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iMac glossy display reviews wanted

I bought a 24" iMac in February. I was happy with the glossy screen itself. Colours were amazing and picture quality was excellent. The screen was a bit too bright for my liking (on the left side only, see below). Even with brightness set to minimum, I still wished to reduce it further. I got tired in the eyes, but I guess this is just a matter of getting used to it. My big problem, though, was that the screen suffered from the gradient issue. It was extremely bright on the near middle left side of the screen and got darker on the right, with the right edge being darkish yellow in colour. For this reason I returned it, and dare not buy again.

My verdict: Glossiness - OK. Picture quality - amazing. Just hope you never experience the gradient issue.
 
This is my first glossy display on a computer (aka the iMac) and I'm loving it. It makes the Apple 17-inch studio display LCD looks inferior next to the iMac. Everything just looks shinier on the glossy screen. Since I don't have any light source behind/above me, I never had any problem regarding to reflection.
 
I had my 24" iMac for a week now.

What do you think of the glossy screen?
At first I didn't like it because I was afraid it would cause me eye strain - I work 8/10 hours a day reading and writing in front of my computer. Then I went to see the iMac again in the store after the price drop and I just bought one, as I needed a powerful Intel Mac for work but the Mac Pro just didn't fit my needs.

If you own one, have you gotten used to it?
As soon as I took it out of the box and plugged it in :)

Are you happy with the display?
Yes, it's amazing. I keep it with brightness at minimum and it's perfect. It has nice vivid colors when you look at pictures and videos, and everything is just so clear that it's even easier to read. No eye strain by now - on the contrary, it's so beautiful that I am more willing to sit down in front of it and get some work done now ;)
It's also nice to be able to just touch or wipe the front glass with a cloth without risking to scratch the display.

What sort of room/lighting/screen situations does it work in?
It's in a small room with a window on the right. The window has white curtains and it's enough to prevent disturbing reflections (which btw are only visible against black/dark colors).
 
I have had my 24" Imac, 2.4 Ghz, 3 GB Ram, GLOSSY SCREEN since December 2007.

I had enjoyed this machine from DAY ONE!!!!

There has not been ONE ISSUE with the hardware !!!

I know it twists the naysayers to hear those of us who enjoy this machine so much, they get in a twit and call us " Apple Fanboys "

Do I enjoy this machine? Yes!

Am I a " fanboy "?

Well I have been using computers since the days of the Radio Shack TRS 80, Model 1. Years of working in IT and having various Novell and Windows certifications hardly qualifies me as a " fanboy ". I can say this, my first Apple purchase since the days of the Apple II was a G4 Powerbook a little over 3 years ago. I just couldn't find a Windows notebook in the Retail channel that was built as well. I bought the Powerbook based solely on " fit and finish ", and spent the next 4-6 weeks making the 'conversion'.

I have in the past owned the Powerbook, G5 Powermac, G5 iMac, Macbook, as far as computers go. IMHO this 24" iMac surpasses my needs and expectations.

Note: I sold the G5 iMac and bought the Powermac for its " expandability ". However I never expanded the Powermac beyond adding Memory so I realized an iMac would be excellent for me. The 24" iMac gives me all that I need .....

1) Excellent computing power.
2) Large screen.
3) Portability - yes it is portable - if you do not think so than you are tooo young to remeber the early days of 15 pound laptops! :eek::D


On a scale of 1 to 10 Stars - I rate this one 11 Stars
 
harcosparky said:
3) Portability - yes it is portable - if you do not think so than you are tooo young to remeber the early days of 15 pound laptops! :eek::D
Click to expand...

A couple of times, I carried a MDD G4 and 17-inch studio display into a hotel. Some people in suit looked at me in an odd way inside the elevator. It was like 5 years ago.
 
the glossy screen of new iMac just impressive. I've used it for a month without any light reflecting problems
 
Well Not Really

Alloye said:
The complaints about the glossy display are pure drama. The LCD transmits more than enough light to cancel any glare. I adjusted to it in about five seconds.
Click to expand...

Glossy screens bother some peoples eyes. That isnt drama that is a fact. I was hooked in the eye and had problems with glossy screens and that eye but not LCD.
 
I dare say that the problem is not the reflections or the glossy display, but the display brightness (and so all kinds of bright lights). My eyes get easily red and itchy, but I'm having no problems with the iMac.
I have the display at minimum brightness and keep ambient light level similar - I avoid working in a dark room - and that's enough.

