glossy screen (or not) pros and cons DISCUSS

rollee · Jul 15th, 2006, 01:51 AM

i really like the look of glossy screen, which looks very expensive.
i have not used the glossy screen for more than a few minutes, and are very comfortable with the original / standard screen on my cinema displays and powerbooks.

i like to hear your opinions and discussions, and please correct me if i am mistaken.

the glossy screen:

Can be more difficult to view under bright day light because of glare?
It is more difficult to clean because scratches show up easier?
Upon extensive use will the eyes get tired easier?

I am used to pairing my powerbook with the cinema display running dual screen, will one glossy next to standard look odd while working?

Does the user's usage dictate its screen preference? like final cut to photoshop to MS office?

Specs on the contrast, colour and brightness all absolutey identical?

Which screen is in higher demand or has better/less resale value?
If the glossy screen is so nice and preferred as some people posted, is it eventually making its way across the apple product line?
then there will be so much more headache....

madgunde · Jul 15th, 2006, 09:08 AM

I think most of those points have already been discussed in other threads, but here are my 2¢:

Glossy screens are only good to look at in dimly lit or dark rooms with few light sources. In a typical office for instance, where the ceiling is covered with fluorescent lamps, or a room with lots of windows on a sunny day, it's pain to find a viewing angle where you aren't getting glare. Dust, finger prints and scratches will show more. The glossy screen probably scratches easier too. Using a glossy screen outdoors on a sunny day would be frustrating, so would using it in a car on a long trip on a sunny day. I took a road trip to Montreal from Toronto on Canada Day weekend, and tried to kill the time playing PSP and watching a movie on my MacBook Pro. The PSP, which has a high-gloss screen was very difficult to use because I could hardly see the picture with all the glare. The MacBook Pro's screen (non-glossy) was quite usable. Much better than previous iBooks and 12" PowerBook I've owned in the past and tried to use in-car. The brightness/contrast increase Apple added in the last round of PowerBooks, which carried over to the MacBook Pro really makes a difference.

The non-glossy screen shows next to no glare at all, doesn't show fingerprints, dust and scratches easily and has a fantastic viewing angle (great for showing to multiple people at once). While the colour and contrast may be better on the glossy screen, they aren't bad on the non-glossy screen (it's still a fantastic screen), so unless you are going to always use it in dimly lit conditions, I just don't understand why anyone would want to put up with all the negatives, for a slight improvement on what is already a beautiful picture.

Bottom line: glossy screen has slightly better colour saturation and brightness, but is much less usable in a wide range of viewing environments/angles. Non-glossy screen looks good in a much greater range of viewing environments/angles.

moonsocket · Jul 15th, 2006, 09:14 AM

Ive used the glossy screen in various light sources(outside in sun, at work inder flourescent for example) and never noticed any glare. The PC laptops I've seen with glossay screens seem to reflect more. I don't know if Apple put on some sort of anti glare coating but I havent noticed any at all.

After looking at a non glossy MBP yesterday I can honestly say that I much prefer the glossy screen.

dona83 · Jul 15th, 2006, 09:42 AM

The glossy screen on the MacBook is well executed, it looks beautiful. I still prefer a matte screen for colour accuracy but I think most consumers will really like the glossy screen. Smart move by Apple.

zoziw · Jul 16th, 2006, 02:01 AM

	Quote:
	the glossy screen: Can be more difficult to view under bright day light because of glare? It is more difficult to clean because scratches show up easier? Upon extensive use will the eyes get tired easier?

I have an HP laptop with a glossy screen and a 12" iBook with a matte screen.

In general, I prefer the glossy screen and haven't had problems with scratches. It does show dust and fingerprints more than the matte when turned off, but when it is on you don't really notice them.

My eyes don't get tired using either the glossy or matte.

The big problem with the glossy screen is bright light, especially during the daytime. In the morning when I use it, with the laptop turned away from the sun, it is almost like a mirror and can be difficult to read.

I've never had anything close to that kind of problem with my matte screen. Even in direct sunlight it doesn't reflect very much.

I've heard that the Apple glossy screens don't reflect as badly as older ones do. I bought my HP last August and I haven't seen how the new Mac ones handle in bright light.

Sybersport · Jul 16th, 2006, 12:22 PM

I don't own a glossy screen Apple - but I was comparing MBP's recently at Yorkdale, and I have to say that the glossy screen *appeared* to be much brighter and more readable than the matte screen, at least under the stores lighting conditions.

