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Which one of the new MBP screens would you choose?

  • Glossy

    Votes: 57 31.1%
  • Non-Glossy, Matte

    Votes: 126 68.9%

  • Total voters
    183

nylon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 26, 2004
1,407
1,058
Hey guys which one of the new MBP screens do you prefer? Why and why not?
 

khisayruou

macrumors 6502a
Aug 21, 2004
539
0
Matte...no glare and you can use it in nearly all lighting conditions.
If you want to see yourself in the screen, then use the isight.
Ummm...no glare.
 

Spanky Deluxe

macrumors demi-god
Mar 17, 2005
5,285
1,789
London, UK
Hmmm, 10 love. Does anybody like glossy screens?!!

I remember when the Sony laptops started using them a couple of years ago. They looked great indoors with the lights off, I mean they looked amazing. As soon as a light was on in the room though, even a little candle, you could see everything in the room on your little screen than you could your desktop.
 

discoforce

macrumors 6502a
Jan 27, 2004
575
0
Vermont, USA
For what it's worth, I find it much easier to see my wife's glossy (gateway) laptop screen outside than my powerbook's screen. However, I do not have the newer, brighter, MBP screen.
 

~Shard~

macrumors P6
Jun 4, 2003
18,377
48
1123.6536.5321
I think the bigger issue here is not whether or not the glossy screen is bad or not, but why Apple didn't make it an option for the MB like they have done for the MBP. Choice is a good thing. :cool:
 

Diatribe

macrumors 601
Jan 8, 2004
4,258
46
Back in the motherland
~Shard~ said:
I think the bigger issue here is not whether or not the glossy screen is bad or not, but why Apple didn't make it an option for the MB like they have done for the MBP. Choice is a good thing. :cool:

Yes, what I have been saying all along. Without choice I know a lot of people that won't buy one.
 

Diatribe

macrumors 601
Jan 8, 2004
4,258
46
Back in the motherland
kkapoor said:
Hey guys which one of the new MBP screens do you prefer? Why and why not?

Without wanting to repeat myself but:

A glossy screen, makes colors more vivid, has better contrast, etc. but only if you're in a dark room. If there's any light shining onto the display you'll get a reflection like a mirror.

Now please anyone tell me again you want one. Only Apple can market a bug as a feature...:rolleyes:

I think most people that want a glossy screen have never used it for a pronlonged period of time, outside or with lighting inside.
 

milo

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2003
6,891
523
Diatribe said:
Now please anyone tell me again you want one. Only Apple can market a bug as a feature...:rolleyes:

So if it's a "bug", why are they adding it for the first time? I would have to assume that glossy screens are selling, there's some demand for them, right?
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
milo said:
So if it's a bug, why are they adding it for the first time? I would have to assume that glossy screens are selling, there's some demand for them, right?

It really isn't a bug. I mean, Apple does do this (market limitations as features) on enough occasions and succeed, but X-Brite and similar screens were developed, proved out in market testing, and succeed in the market because people want them. Even if no one here likes them. Even if you're objectively correct in calling them inferior, there are enough users who consider them subjectively superior for them to be desired.....
 

discoforce

macrumors 6502a
Jan 27, 2004
575
0
Vermont, USA
Diatribe said:
Without wanting to repeat myself but:

A glossy screen, makes colors more vivid, has better contrast, etc. but only if you're in a dark room. If there's any light shining onto the display you'll get a reflection like a mirror.

Now please anyone tell me again you want one. Only Apple can market a bug as a feature...:rolleyes:

I think most people that want a glossy screen have never used it for a pronlonged period of time, outside or with lighting inside.

LOL, okay I want one, and that's because I've used both for extended periods of time. I'm surprised it took Apple this long.

With that said, it should definitely be a choice as it is for most other laptops.
 

Diatribe

macrumors 601
Jan 8, 2004
4,258
46
Back in the motherland
mkrishnan said:
It really isn't a bug. I mean, Apple does do this (market limitations as features) on enough occasions and succeed, but X-Brite and similar screens were developed, proved out in market testing, and succeed in the market because people want them. Even if no one here likes them. Even if you're objectively correct in calling them inferior, there are enough users who consider them subjectively superior for them to be desired.....