I get much more eye strain when I browse the Internet a lot on the iPhone, because of the small words and sharp contrast.
 
badcrc32 said:
Glossy screens bother some peoples eyes. That isnt drama that is a fact. I was hooked in the eye and had problems with glossy screens and that eye but not LCD.
Click to expand...

They you should make sure to not be hooked in the eye.
 
sinophilia said:
I dare say that the problem is not the reflections or the glossy display, but the display brightness (and so all kinds of bright lights). My eyes get easily red and itchy, but I'm having no problems with the iMac.
I have the display at minimum brightness and keep ambient light level similar - I avoid working in a dark room - and that's enough.

I get much more eye strain when I browse the Internet a lot on the iPhone, because of the small words and sharp contrast.
Click to expand...

For me, CRT really bugs me. I even have to tone down the brightness. Back to subject, the iMac display is indeed very bright. Right now, I set the brightness to the lowest.
 
Can't stand the glossy screen

I'm in the process of buying an iMac 24" but in a halt because of the highly reflective glossy screen. I tried a few times in the Apple store, Fry's, and Microcenter. It bothered me so much after 10 min of trying I got a headache. The store clerk told me that I could get an after market screen stick-on to reducce the reflection but I wonder where to get it...
 
I actually can't stand matte screens anymore. Been using a glossy screen for some time now on various computers and (IMO) you get a much better experience for watching video and playing games.

I don't do graphics work, and quite frankly I don't think anyone should be on an iMac -- they should be doing it on a Mac Pro.
 
Lasergod said:
I'm in the process of buying an iMac 24" but in a halt because of the highly reflective glossy screen. I tried a few times in the Apple store, Fry's, and Microcenter. It bothered me so much after 10 min of trying I got a headache. The store clerk told me that I could get an after market screen stick-on to reducce the reflection but I wonder where to get it...
Click to expand...

I found the glossy screen pretty annoying at the Apple Store as well. However, the lighting condition is totally different in my bedroom. I have been using my iMac all day without any problem. Now I wish Apple releases some glossy cinema displays.
 
minik said:
I found the glossy screen pretty annoying at the Apple Store as well. However, the lighting condition is totally different in my bedroom. I have been using my iMac all day without any problem. Now I wish Apple releases some glossy cinema displays.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your insight, Minik. I found an anti-glare screen sheet online for about 40 bucks. So I will go get the iMac. If I have problems with the glossy screen I will get the sheet.
 
I bought a glossy 24"er and didn't like the display at all. While the machine itself is amazing (power and design are awesome) I hated the screen from day one. It reflected everything in my (relatively dark) room and the screen was way to bright even in its lowest setting. I know Apple did this to compensate for the reflections but when I compared the screen quality to my 20" ACD the iMac lost in every aspect. (too bright, glossy, oversaturated, uneven backlight, and two dead pixels by the way)

I even rearanged my furniture in my room to have no back- or sidelight on my screen but I saw my fingers on my keyboard and my face in the middle of the display all the time. It was annoying.

So there was only one choice for me: send it back.

Now I wait for something better from Apple.
 
harcosparky said:
I know it twists the naysayers to hear those of us who enjoy this machine so much, they get in a twit and call us " Apple Fanboys "
Click to expand...

I bought my first Mac in 1993, buddy, and had been using them for 5 years prior to that. I'm no naysayer, but the displays on the new iMacs are below the quality I expect of Apple.

Since you brought it up, a "fanboy" is someone who mindlessly defends any decision a company makes and goes on the attack against anyone who disagrees. See, a lot of us a long-time Mac users are thrilled that people love the new iMacs, but we're also annoyed that Apple decided there should be no matte option for those of us who prefer it. I'm very happy you enjoy your iMac so much. I wish Apple made one I could enjoy. You should ask yourself why you feel the need to brand those who ask for such an option as "naysayers" and mischaracterize it like that. Nobody is hoping you hate your iMac. Your enjoyment isn't "twisting" anyone. What "twists" us is people like you who feel the need to go on these little tirades against people wanting other, perfectly reasonable options. What is it about that that bothers you so much?
 
Here's my review of the Imac 24" Alu 2.8 ghz.


1. Screen
May be good but I've no idea as it's a reflection nightmare in a dimly lit room. Even pale areas of the screen generate a lot of hassle.

2. Speed
It's a nice fast Mac. I was going to take it o 4GB but it's snappy with 2GB with a few programs open. Photoshop is a joy, as is InDesign. It has the Ati graphics card so don't know how it is for games but I don't play those so don't care. That sad, it's a £1149 computer so it should be fast it's not that Apple did a clever thing.