When I pick up a MBP, I will probably be getting a glossy screen. Personally, I like it, and to be honest, even with reflections I'm sure it won't take long to get used to - the monitor I use at work is an old school 15" CRT, and there are windows at my back so all I see are reflections on the screen when I'm just sitting there - but I hardly notice it when I'm doing work.

bryanc · Jul 16th, 2006, 01:33 PM

In a dimly-lit room, or under indirect lighting, the glossy screens will generally 'look' better because of the greater colour saturation and higher contrast. However, under anything other than these ideal conditions, the matt screens are better. Glossy screens are also more prone to collecting dust and fingerprints, so they need to be cleaned more often.

Personally, I hate the glossy screens, and wouldn't consider buying one of the new macbooks for that reason alone.

The glossy screen is purely an adaptation to being displayed next to a bunch of Dells and other PC laptops with glossy screens. If you set up a display with 10 laptops, and half of them have glossy screens, because of the indirect (and relatively dim) lighting in most stores, the glossy screens will look better. But in the real world, the matt screens will be better in 8/10 situations. What's more important is that in the situation where the matt screen is sub-optimal, it's still perfectly useable, whereas in the situation where the glossy screen is sub-optimal, it's completely unusable. So the glossy screen is really a poor choice for most laptops, but people still prefer them in the showroom.

Cheers

go_habs · Jul 16th, 2006, 01:33 PM

I say dont go for the glossy screen im at the apple store as we speak posting from the macbook pro. In maryland. and go for the matte i personally like it better

DoNotPokeTheScreen · Jul 16th, 2006, 05:08 PM

What the hell are most of you talking about? Transreflective screens are meant to work better outdoor than matte screens can, and they are better in that aspect. There is a reason why glossy screens are available in MacBooks and only optional for MacBook Pros. For a non-professional, glossy screens are more attractive.

Rollee. what you should do is take a look at both yourself.

Trevor... · Jul 16th, 2006, 09:00 PM

I have been using an HP notebook with a glossy screen since December - although for the last week I have been using an iBook and after using the glossy screen for so long I find the iBook screen just doesn't look all that appealing in comparison. Just drab.

Jul 15th, 2006, 01:51 AM	#1
rollee Full Citizen Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: gta Posts: 691	glossy screen (or not) pros and cons DISCUSS i really like the look of glossy screen, which looks very expensive. i have not used the glossy screen for more than a few minutes, and are very comfortable with the original / standard screen on my cinema displays and powerbooks. i like to hear your opinions and discussions, and please correct me if i am mistaken. the glossy screen: Can be more difficult to view under bright day light because of glare? It is more difficult to clean because scratches show up easier? Upon extensive use will the eyes get tired easier? I am used to pairing my powerbook with the cinema display running dual screen, will one glossy next to standard look odd while working? Does the user's usage dictate its screen preference? like final cut to photoshop to MS office? Specs on the contrast, colour and brightness all absolutey identical? Which screen is in higher demand or has better/less resale value? If the glossy screen is so nice and preferred as some people posted, is it eventually making its way across the apple product line? then there will be so much more headache.... __________________ g5 2.5qd/1.67al-15/mini 2.53intel 23" HD cinema/NEC 2690wuxi

Jul 15th, 2006, 09:08 AM	#2
madgunde Honourable Citizen Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,480	I think most of those points have already been discussed in other threads, but here are my 2¢: Glossy screens are only good to look at in dimly lit or dark rooms with few light sources. In a typical office for instance, where the ceiling is covered with fluorescent lamps, or a room with lots of windows on a sunny day, it's pain to find a viewing angle where you aren't getting glare. Dust, finger prints and scratches will show more. The glossy screen probably scratches easier too. Using a glossy screen outdoors on a sunny day would be frustrating, so would using it in a car on a long trip on a sunny day. I took a road trip to Montreal from Toronto on Canada Day weekend, and tried to kill the time playing PSP and watching a movie on my MacBook Pro. The PSP, which has a high-gloss screen was very difficult to use because I could hardly see the picture with all the glare. The MacBook Pro's screen (non-glossy) was quite usable. Much better than previous iBooks and 12" PowerBook I've owned in the past and tried to use in-car. The brightness/contrast increase Apple added in the last round of PowerBooks, which carried over to the MacBook Pro really makes a difference. The non-glossy screen shows next to no glare at all, doesn't show fingerprints, dust and scratches easily and has a fantastic viewing angle (great for showing to multiple people at once). While the colour and contrast may be better on the glossy screen, they aren't bad on the non-glossy screen (it's still a fantastic screen), so unless you are going to always use it in dimly lit conditions, I just don't understand why anyone would want to put up with all the negatives, for a slight improvement on what is already a beautiful picture. Bottom line: glossy screen has slightly better colour saturation and brightness, but is much less usable in a wide range of viewing environments/angles. Non-glossy screen looks good in a much greater range of viewing environments/angles. __________________ Mac User since 1989 MacBook Pro 15.4"/2.33GHz Core 2 Duo/4GB/250GB HD/256MB VRAM Mac mini/2.0GHz Core 2 Duo/1GB/120GB HD PowerMac G4 "Sawtooth"/1.4Ghz G4/1GB/2 x 120GB HD/64MB ATI Radeon 8500 iPhone 3GS 32GB on Rogers Canada Master of the Art Of Geek.

