Question (and a poll) for those with glossy MBP's

Glossy vs. matte. Yes, it's been asked a million times before. I have gone to numerous Apple stores (I even through a couple Best Buys in there) and in their pretty consistent spot-lighting, I still don't know which one I want, although I know which way I'm leaning.

So, for those with glossy MBP's, please post your ancecdotal experience and thoughts about your glossy screen, and while you're at it, go ahead and answer the poll as well. Thanks.

 

I have a glossy MacBook (MacBooks are only available in glossy anyway). I haven't had any real issues with it. It gives nice, vibrant colours...I don't use it under a strong light or the sun too often, but yes, it does give a reflection.

 

I also have a glossy white macbook and I like it just fine. But when watching movies I think the lighting on the top is not too good for some reason.
I was listening to a podcast and they were saying that some people were complaining about macbook and imac screens and its' colors. Its not a noticeable thing but I guess when you watch as many movies as I do you see every detail. Anyway that's my 2 cents or however you say it.

 

This is my personal preference, but matte screens usually absorb all the sunlight while glossy screens reflect it in sunlight. Since I use my notebook outdoors, I opted for glossy instead. I'm not sure how the matte Macbook Pro looks in direct sunlight, but there aren't any complaints with the glossy screen.

I also find the glossy screen more prone to scratching than the matte screens. While I haven't scratched mine yet, the matte seems more durable.

Just my two cents.

 

JonBook Pro, do more research on this topic because your advice really is inaccurate. You have given some before and I have corrected you then as I will now... sigh. First off, matte screens refract light they do not absorb any light, like all objects you see, you see it because they refract light in different directions and what you end up seeing is the surface of the material itself.

When light is reflected, the surface is extremely smooth, allowing for light rays to bounce off in same directions which allows for a more reflective surface like a glass or a mirror.

The glossy screen is the REFLECTIVE SURFACE meaning it will perform worse in sunlight than a matte screen which is a REFRACTIVE SURFACE. Glossy screens reflect a lot more than matte screens do because of this fact and would obviously have more issues with glare, especially with sunlight or outdoors.

From JonBook's explanation I would say that he does not have very much experience with matte screens, either that, or he is horrible at describing them. No offense meant of course. I do agree with what he said about durability though...

 

Depends on what you're going to use your machine for. If you're going to be using it in professional environments, for example at work or for graphics design, then definitely get Matte since glossy makes colours inaccurate and will make you look very unprofessional.

If all you're going to do is gaming and watch movies on it, then a glossy screen would probably be more suitable, since it enhances contrast making colours look more vibrant.

 

I'll second that.

 

I didn't get a MBP, but still on my first laptop ever.... "Took a chance on glossy and love it".

 

I'm not an an MBP, but rather an iMac.

I had been reading all the complaints about the glossy screens (for MBs, MBPs, and iMacs) on these forums and the MacRumors forums. People seemed to either completely love it or hate it, with very little in between.

I was worried that I'd end up hating the glossy. I always planned on getting a matte MBP when I got one for college. However, now after experiencing the glossy screen on the iMac, I must say that I'm definitely getting the glossy for my MBP.

Yes, it does have tons of reflections. Pretty much any part of the screen that's black turns into a pseudo mirror. That really doesn't bother me, though, and the colors really do seem to fly out of the screen.

But like others have said, if you're going to be doing professional work, then undoubtedly get a matte screen.

 

an outstanding glossy.

 

BOO GLOSSY! I would say that this poll is misleading. It is more of a 50% split on all other threads I have seen...Where the heck are the matte people???

 

if you do graphics work that needs to be color specific, the glossy is NOT for you.

otherwise, get it, youll be happy.

 

matte is on my MBP and i would never go with a gloss, school use gloss and they have horrible viewing angle and relfect everything

 

boomshakalaka it's good.

 

Not sure what Jonbook is talking about, but the glossy is much harder to read outdoors.

My coworker and I decided to try to work outside a few days ago, it was nice a sunny. Went to a shaded area, and I couldn't my screen at full brightness. His MBP is matte and I could read it fairly well (still strained the eyes some).