3. Alu Keyboard
The Alu keyboard's okay but I'll probably plug in one from my old graphite g4 as that's slightly better. People who do a lot of typing will probably use their current favourite.

4. Mighty mouse
Like all mighty Mice it's pretty crap. Well, it's okay, but any high end mouse from Microsoft or Logitech's likely to be better. The nipple thing is scratchy and unsatisfying.

5. Looks
It looks fabulous but would have looked fabulous without the black mirror effect.
 
Lasergod said:
Thanks for your insight, Minik. I found an anti-glare screen sheet online for about 40 bucks. So I will go get the iMac. If I have problems with the glossy screen I will get the sheet.
Click to expand...

They make the screen look speckled according to most reviews. The only hope is some kind of third party replacement for the mirror-like inlay.
 
iMac Glossy screen overlay

JobsRules said:
They make the screen look speckled according to most reviews. The only hope is some kind of third party replacement for the mirror-like inlay.
Click to expand...

Sleckle is what I'm afraid of. That's typical effect of any clear plastic sheet over the screen...

Do you have the link of the reviews? Thanks!
 
Well, I'm a 17 year old designer from Canada, in charge of yearbook design and production at my school. I run a lab of 15 brand new iMacs in a very well lit design studio at the school, and the screens are perfectly fine.

I also have used my uncles at his home, and the screen is amazing. Mine should arrive at my house between May 30 and June 5. :D
 
I love the glossy screen...the 24" with glossy screen is pretty amazing. It can seem too bright at times...I rarely keep the brightness all the way up. That isn't a bad thing though...it's impressive and awesome. I've had no problems with the screen so far..that I can tell. None of the condensation or gradient problems. It's just been great. Especially coming from having a 15" powerbook as my only machine to work on.
 
Well then ...

SilentCrs said:
I actually can't stand matte screens anymore. Been using a glossy screen for some time now on various computers and (IMO) you get a much better experience for watching video and playing games.

I don't do graphics work, and quite frankly I don't think anyone should be on an iMac -- they should be doing it on a Mac Pro.
Click to expand...

**********************

You must be very good looking :D

---gooddog
 
Well said. Now, Rear-view iMac for Beautiful People or Vampires ?

boeseknecht said:
Ophthalmologist recommendations:

http://www.visionworksusa.com/computereyestrain.htm
http://office-ergo.com/12things1.htm

Summary: Avoid glossy/reflective screens

And please: I've been to 2 different Apple Stores by now looking at the new models for a total of at least 1h. Basically all comments by customers were concerns about reflections and glare. If you like it or not is personal preference but it has nothing to do with people not being able to afford the new iMac. Most photographers I know will not upgrade as the screen is just unbearable for judging highlights and shadows (the previous models did pretty well at that). Those people (including me) couldn't care less about a few hundered dollars price difference. If you applaud apple actually using a worse screen on the new models (proven at least for the 20" model) please do not make unjust assumption about people with higher demands on screen quality.
Click to expand...

**********************

I did go to the Apple Store in Glendale Galleria and spent plenty of time tilting the screen and trying everything I could to see the image without also seeing a rear-view panorama. It was almost impossible.

I have an hypothesis about this disagreement: all those who love the Rear-view iMac must be exceptionally good looking individuals who love to see their mug smack in the middle of every dark scene.:p

On the other hand, they may be VAMPIRES who are preternaturally immune from this problem ( sexy vampires, of course);)

WHAT TO DO ?

I found this matte film :

http://www.photodon.com/lcdprotect-sheet.htm#applied

The pics on the site look pretty good.
The YouTube demo was good.

HOWEVER : If the film works, then certainly so will a light acid etch on the glass cover itself.

QUESTION: Does anyone know how I might get a piece of a broken glass cover to experiment with etching methods ?

( Please don't suggest I look into an iMac. Being cosmetically challenged myself, I simply do not want the Rear-view iMac. )

---gooddog
 
This thread was started a long time ago, but wanted to say that I have no problems with the glossy display. Yes, I was worried when I read about it. Yes, I wished and hoped for a matte display option. No, there isn't one.

When I looked at the machine at the store, it was obvious. But then again, the store had massively bright fluorescent lighting. When my iMac showed up at home, I booted it up next to a window, and I have no complaints. The window is to the right of the machine, to the side. I don't notice anything, but if the screen is dark black I can see myself relatively easily. How often do you stare at a black screen, however?

Happy with it. :D
 
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