[B Gallagher]

Simple question - if you had the option to choose, would you prefer a matte or a glossy display on your Mac laptop?

[Railroader]

Glossy works for me. I do primarily semi-pro photography work with my Mac.

[headhog70]

Matte for me. I will not buy a glossy screen.

If Apple does not sell a matte screen notebook, I'll have to switch to PCs.

[DKeithA]

Glossy. If Apple is not going to offer both, then glossy is best.

[hyteckit]

I have no preference. However, I think it's easier matting a glossy screen than making a matte screen glossy.

[BigWheel88]

I thought I would hate a glossy screen after using a powerbook with matte for so long. but it doesn't really bother me and i never really notice any major glare/reflection with my macbook. only thing is that when it is clean it looks beautiful but if the screen gets slightly dirty it looks horrible. where with the matte screen I could deal with a dirty screen a bit longer.

[joe]

I have a Black MacBook with Glossy screen and 24" White iMac with matte. Tho I prefer the matte I could probably live with a glossy iMac by just re-arranging my desk to minimize reflections. But with a notebook the reflections and glare are harder to avoid because you're constantly moving from location to location. Hopefully some 3rd party will come up with an anti-glare solution similar to what's available for the iPhone and iPod touch.

[SierraDragon]

Polling is irrelevant. We already know consumers like glossy, that is why Apple makes 'em. A righteous poll (not available here, the sample is inadequate) of consumers will show heavy weighting of glossy.

My beef with lack of matte display choices is as regards mobile graphics pros. For our small-but-important market segment the matte display issue is huge.

-Allen Wicks

[B Gallagher]

Originally Posted by SierraDragon 

Polling is irrelevant. We already know consumers like glossy, that is why Apple makes 'em. A righteous poll (not available here, the sample is inadequate) of consumers will show heavy weighting of glossy.

My beef with lack of matte display choices is as regards mobile graphics pros. For our small-but-important market segment the matte display issue is huge.

-Allen Wicks

Very relevant comments, but it's always been my impression that the MacBook was Apple's laptop aimed at consumers, whereas the MacBook Pro is Apple's laptop aimed at professionals. I personally am not a mobile graphics pro, but I simply prefer matte displays. If there are any more authoritative polls available regarding customer preference on matte vs. glossy, I'd be very interested to see them.

This poll was not intended to provide the views of the consumer base at large, but instead for interest to see the general opinions of MacNNers overall, as there have been very strong arguments for and against both types of displays in other threads.

[OreoCookie]

I find it a bit disconcerting that anyone who wants a glossy display is automatically presumed to be a consumer. I actually don't care whether my display is glossy or matte (this choice is missing in the poll!), I care about the gamut, brightness, contrast and (with notebook screens) also whether it's a 6-bit or an 8-bit panel.

Most people I've talked to (and yes, they use their Macs professionally, too) who switched from matte to glossy displays have gotten used to it rather quickly. Glare was a much more serious problems with CRTs, because you have had a much harder time to see the picture (the surface of CRTs is covered with the same material as the new Apple displays, glass). Professional color-accurate CRTs came with blinds to prevent just that.

I think part of the professional market will get used to glossy displays just like `the consumers.' Besides, third-party manufacturers will start to make matte films for Apple displays.