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gekko513

macrumors 603
Oct 16, 2003
6,301
1
Here you can see the problem with the glossy screens for yourself.
glare.jpg


(It's from the gallery of a guy who already bought a Macbook. link.)
 

Diatribe

macrumors 601
Jan 8, 2004
4,258
46
Back in the motherland
milo said:
Marketing aside, if someone compares both side by side, and prefers the "glossy"...is there anything wrong with them making that choice? Are you really opposed to personal preference?

As I said in the other threads and in other posts... choice is a good thing. I love that you can choose it on the MBP that's why I was wondering why you can't on the MB.
 

DavidLeblond

macrumors 68020
Jan 6, 2004
2,351
699
Raleigh, NC
Can someone smarter than me explain how putting a layer of glossy plastic over the screen makes the color better? If I wanted my ugly mug staring back at me on a MacBook, I could just turn on the iSight...
 

lavem

macrumors member
Apr 19, 2005
80
28
I've used a glossy Sony Vaio and I hate those screens so much. Headache and distraction city here we come.

I really wish they offered an option (like MBP). Why the hell did manufactures spend years developing anti-reflective anti-glare coatings??? Some dumb magpie brained fool sees a shiny screen and thinks its better. Wrong! They get home and have to shut themselves in a dark cupboard just so they cant see their own face whilst typing away. Bah, I hope they are out of fashion when I get my next laptop.

On the plus side they have done a tripple A+ job on these babies. Appart from the above gripe... I really want one. :eek:)
 

grabberslasher

macrumors 6502
Aug 2, 2002
409
1
Éire
It's great that there's an option now on the MBP. I'm thinking of getting a 17" MBP but I'm not sure if I want the glossy screen. Yeah it looks cool, but from experience I have awful trouble with glossy screen PC laptops here at school. Pity they didn't update the 17" with faster procs today too :D
 

starstreak

macrumors 6502
Dec 5, 2004
456
11
its a personal preference. I like the glossy. doesnt both me. I dont sit out in the sun and indoors I dont have it pointing up at lights. Yes there is glare, but what he's showing is the worse. I would prefer the richer colors it ads.
 

jer2eydevil88

macrumors 6502
Feb 6, 2004
254
2
USA
The glossy screen on my desktop is fine because its inside but I would NEVER want one on my laptop. Imagine trying to read a map on your laptop screen while at a stoplight but you can't because the damn screen is reflecting so badly.

BTW I travel with my notebook and use it for that kind of thing all the time.
 

starstreak

macrumors 6502
Dec 5, 2004
456
11
And for that reason its a good thing apple sells the notebook with the matt finish.

jer2eydevil88 said:
The glossy screen on my desktop is fine because its inside but I would NEVER want one on my laptop. Imagine trying to read a map on your laptop screen while at a stoplight but you can't because the damn screen is reflecting so badly.

BTW I travel with my notebook and use it for that kind of thing all the time.
 

count chocula

macrumors 6502a
Diatribe said:
As I said in the other threads and in other posts... choice is a good thing. I love that you can choose it on the MBP that's why I was wondering why you can't on the MB.

other examples of problems with the glossy screens these glossy screens are kinda scaring me away from the macbook and towards the macbook pro. plus i want a backlit keyboard

IMG_0366.jpg
IMG_0365.jpg
 

ryanb

macrumors newbie
Feb 7, 2006
10
0
Like most of you, I was very, very skeptical regarding these glossy screens. My boss asked me to order two MacBooks immediately after they were announced. In short, they've arrived and I've spent the last two days with them. I've viewed the screens in every lighting situation I could think of (multiple outdoors environments, flourescent lighting, etc., etc.). My opinion has been radically altered.

This is a nice screen! Generally speaking, any glare is easily corrected by tilting the screen 1/4 of an inch, up or down. It's that simple.

What's next? I'm ordering a MacBook Pro and I'm choosing the glossy option. Sorry guys...seeing is believing.
 

