glare is where it's at! :D
 
JesterJJZ said:
Anti-glare is gorgeous. I love the higher pixel density, it makes everything so crisp and clear. Don't listen to the haters, anti-glare is where it's at! :D
Click to expand...
Don't you have the problem that everything (especially the whites) is just too bright, or that all the colors are too dull, when you're choosing the "right" brightness? That was my main problem with the AG screen.
 
C64 said:
Don't you have the problem that everything (especially the whites) is just too bright, or that all the colors are too dull, when you're choosing the "right" brightness? That was my main problem with the AG screen.
Click to expand...

Nope, haven't run into that at all...yet anyway...just got it. I have the 17" if it makes any difference.
 
i feel left out without the black boarder and glass.

i am a fan of the glass, i like apples current design, iphone, ipad, and mbp.

i find the ag brighter than the glossy mbp. i think it is duller due to the lack of gloss/glass.

alot of people on here think the current ag is the best display apple has shipped on a notebook.
 
colinthejanitor said:
Maybe next time read the thread before spamming links to others.
Click to expand...

I read the thread, and it's not spam. It's a link to an existing thread on the same topic. It will serve you well not to criticize those who offer assistance when you ask questions.

How do I start a new thread?
To start a new thread:
1. Browse or search the forums to see if there is already a thread on the topic. If so, post there instead of creating a new thread.
Click to expand...

From Forum Rules:
When other people (especially new members) fail to search and start new threads on old topics ... The best way to be helpful is by posting a link to a relevant thread
Click to expand...
 
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