The thing is that just by calling them x-brite, supper glossy, super everything, people are more likely to buy them. Thaat doesn't mean they're good.

Marketing makes people buy stuff they normally wouldn't.
 

Kreamy

macrumors member
Jan 2, 2005
92
0
Diatribe said:
The thing is that just by calling them x-brite, supper glossy, super everything, people are more likely to buy them. Thaat doesn't mean they're good.

Marketing makes people buy stuff they normally wouldn't.

And whom better than Apple to do so?

The lack of availability of a screen type option on the MacBook is in homage to Apple's old antics of purposely limiting the iBook so that the Powerbook had the upper hand.
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Diatribe said:
Marketing makes people buy stuff they normally wouldn't.

This is very true.... *le sigh* But it looks, sir, like if you want a notebook computer, you are going to, in the very near future, be completely stuck with a glossy display. At this rate, there aren't going to be a lot of other options soon....
 

yadmonkey

macrumors 65816
Aug 13, 2002
1,321
853
Western Spiral
Glossy screen vs. Matte screen

Now that the MB is available with a glossy screen AND the MBP is available with a glossy screen option as well, I'm wondering what people see as the pros and cons.

I've seen the glossy screen on a PC before and it looked nice, but I didn't get to play with it long enough to formulate a preference one way or another. Is one better for photo-editing? Are glossy screens better/worse in the outdoors?

[Moderator note: threads merged]
 

iHeartTheApple

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
338
0
Boston, MA
Haha, I was *just* going to post a thread about this. :D I would like to know what people have to say about this too. I've always seen the pc laptops with glossy screens and thought, "wow, that's pretty cool." Though, now that Apple has made the option available at no extra charge, I'm not so sure about it.

My main concern would be whether or not there is a difference in the ability of the glossy screen to resist becoming dirty, oily, or scratched as compared to the matte screen. I love my 17" PB matte screen, but I don't know if I want my 17"MBP to be glossy or not...:eek:
 

entropy1980

macrumors regular
May 14, 2003
213
0
Canyon Country, CA
Here's my $.02....

I have a Dell 700m which has the glossy screen, about the same size as the MB. I love it. I don't see glare unless I am viewing at some strange angle which in a way is nice.... why you ask? Well keeps nosy people from looking at what you are doing. Seriously. I cancelled my MBP 17" order this morning and re-ordered it with the glossy screen. Before anybody flames I am a web developer and am staring at the dang screen all day long and glossy screens have never bothered me as long as I am not looking at it from some odd angle.
 

rye9

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2005
1,347
77
New York (not NYC)
I prefer the matte screen over the glossy only because I am always working in front of a window... and I usually get a horrible glare with this screen, there's no way I would ever get a glossy screen... but other people work in different conditions.
 

count chocula

macrumors 6502a
matte is better because things like this dont happen:

IMG_0365.jpg
IMG_0366.jpg
glare.jpg
 

entropy1980

macrumors regular
May 14, 2003
213
0
Canyon Country, CA
count chocula said:
matte is better because things like this dont happen:
Yeah but I usually don't have a flash bulb or light strapped to my head while I am looking at my screen. Also of note all the pics have screens tilted towards lights.... of course they are going to reflect...
 

Kermy

macrumors member
Mar 29, 2004
73
22
entropy1980 said:
Yeah but I usually don't have a flash bulb or light strapped to my head while I am looking at my screen. Also of note all the pics have screens tilted towards lights.... of course they are going to reflect...

Yea I also don't wear a light strapped to my head BUT I have overhead lights, lights in the room, the sun, etc that WILL reflect off the screen.
 

mopppish

macrumors 6502
Nov 27, 2005
356
1
Agreed, entropy.
When my ibook G4's screen is pointing up towards the light, I may not get a glare, but I sure as hell can't read the screen very well anymore. Both of these screens have their share of problems, and as much as I like the matte screens, they get washed out very easily from ambient light. I'll take either one, as long as it's on a mac!
 
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