[fisherKing]

i've been wrestling with screens.

want to move from my 12" powerbook (have given up waiting for an equiv-sized mbp).

went to the applestore soho, 930am today (opening time).

brought images on a flashdrive:
a black desktop background
windows for logic, reason
some photographs

loaded them on 2 15" mbps, next to each other, one glossy one matte.
also opened textedit and wrote some text.

and compared.

the dark images (desktop, logic) are definitely reflective on the glossy screen; i could see myself easily, and, tilting the screen, could see the store lights.

the matte screen handled everything well, definitely brighter & sharper than my 12" (but even the 15" alubook kicks my screen's ass...)

went back & forth. colors on the glossy looked strong, but not inaccurate.
i see the 'logic' behind the matte, especially for graphics, and probably for long hours of use (i am on my pb 12-16 hours a day often).

logic notwithstanding...i really liked the glossy screen. no, i do not want to look at myself while i work, and my desk has a window behind it, southern exposure, ie lots of light to reflect.

so...
my gut says glossy, my brain suggests matte.
1 of each? or request a split-screen option?

want to decide tonite. i have to say, either way, they're beautiful macs, so whichever one chooses, no one loses!

rant ended.

[ghporter]

My son's Dell laptop came with a glossy screen; it's a 15.4" widescreen display, just about identical size- and resolution-wise to my MBP's display. I do NOT like the glossy finish. The glossy screen catches every single bit of intruding light and reflection, while the matte screen resists a lot of intrusions. I actually sat with my back to a window this morning and the incoming light was not a problem-not right on the screen, of course, but reflecting off of everything around me. My son constantly needs to turn his computer so he gets fewer (not "zero") distracting reflections.

Glossy might be a real player for me if Apple provided a glare screen that you could put over the glossy display for when you're in an area with a lot of light sources. But the "resolution enhancing" and "higher brightness" features of the glossy screen aren't big factors for me; I like readability, and I don't deal with a lot of high-definition, high detail images, so matte wins out for me.

I hope my 2¢ was useful.

[Tomchu]

I've compared my MBP's glossy to typical glossy screens at school (Dell, Toshiba, etc.), and they're simply worlds apart.

The Dells and Toshibas of the PC world reflect light like mad, whereas the MBP simply has a much superior anti-glare coating.

[masugu]

Interesting. I recently converted two PC users to Mac. One iMac, and the other is an impending MBP purchase. Re: the latter, I am advising this noob to check out the screens in person.

I LOVE my MacBook Glossy screen, but wondering if on a larger 15.4 " screen like the MBP, if glossy would be *too much* .... whatever too much means.

Watching Quicktime, iMovie playback and certainly iPhoto is great on a glossy...Heck, I even enjoy just looking at written words on a page as well.

[fisherKing]

this is crazy, but what i might do, after all this, is my original plan:

get a 20" imac, for music and graphics.

keep my 12" powerbook, for mostly email and writing.

i LOVE carrying around the powerbook, small, lite. certainly fast enough for text!

i can always carry music/graphic work when travelling, but...
am just not in need of the 15" mbp.
more screen than i need for text (IF i get the imac)>

am going to decide tonite; thanks for all opinions,
and these forums in general, a great place for help and advice (and humor, and annoying banter...)

[iREZ]

matte > glossy in my book

[cypark621]

ive talked to mac sales man and he states that the brightness on both matte and glossy are the same. but after searching on forums people say glossy is brighter. So which one is it?

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by cypark621 

ive talked to mac sales man and he states that the brightness on both matte and glossy are the same. but after searching on forums people say glossy is brighter. So which one is it?

nature of the screen...it seems brighter...

[slpdLoad]

My only advice is to go with your gut. Get something that you feel good about. Even if it means re-arranging your workspace so the window doesn't cause glare. Haha. Get what you'll love.

[shabbasuraj]

Matte is the BOMB.

[amazing]

fisherking: if the 12" is still working for all your mobile needs, keeping it is a good option. 'Course it also means visualizing 8-12 months down the road, will you still think it's adequate? Because you'll have the iMac at that point, just better be hoping you're still OK with the 12".

Also, spending 12 to 16 hours/day, that's your deciding factor, namely reducing eye fatigue as much as you can. Reflections, constantly moving the screen around, adjusting the angle, squinting to read text or view an image against the glare, that's a sure recipe for eye fatigue. Matte's the way to go.

You don't really say why you're looking at the MBP instead of the MB. Why not be thinking of a mid-size iMac and an MB? If that's a possibility, then getting the iMac now and holding onto the 12" until the MB gets revised is not a bad scenario.

[TailsToo]

I heard in the store that the glossy screen show more vivid colors, but is harder to see outdoors.

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by amazing 

fisherking: if the 12" is still working for all your mobile needs, keeping it is a good option. 'Course it also means visualizing 8-12 months down the road, will you still think it's adequate? Because you'll have the iMac at that point, just better be hoping you're still OK with the 12".

Also, spending 12 to 16 hours/day, that's your deciding factor, namely reducing eye fatigue as much as you can. Reflections, constantly moving the screen around, adjusting the angle, squinting to read text or view an image against the glare, that's a sure recipe for eye fatigue. Matte's the way to go.

You don't really say why you're looking at the MBP instead of the MB. Why not be thinking of a mid-size iMac and an MB? If that's a possibility, then getting the iMac now and holding onto the 12" until the MB gets revised is not a bad scenario.

i still love the form factor of the 12"; the design, weight. just works for me. my fave.
gonna order an imac monday, use both, go from there.
the imac is NOT my fave (prefer black, prefer laptop keyboards), but will do nicely for my work.

will see what happens over next 6 months (in terms of mac books, etc)

[JKT]

FWIW, one thing to know about the in store Macs is that the calibration of their screens is generally not very good - for my tastes the default profiles they use always tend toward the washed out and with really poor contrast (which makes the matte screens look far worse than they actually are). If you are going to do a side by side comparison, it would be well worth your while spending a few moments calibrating the screens to suit your taste (if you can... preferences might be set up to prevent you from doing so).