The glossy is fine in office settings though. It's not a super high gloss like some other notebook screens (sony's high gloss lcd's are really hard to read with any light shining on them).

Last year I actually got a MBP (matte) from my old job to use for a while (setup Eclipse and some other stuff on it) and was often using my glossy MBP next to that one. Much preferred the matte.

There isn't a huge difference between the two though. I noticed that when I was constantly using the two next to each other. The matte was more evenly lit than the glossy (by that I mean there were no points of reflection that threw off the display).

But yeah... next time... I'm all matte.

 

My mistake then. Thanks for the correction.

 

I guess the matte people aren't here because I didn't ask the people who owned matte MBP's a question.

Actually, if I was doing work that required accurate colors, I wouldn't depend on any laptop monitor, matte or glossy.

Your school has a bunch of random glossy MBP's for the students to use? Must be nice.

 

different manufacture, create different coatings.

there is nothing wrong with either of them with concern to reflection.

the apple's glossy has a nice AR coating which works pretty well. if you find yourself bath with reflection, you could increase the screen's brightness or angle the screen. it does gives reflection, but not as bad as other laptop such as HP's offering.

i was very pleasantly surprised by apple's matte screen when i first saw them. they are superb. not too matte-ish not too glossy-ish. they are almost perfect. there are varying level of matte screen finish. this one just hit the sweet spot i think. almost no reflection, but without the annoying textured pattern.

heres the thing. just think of the most important point that make or break the screen.

/!\ if you want screen with more intense saturated colour (altough artificial - not colour accurate) get the glossy

/!\ if you want accurate colour reproduction get the matte

-with glossy you get brighter screen.

-the matte is easier to clean and do not show dust and smudge as much as glossy one does. cleaning streak is less noticable on matte than on glossy.

 

thats a bitter response so you're basically want us to convince you to get glossy screen? you're a picky person for someone who wanted other people's helps. and these people nice enough to answer your question. WHICH HAS BEEN ASKED A LOT in this forum and the net. you should at least try to word the reply politely.

well... not unless you're a professional. it is nice to have accurate colour representation everywhere.

the MBP is very popular. the 15" variants is getting very common. a lot of school/college/university has been known to use mac laptop for a while, especially the art dept.

 

I wouldn't call my response bitter, I'd just call it truthful. And yes, basically I'm leaning heavily towards a glossy screen, and wanted to hear from those who owned glossy Macbook Pros to get their thoughts on their decision to buy said glossy-screened computer. Somebody said that my poll was misleading, and I responded. My poll was worded the way it was on purpose. And yes, when it comes to researching a $2,000 purchase, I'm picky.

I didn't want to know if glossy or matte was more popular in this forum.

I didn't want to know if people liked their Dell, Sony or Macbook glossy screens...they're glossy, but they're not the glossy screen that I'm considering purchasing.

I wanted to know two things:
A) The attitude of those who bought glossy-screened Macbook Pros going into the purchase
B) Their end state (level of satisfaction) after having made that purchase

 

I like the appearance of my glossy MB screen. I like the smudge and fingerprint resistance of my Dell matte screen. I voted for glossy. If I were to get a MBP, a glossy screen would not be a deterrent for me.

 

I have a glossy MBP, and I've been using both glossy MBPs and matte powerbooks extensively. I prefer the matte PowerBooks. As you can see in my signature, my glossy MBP is stolen and I am about to buy a new one, my choice is the matte. BUT I DID NOT REGRET BUYING MY GLOSSY.

It's just personal preference since I am a programmer and I stare at the screen for hours. Matte screen are easier for the eyes for prolonged use.

Keep in mind that, you can always change between matte and glossy by applying a thin film/protector. http://www.powersupportusa.com/ have really good LCD protectors, glossy and matte.

 

Well, that doesnt deserve a response does it, ha?

If your so picky about a 2000$ laptop, none of our answers are gonna help you decide. Im picky too, but I make my picky purchases myself

the glossy, IMO is prettier. And since I use it for "at home" use, its perfect.