Jul 15th, 2006, 09:14 AM	#3
moonsocket Honourable Citizen Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: fredericton Posts: 2,081	Ive used the glossy screen in various light sources(outside in sun, at work inder flourescent for example) and never noticed any glare. The PC laptops I've seen with glossay screens seem to reflect more. I don't know if Apple put on some sort of anti glare coating but I havent noticed any at all. After looking at a non glossy MBP yesterday I can honestly say that I much prefer the glossy screen. __________________ Chugga lug. Sappy Records The Memories Attack

Jul 15th, 2006, 09:42 AM	#4
dona83 Honourable Citizen Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mission BC Posts: 5,242	The glossy screen on the MacBook is well executed, it looks beautiful. I still prefer a matte screen for colour accuracy but I think most consumers will really like the glossy screen. Smart move by Apple. __________________ eMac G4 1.25Ghz (six years young) - Dell Vostro V13 Intel SU7300 - iPhone 3GS 16 GB Black Fido "There are only two great tragedies in life, one is to lose your heart's desire, the other is to gain it." -George Bernard Shaw.

Jul 16th, 2006, 01:33 PM	#8
go_habs Full Citizen Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 336	I say dont go for the glossy screen im at the apple store as we speak posting from the macbook pro. In maryland. and go for the matte i personally like it better __________________ Macbook Pro 2.5ghz 250gb hd,2gb ram,512mbvram Macbook pro 2ghz 100gb hd,1gb ram,256vram (R.I.P) Imac 20'' G5 mac mini 1.5ghz intel 60gb hd,512mb 32GB Black iPhone 4 32GB white iphone 3GS 30gb ipod video 16 Gb ipod touch 1gb ipod shuffle 2nd gen Bose quiet comfort 2 (there worth ever penny) My YouTube Channel: Mac news reivews giveaways http://www.youtube.com/user/bigky226

Jul 16th, 2006, 12:22 PM	#6
Sybersport Full Citizen Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 285	I don't own a glossy screen Apple - but I was comparing MBP's recently at Yorkdale, and I have to say that the glossy screen appeared to be much brighter and more readable than the matte screen, at least under the stores lighting conditions. When I pick up a MBP, I will probably be getting a glossy screen. Personally, I like it, and to be honest, even with reflections I'm sure it won't take long to get used to - the monitor I use at work is an old school 15" CRT, and there are windows at my back so all I see are reflections on the screen when I'm just sitting there - but I hardly notice it when I'm doing work.

Jul 16th, 2006, 01:33 PM	#7
bryanc Honourable Citizen Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Fredericton, NB Posts: 3,170	In a dimly-lit room, or under indirect lighting, the glossy screens will generally 'look' better because of the greater colour saturation and higher contrast. However, under anything other than these ideal conditions, the matt screens are better. Glossy screens are also more prone to collecting dust and fingerprints, so they need to be cleaned more often. Personally, I hate the glossy screens, and wouldn't consider buying one of the new macbooks for that reason alone. The glossy screen is purely an adaptation to being displayed next to a bunch of Dells and other PC laptops with glossy screens. If you set up a display with 10 laptops, and half of them have glossy screens, because of the indirect (and relatively dim) lighting in most stores, the glossy screens will look better. But in the real world, the matt screens will be better in 8/10 situations. What's more important is that in the situation where the matt screen is sub-optimal, it's still perfectly useable, whereas in the situation where the glossy screen is sub-optimal, it's completely unusable. So the glossy screen is really a poor choice for most laptops, but people still prefer them in the showroom. Cheers

Jul 16th, 2006, 05:08 PM	#9
DoNotPokeTheScreen Full Citizen Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Markham Posts: 813	What the hell are most of you talking about? Transreflective screens are meant to work better outdoor than matte screens can, and they are better in that aspect. There is a reason why glossy screens are available in MacBooks and only optional for MacBook Pros. For a non-professional, glossy screens are more attractive. Rollee. what you should do is take a look at both yourself. __________________ "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right."

Jul 16th, 2006, 09:00 PM	#10
Trevor... Honourable Citizen Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,402	I have been using an HP notebook with a glossy screen since December - although for the last week I have been using an iBook and after using the glossy screen for so long I find the iBook screen just doesn't look all that appealing in comparison. Just drab.

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