Glossy vs. Matte screen on Macbook Pro?

[steve_hill4]

snip

you decide which screen looks better

Bit of an unfair comparison, even if I do agree with you. the thing is they do look great when in the right lighting conditions, but when not, the glossy screens just drop off immediately.

In saying that, works well on my Nintendo DS Lite, so they do have their uses.

 

[e-clipse]

I am glad I have a matte screen, definately! I wanted true color versus too much saturation.

 

[mark!]

Bit of an unfair comparison, even if I do agree with you. the thing is they do look great when in the right lighting conditions, but when not, the glossy screens just drop off immediately.

In saying that, works well on my Nintendo DS Lite, so they do have their uses.

The DS lite screen is fine, it's a nice little portable & you can always move it (& yourself) to fit the lighting situation, so it looks okay. But with something as big as a MacBook Pro, adjusting to the lighting conditions might be a little harder.

Go to flickr and search for matte MacBook Pros & glossy MacBooks & MacBook Pros and see which look better to you; better yet, go and see both yourself.

 

[Cybix]

matte screen all the way.

try using a glossy screen machine when outdoors (say, sipping a coffee and enjoying some toast whilst reading some news on your machine in the back yard)

(or doing a wireless site survey with the sun beating down on you)

even indoors, matte wins for me.

 

[daneoni]

Glossy screens are more vibrant and pretty but are a real pain to clean the matte is not as vibrant but clean easily. Me though i'd get a get a matte screen.

 

[AlBDamned]

Having stood under the bright lights of an Apple Store last week and comparing both glossy and matte screens side by side on both the 15" and 17" MBPs my vote would definitely go for glossy. It was just so much nicer to look at.

I didn't notice the glare in the shop on the glossy screens either.

Go for glossy

 

[miles01110]

If you plan on working outside, get matte.

Inside, get glossy.

I just got a MBP with a glossy screen and it is by far the nicest screen I've seen in quite some time. I work in dark labs all day though, so glare really isn't an issue for me. I haven't noticed too much glare when I do happen to be in bright lights though, so i dont think its too bad.

 

[dextertangocci]

GLOSSY SCREENS RULE!!!!!

 

[aristobrat]

try using a glossy screen machine when outdoors (say, sipping a coffee and enjoying some toast whilst reading some news on your machine in the back yard)

(or doing a wireless site survey with the sun beating down on you)

Funny you mention that. My partner has a 15" G4 PowerBook (matte, obviously) and I have a MacBook.

Outside on bright days, the PB's matte display completely washes out, making it impossible to read outside when the sun is overhead. If the sun is still rising or setting, he can reposition himself (i.e. face into the sun) with some success, but if the sun's "above", he has to go back inside.

With my MacBook, I just have to re-adjust the angle of my screen and I'm good to go. Zero washing out.

Indoors, there are situations where both screen types are great and situations where both screen types are poor. But generally speaking, any situation that causes a glossy screen to glare also causes a matte screen to wash out.

Just my US$.02.

 

[Angelus520]

Finally, someone who's used both! Have any of you who are railing against glossy screens actually USED one??? Or are you just going off hearsay?

I've used a TiBook, a MBP w/ matte screen, and a MB w/ glossy screen to DJ. When I had the TB and MBP, if there was any bit of bright sunlight, my screen was barely readable. The first gig I did with my MB, I was floored that I could actually read my screen in direct sunlight. I had to do a double take. Sure I had to adjust the angle up a bit, but I could read it.

Granted, I don't do color work or graphics (I'm colorblind so it wouldn't work out anyway) but I LOVE the glossy screen and the fact that I can read it outside during the day on a boat cruise.

Oh, and the person that showed both pics--nice off-angle shot of the MBP. Why didn't you stand right in front of it and get the flash glare like on the MB pic?

Funny you mention that. My partner has a 15" G4 PowerBook (matte, obviously) and I have a MacBook.

Outside on bright days, the PB's matte display completely washes out, making it impossible to read outside when the sun is overhead. If the sun is still rising or setting, he can reposition himself (i.e. face into the sun) with some success, but if the sun's "above", he has to go back inside.

With my MacBook, I just have to re-adjust the angle of my screen and I'm good to go. Zero washing out.

Indoors, there are situations where both screen types are great and situations where both screen types are poor. But generally speaking, any situation that causes a glossy screen to glare also causes a matte screen to wash out.

Just my US$.02.

 

[BackInTheSaddle]

I think you really need to look at the screens side by side to make an informed decision. I do a lot of graphics work and I was always in the anti-glossy camp until I got a MacBook. The glossy screen is beautiful and bright and I have not had any problems with reflections.

I still use a Cinema display for the majority of my work, but when I'm on the road, the glossy screen works better for me.

 

[pianoman]

i have a glossy MBP and it is very nice. i got the glossy because i thought it looked nicer than the matte but that's my opinion. yours might differ. i'd recommend you try out both. it's not that i didn't like the matte, i just liked the glossy more. if they didn't have the glossy when i picked mine up (from the apple store) i would've gotten the matte and not felt bad about it.

 

[Core Trio]

you decide which screen looks better

those pictures obviosly werent taken from the same angle, or under the same lighting. Poor way to judge. Besides, an image from a camera is not going to show the comparison like seeing it in person.

Just when I thought these threads had ended for good.

EDIT: and just to add. I was recently using my powerbook outside the other day (obviously with a matte screen) and it was almost unbearable to look at, I had to constantly hover my hand over it for shade to read text. So the myth about matte being better than glossy outside, is nothing more than that. I guess the truth is they are both bad under those conditions.

