Studio: matte vs glossy finish

I asked this first in the general Dell forum, then realized that my question is really specific just to the Studio model because that's the one I'll get. Is anyone here familiar with the "finish" option on the Studio? I was told over the phone that if I get black or white, it will come in a glossy finish, and if I get one of the colors, it will come in a textured matte finish. I prefer the matte finish, because glossy plastic finishes are a big problem---my palms stick to the plastic.

Thanks,
Mike

 

I've got the black matte studio and can confirm that it will pick up every single fingerprint available.

 

I have the "midnight blue" studio 1535 and it's not glossy (compared to HP) but if your fingers are a bit sweaty or oily, it will leave fingerprints. Also, it's hard to clean off dust on it. Because its surface isn't as smooth as the HP, dust tend to stick on it more. My old Inspiron 6000 silver cover is better, no dust or fingerprint. It's grainy silver but smooth enough that you can wipe off the dust with your fingers or small air blows.

Jet Black should has same material like any other colors. You can check it out in store at Best Buy.

 

If you are worried about fingerprints and dust and have an open mind about colors, I would suggest a lighter color. I had a plum purple Studio and it looked like it was constantly covered in dust. I now have a spring green and I cannot see dust or fingerprints on it since it is a lighter color.

 

Me, the OP, doesn't care about fingerprints at all. My problem with glossy finishes is that my skin sticks to glossy plastic, so that as I type my wrists and palms are constantly sticking, then sliding, then sticking, then sliding. Am I the only one with skin that does this? Maybe I have oily skin?

I have this same problem with plastic MIDI keyboards with a glossy finish. It must not be that common, because if a lot of people had this problem they wouldn't be able to sell the things.

Of course, the touchpad creates the same problem for me, if it's glossy. The newest HPs are dreadful. Completely unusable by me. All the Dells are fine because they all use a similar surface on the touchpad regardless of the finish of the case.

 

I had to make a decision regarding glossy/matte too. I ordered a jet black S15 a couple of weeks ago and ended up having to return it. But, I did come to the realization that I would not order the matte finish when I customized my replacement for it. The jet black matte finish picked up lots of fingerprints and was not easy to clean off. I learned that the only glossy finish they offer for the S15 are the graphite grey options. I decided to go with this instead, way easier to clean off and wipe off fingerprints.

 

No real issues with the matte black here. Sure, it'll get some finger prints on it. But I wipe down laptop once a week and it looks good.

You people need to stop eating fries while on the computer. hehe

 

Do you mean glossy black? I'm getting confused. The last two posters have referrred to jet black as the "matte" finish. Of course one was an S15. I was told on the phone, and saw personally at Best Buy, that "jet black" is a glossy finish (on the Studio).

From what I can tell, it sounds like people are saying the glossy finish picks up fingerprints (but they are easy to wipe off) and the matte finish picks up dust (which is not easy to wipe off).

 

If you order a jet black S15 it will be a matte finish. As far as I know the S15's do not have a glossy black option. If they did I would have went that route since I wanted glossy AND black. But, the first S15 that I ordered was jet black and matte. The ONLY glossy options available right now for the S15's are the graphite grey options.

If you don't want to deal with fingerprints/oily marks/easily seen scratches I would go with one of the glossy graphite grey options. I'm a stickler for things like that so when I saw the jet black matte finish I knew it wasn't for me.

Let us know what you decide

 

Exactly!! .. I dont even handle mine it with my bare hands , I keep a cloth handy to do that.
But totally love the color, absolutely love it.

 

Now I'm doubly confused. The black is supposed to be the glossy, not the matte. I notice you edited your post today. Did you change the wording?

 

All studio 15's are having Matte finish except those Ming edition and the grey Graphite ones ...

 

The black Studio 15 at Best Buy is definitely the glossy finish (like a mirror).

I was told by a Dell representative the the jet black finish is glossy. All color finishes are matte.

Do we all agree on what "matte" and "glossy" mean? "Glossy" means like a mirror. "Matte" can be very smooth, but not like a mirror.

 

Check up the thread mentioned below for some pictures, especially the Jet Black ones.

Code:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=280663&highlight=studio+15+pictures

 

The Graphite Grey attracts fingerprints, but they are not very visible because of the color. I still keep a microfiber cloth in my bag to wipe it down. Your fingerprints will show up the most on the panel with the speakers and touch-sensitive buttons.

 

The last time I saw a Studio at Best Buy, I believe the palm rest and keys were a slightly matt finish, almost like a semi-gloss. They were'nt the super gloss, tacky looking finish HP or Toshiba are currently using. The finish on the Studio lid was totally different. It was a slightly rubberized no-slip type feel, almost like some Motorola cell phones.

 

yeah I did, the finish is matte black. And it smudges very easy, you have to take them off with a soft cloth.