Cooknn

macrumors 68020
Aug 23, 2003
2,111
0
Fort Myers, FL
Those pictures don't tell the real story. This screen (yeah I'm looking at it right now) is a thing of beauty. I was very skeptical as well. Now I am SOLD. It is so clear that everything else pales in comparison. Even my (dare I say this) 23-inch Cinema Display :eek: My next Mac purchase is gonna be a killer. I'll wait for Adobe CS3 then I'm pulling the trigger on a new Mac Pro and Glossy 23-inch Display. I hope they do it :p
 

ravenvii

macrumors 604
Mar 17, 2004
7,585
493
Melenkurion Skyweir
I saw all those pictures, and I have seen the Sony "XBrite" screens. I was also a skeptic of those new-fangled "glossy" LCD's.

Until I went to the Apple Store today and actually played around with one of those MacBook thingies. And the screen was awesome. The glare isn't as bad as those pictures imply, and the screen is very nice-looking.
 

marchcapital

macrumors regular
Feb 22, 2006
207
0
Canada
Sorry about the multiple posts:confused: ...what can i say, im using a pc...

EDIT: Moderaters, please help me clean up this mess.
 

MACDRIVE

macrumors 68000
Feb 17, 2006
1,695
3
Clovis, California
I think matte is better than glossy because you have to stay away from any bright light source (sun, windows, bright lamps) to use the glossy screen.

I will cry if i have to get a glossy screen on a MBP in the future when i retire my powerbook.

I totally agree with both of those statements. ;)
 

bursty

macrumors 65816
Jan 31, 2004
1,002
5
Glossy screens rule. The matte displays get so washed out in any kind of bright light or sunshine. Glare is not NEARLY as big of a problem as everyone is making it out to be. But, as previously stated, its all personal preference.
 

matticus008

macrumors 68040
Jan 16, 2005
3,330
1
Bay Area, CA
MACDRIVE said:
glare.jpg



That would drive me absolutely insane. There is no way in hell I would buy one of those. :cool:
You would never use the MacBook from that angle. Heads on, direct viewing angles don't pose any kind of threat to visibility. If there's a glare, tip the screen slightly or move the computer a few inches. It really is that simple, just like you have to adjust the PowerBooks to get the proper color/contrast. The people actually going to look at the MacBooks are coming to this conclusion. Everyone else is just spreading FUD.

Everyone complaining about the glare and using them outside has obviously never owned one of these displays. They are hands down 10 times better outdoors than the PowerBook displays, except if the sun is shining directly on the screen. Then, they're only twice as good.

There's nothing wrong with preferring the matte finish, but saying that there's a serious glare problem that makes them less useful is an attempt to make one objectively better, when the only real differences are subjective. Non-direct viewing on the matte displays are lacking in color, contrast, and clarity. Non-direct viewing on the glossy displays shows reflections. Either way, it's sub-optimal. Direct viewing, however, the glossy displays are much nicer--better color, contrast, clarity, brightness, and not riddled with glare.
 

Deepdale

macrumors 68000
May 4, 2005
1,965
0
New York
The varied opinions expressed within this thread have been very helpful in highlighting potential pitpalls and perhaps averting more cases of buyer's remorse. As someone who intensely dislikes reflection on a screen and has been spending time with the MBs, I feel there is exaggeration in some of the dire claims. I initially thought I was going to have to categorically rule them out, but it may turn out to be more of an issue as to whether to go with black or white.
 

witness

macrumors 6502
Apr 7, 2005
435
0
Austria
I have both at MBP (matte) and a MB (shiny) and I have to say that I prefer the screen on the MB. It is much brighter than the one on the MBP, which means that I can turn down the brightness and get longer battery life than I can with the MBP. And as many have pointed out, when viewing directly there is virtually no reflection on the MB. I my opinion the extra brightness and contrast make it worth having the glossy screen.

You also need to bear in mind that reflection often shows up more when taking photographs (unless you have a polarising filter), so unless you have seen one in real life (away from the bright lights of an apple store) it's very difficult to pass judgement.
 
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