[pcryan5]

I find there is a noticable difference in quality between the Macbook and Macbook Pro display. Letters in my Macbook are not consistent in color depth (?) (Parts of the letter is darker black then others.)

I realize the Pro uses the ATI chip and the macbook uses the Intel GMA 950 - but the difference is so noticable.


Do others find the display - sort of ... ?

[uicandrew]

possibly basic question, but what kind of display does the aforementioned macbook pro have?.....glossy or matte? the macbooks all have glossy screen, but the macbook pros have matte and glossy display options.

glossy and matte have very different appearances. glossy is much more vivid, but it is not as versatile (ie - fluorescent lights cause glare/reflection, which is bad for students since most institutions have fluorescent lighting in classrooms/libraries to save money)

glossy only appeared for the first time with the macbooks, but they have been in the pc world for a long time.

[mduell]

The MacBook and MacBook Pro both have 6-bit displays, and the video card should have no impact on the color depth or consistency.

As the other poster asked, are you comparing a matte MBP to a glossy MB?

[pcryan5]

Thanks - it is a brand new Macbook - and an one year old Macbook Pro. Sorry for the lunk query - but how can I tell if my display is glossy or matte?

[uicandrew]

Originally Posted by pcryan5 

Thanks - it is a brand new Macbook - and an one year old Macbook Pro. Sorry for the lunk query - but how can I tell if my display is glossy or matte?

they introduced the glossy option on may 16th 2006. other than that, if your macbook pro is off, and you can clearly see your reflection (ie - may not be bright, but the outline is very definitive), you have a glossy screen.

if you can use your screen as a mirror, you have a glossy screen

[Tomchu]

Originally Posted by uicandrew 

but it is not as versatile (ie - fluorescent lights cause glare/reflection, which is bad for students since most institutions have fluorescent lighting in classrooms/libraries to save money)

That's funny, because I'm a full-time student, and I use my glossy MBP in bright, fluorescent-lit lecture halls and classrooms all day long -- and my screen tops every other laptop screen I see in terms of readability. I have to wonder if you guys that keep ragging on glossy displays for their "glare" problems have actually used one in a typical environment. :-|

Oh, and it's perfectly usable outside on a sunny day. I couldn't say the same for the two laptops I owned before the MBP with matte displays. I call that versatility.

Anyway, to answer the original poster's question ... yes, the MacBook Pros definitely appear to have a better screen. It's brighter, for one, but the contrast/color range also seems to be considerably better.

[uicandrew]

Originally Posted by Tomchu 

That's funny, because I'm a full-time student, and I use my glossy MBP in bright, fluorescent-lit lecture halls and classrooms all day long -- and my screen tops every other laptop screen I see in terms of readability. I have to wonder if you guys that keep ragging on glossy displays for their "glare" problems have actually used one in a typical environment. :-|

apple actually only started using glossy displays because of the advances in "glossy screen technology." as i said, pcs have been using them for a while, and the generalization was that fluorescent lights do wreak havok on glossy screens. I do like my macbook glossy screen as well. i wish my imac could have a glossy screen, but alas, not so.

what is very telling is going to best buy and looking at the glossy screen pc laptops, since the place is flooded with fluorescent lighting. on the bright side, no one can stand behind me unnoticed if i am using my glossy screen.