 

[AlBDamned]

those pictures obviosly werent taken from the same angle, or under the same lighting. Poor way to judge. Besides, an image from a camera is not going to show the comparison like seeing it in person.

Just when I thought these threads had ended for good.

Yeah those pictures weren't even taken in the same place FFS.

"Oh in this perfectly lit room with an off-centre angle - there's no glare on a matte screen - they must be the awesome!!!"

"Oh but on this dead centre shot in a high street store, with the flash pointed straight at the screen there was a reflection! OMFG!!! Glossy screens SUXXXORRRS!!!!"

 

[Unspeaked]

I would never trade my glossy screen for a matte one now that I've used it.

I wasn't sure at first, but it's WAY nicer.

And I actually find it easier to clean. I don't get the folks saying it's more difficult.

 

[daneoni]

Finally, someone who's used both! Have any of you who are railing against glossy screens actually USED one??? Or are you just going off hearsay?

I've used a TiBook, a MBP w/ matte screen, and a MB w/ glossy screen to DJ. When I had the TB and MBP, if there was any bit of bright sunlight, my screen was barely readable. The first gig I did with my MB, I was floored that I could actually read my screen in direct sunlight. I had to do a double take. Sure I had to adjust the angle up a bit, but I could read it.

Granted, I don't do color work or graphics (I'm colorblind so it wouldn't work out anyway) but I LOVE the glossy screen and the fact that I can read it outside during the day on a boat cruise.

Oh, and the person that showed both pics--nice off-angle shot of the MBP. Why didn't you stand right in front of it and get the flash glare like on the MB pic?

erm yeah i OWN both types, thats why i mentioned cleaning of the screens as well.

 

[bearbo]

Glossy, does not show "true" color. So for example, if your working on a graphic or editing a photo, the color on the screen, wont be the same color as if you were to print it.

Glossy gets a lot of glare with light and stuff, makeing some things harder to see. If your not useing it for graphics/photos/video editing and you will be useing it in darker areas a glossy screen is nice. However In general I would reccomend Matte.

I too am waiting for Merom MacBook Pro, sucks eh?

i disagree, glossy screen has better color than matte, richer, it is actually better for photo and video editing than its counterpart.

glare? i have glossy screen and it sits right across from the window, and around sunset time (yes, the windows opens to west, and yes, sunshine does come in) is where i'm doing most of my work in front of my MBP, didn't bother me a bit

 

[bearbo]

erm yeah i OWN both types, thats why i mentioned cleaning of the screens as well.

i haven't needed to clean my glossy screen yet, but my father had a glossy screen, it's super easy to clean.
glossy screen is flatter than matte, hense glossy, so dusts dont get tangled on the screen. c'mon, common sense?

 

[extraextra]

i disagree, glossy screen has better color than matte, richer, it is actually better for photo and video editing than its counterpart.

Richer colors = not true colors. So, what looks really vibrant and lovely on your screen will not look vibrant and lovely on another screen. Anyways there's no real point in arguing since if someone is really serious about colors he/she would get an external monitor and calibrate it.

 

[Unspeaked]

Richer colors = not true colors. So, what looks really vibrant and lovely on your screen will not look vibrant and lovely on another screen. Anyways there's no real point in arguing since if someone is really serious about colors he/she would get an external monitor and calibrate it.

Exactly.

Unless the whole world is using Apple's 13" matte screen - and using it in a controlled environment - then the whole colour argument is null.

 

[QCassidy352]

glossy. Apple's glossy screens are way better and have less glare than PC glossy screens. For a while I was deciding between keeping my MB or a last gen powerbook. Ultimately, I kept the MB because I couldn't go back to that PB screen (though to be fair, some of it was about brightness).

 

[jaxstate]

I agree. It's simple to clear my glossy screen on my MBP, but the screen on my iMac is a pain to clean.

I would never trade my glossy screen for a matte one now that I've used it.

I wasn't sure at first, but it's WAY nicer.

And I actually find it easier to clean. I don't get the folks saying it's more difficult.

 

[jbusc]

I like the glossy screen. It's actually easier to use outdoors than any other laptop I've ever used.

I have to concur on the dirty part. It's not so much that it's hard to clean, than that it seems to get dirty much quicker (perhaps because dirt shows up more). I tried my friends's iKlear, but that didn't seem to help.

 

[mark!]

those pictures obviosly werent taken from the same angle, or under the same lighting. Poor way to judge. Besides, an image from a camera is not going to show the comparison like seeing it in person.

Just when I thought these threads had ended for good.

EDIT: and just to add. I was recently using my powerbook outside the other day (obviously with a matte screen) and it was almost unbearable to look at, I had to constantly hover my hand over it for shade to read text. So the myth about matte being better than glossy outside, is nothing more than that. I guess the truth is they are both bad under those conditions.

in those pictures i think both screens look good, there isn't really gonna be a picture that you can't see a glare of the glossy screen. so that's why i used those pictures, because both look good. no where in my post did i say "the glossy screen is teh suxxx0rz" or anything.

and i think it is easier to see the macbook pro's screen outside more than the macbook's....but i don't use my computer outside anyway.

 

[JurgenWigg]

Hey Guys-
I am waiting for the new MBP with Merom to come out (aren't we all?) and I was wondering which type of screen I should get. Could some people comment on the differences to help me with my choice?
Thanks

Before I got my MacBook, I too was adamently opposed to glossy screens. I went and saw them in store and I decided it wasn't too bad, so I got one, and now I absolutely love it. I have five windows in my room right now and no glare and I absolutely love the contrast that I get on it.

I've seen the glossy MBPs and I'm not sure, because it's a larger reflecting surface, but I can guarantee you that in the sun you'll be able to see things better than with a matte screen, that just looks washed out in the sun.