Macbook Pro users: glossy or no glossy?

axc51

Hey all,



I know there has been portions of various threads here dedicated to the pros/cons, and personal reviews of the Macbook's glossy screen. But, are there any Macbook Pro users who have opted for the glossy screen over the regular one?



I currently have a Powerbook G4 Titanium from 4.5 years ago, and I'm upgrading to the 2.16ghz MBP with 2GB RAM (hopefully upgrading to 4GB in the near future), 120GB HD, etc... but I'm not sure whether I should get the glossy screen or not. How does the regular screen for the MBP compare with the screen from my current laptop? They had no display models of the MBP at my local Apple Store with the glossy screen, and I assume it'll look similar to the Macbook's screen (except bigger)?



If any of you have seen/used both the glossy screen and the regular screen on the MBPs, could you share your experiences? I would appreciate any input in helping me make this decision.

bwhaler

I hate glossy screens, but I bought my wife a MacBook, and I must say I am impressed with Apple's implementation.



The reflection, if any, is soft compared with the offerings from Dell and HP and Sony.



But the colors are so rich, it's amazing. I use a last gen 17" PB, and when I replace this, I will get the glossy.

gloss

I love the MacBook's glossy.



Love.

kmhtkmhtkmht

Glossy Sucks - I have it and it is pretty pointless and reflective in light.

gloss

I dunno. My glossy side by side with my dad's Powerbook G4, there's absolutely no comparison. Using another screen is like computing with cataracts.

untsig

i was put off on all the negative comments about the Macbooks so i went to the local Apple store to check em out for myself and i didnt find them distracting at all



of course there'll be some reflections but i found that it doesnt bother me whatso-ever. i enjoy the better looking screen and it actually helps keep ppl out of your business since its harder to view the glossy screen from an angle. another plus for me being that i like to keep my personal stuff personal.

neutrino23

I compared the glossy MB screens with the matte 17" MBP screen. For my purposes I'll go with matte. Glossy might be OK for just a single user. Frequently I give presentations just using my laptop. I think it would be too difficult to find an orientation that satisfies three or four people in an environment where I can't control the lighting.

ry-gar

Having seen both, there are advantages either way.



The glossy has a bit more glare, if you are in an environment where a bright light or reflection source is right above or behind you. It could be an issue to some, who can't ignore even the tiniest bit of glare or be bothered to tilt the screen 5 degrees or shift their chair a bit.



The matte screens we've had for years are nice, but I for one, have always been bothered by the fact that the darker shades, esp. black, appear washed out in gray and lacking in saturation. I also don't much like the way every bit of anything other than microscopic dust that winds up on the matte screen surfaces is very hard to remove without endless streaking and smearing, even using the appropriate cleaning products.



Personally, I'd prefer something in-between the two, but if I have to choose, I'll take the new glossy finish. Like most people, I am not a perfectionist OCD graphics professional and to my "untrained" eye the colors and images and pretty much everything on the glossy screen looks much more vibrant and rich and it's more than worth the trade off of a little extra glare to have the luscious color saturation and easier surface to clean.

homestar06

I was not at all considering a glossy screen on my new MBP but after reading this thread I've almost changed my mind. I'm completely hung. I'm afraid if I get the glossy screen I'll end up regreting it later and there is no going back (my only worry is like everyone else, glare). But if I don't get it, I would be missing out on the amazing colors and picture of the glossy screen. Is the glossy screen like a "normal" computer screen? I'm guessing not. Please fill me in and convince me one way or the other.

axc51

My only suggestion to you is to go to your local Apple store and check out the Macbook's screen. If you like it in there and don't find the glare annoying, then I recommend the glossy screen for you.



Since I originally posted, I convinced my girlfriend to get a black Macbook (early last week). So, I've been playing around with it in various lighting conditions, etc. I have really become fond of the glossy screen now. It grows on you... Even under high-glare conditions, the monitor seems nice and bright enough that when you look at it straight-on the glare is nearly non-existant.



After playing around with it a couple of days I decided that I'll go with the glossy screen on my Macbook Pro. This is mainly because most of the places I'll be using it (home, work, school) have relatively controlled lighting environments, and the picture just comes out amazing! Since my work involves a lot of 3D modeling and such, I think I'd enjoy the glossy screen more since I like to keep my ambient lighting to a minimum. Fortunately my boss is buying this laptop for me, so I got the MBP with glossy screen, 2gb RAM, 100gb 7200rpm HD, etc. Hopefully the order goes through soon, because I can't wait to play around with it!



Obviously, the glossy screen is mostly personal preference when it comes to the Macbook Pro model (since Macbook users don't really have a choice yet, unless they get an anti-glare screen add-on). So, my advice is to just hit your nearby Apple store and compare in-person to make the best decision for yourself.

corey

Quote:

Originally posted by Homestar06

I'm completely hung. I'm afraid if I get the glossy screen I'll end up regreting it later and there is no going back

Well, worst case you can pay the restocking fee.

recompile

I just posted a new topic (I did not see this one first) It is a complete reveiw on both screens. The Title is Glossy vs Matte Screens.

playmaker

I had a toshiba laptop for work this past year, which had the glossy screen. I did not like it at all. The glossy effect made the screen really hard to see in certain lighting (tungsten mostly).