Is glossy screen's color as sensitive to viewing angle as antiglare?

I just took delivery of a 15" hires antiglare MBP, and I'm very disappointed in how much variance in color there is depending on viewing angle. Just a one-inch adjustment to the tilt of the screen completely changes color and darkness. So many people say antiglare is truer, but given that color changes even if you move your head a few inches, I'm having trouble trusting what I see on screen.
Does the glossy screen change color with such small changes to viewing angle?

It remains to be seen how useable the new imac screen is. Certainly, on the whole, glossy screens are not at all desirable for any work where color accuracy is important. Most glossy screens have increased saturation and contrast, which makes movies look terrific, but is really **** for getting a decent calibration or doing fine adjustments to images.
It's possible that Apple has figured out a way around this, but I do wonder why it was not mentioned during the presentation if so.
I was all set to get one, but not now.
EDIT, but yes, an external monitor would be a good workaround

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Mid-2010 Macbook Pro Hires glossy screen calibration

Hello,
I have the new Hires glossy screen on the latest i5/i7 macbook pro range. Has anyone calibrated this screen using a Spyder or similar? If so can they post a link to download the calibrated color profile?
Thanks a lot, I had a calibrated profile for my '08 core2duo macbook and it made a huge difference to how natural the color felt - I want to get that feeling on my new one now
Cheers,
Richard.

bump

What are the different model numbers for the glossy screen and the matte?

I just bought a 2.5 MBP from bestbuy and before I open it up I want to make sure I didn't get the glossy screen. Is there a way to tell from the box? It doesn't say glossy screen on it but I wasn't sure.
I am just switching over from having to use a PC for 15 years back to where I started using macs. What are the benefits of the glossy screen?

You may want to check out your local Apple store where both the glossy and matte screens are on display.
Glossy screens provide more vivid, vibrant colors and deeper, richer blacks. They're great for watching movies, viewing photos, etc.
Matte screens are good for use in high-sunlight environments or in situations where you have a lot of light shining on your screen. Many professional photographers opt for these screens because they more accurately reflect how a photo will look when printed. (Don't be confused -- photos look better on the glossy screen, but when you print them they'll look less vivid. Photographers don't like that because it makes it tough to anticipate how a photo will look when printed.)
Here's my two cents: I've spent 20 years on a matte screen. I used the glossy one for a day and you couldn't pay me to switch back. In my opinion, the glossy screen is fantastic.

IMac Glossy Screen: Photo/Design Professionals

Would be interested to hear thoughts from photography and design professionals who have purchased the new, specifically, 24" iMac with glossy screen and are using it for their work.
I am a photographer and designer, and have mine on order for the 28th, however having read much about the displeasure with glass screen from many users, I am beginning to have reservations about my soon-to-arrive purchase.
I am using the older 20's at the work studio and found them very sufficient for my needs and therefore wanted a similar/better convention at home studio, hence the new machine.
Thank you.

I have to agree in that some of my own stuff looked good on the new glossy screen. It was vivid but the color was not accurate. Generally, glossy screens do not cut it for accuracy and calibration. Possibly this screen is different but then there is this:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1017&message=24321625
Obviously, someone else may have a different experience or dpreview could revise theirs in time.
When I have discussed the new iMac w/ staff at the Apple Store they steer me to the Mac Pro and 17" MacBook Pro. One went so far as to say using the new iMac would be frustrating because while photos displayed on the 24" screen may look good they would look different when printed. Another solution is to add a 23" or 30" Apple Cinema Display. Seems to defeat the idea of the "all-in-one" iMac though.
It was also pointed out in one of these other threads, that the graphics card in the new iMac does not appear on the list of recommended cards for use w/ Aperture. Possibly this is an oversight and that part of Apple's website has not been updated.
It depends on your market and your own preferences. If you have demanding clients and have to be able to reproduce a particular shade of a color, that is say, a specific corporate color, like Coca-Cola Red, a glossy screen is probably not a good solution. If you are selling images to the general public, then maybe a glossy screen could work fine. If you are in certain markets you will probably need a SWOP-certified screen and so far the new iMac's is not one.
Good luck, I think Apple has forced some difficult choices upon those on a tight budget.

Non-Glossy screen for the 13" MacBook Pro...the 13" MacBook Air has it!?!?!

Sorry if this has already been discovered, but I just realized.....Why isn't there a Matte option for the screen on the 13" MacBook Pro? The 17" has always had it with an upgrade, the 15" now has the option for the upgrade, but why not the 13"??? I was trying to think what it would look like and then realized.....it would look like the MacBook Air......RIGHT? Because the MacBook air doesn't have a black frame around the screen, and its not glossy, and is the same 13" 1280 x 800, so why not bring that option to the MacBook PRO? (On second thought, I'd also like to have a 1440 x 900 option even though the fonts will be even smaller! lol I love screen space!)

As someone with 20 years professional experience in digital imaging, both in video and stills, Photoshop retouching, Quark press work, and working with everything from Binuscan to Shake, having supervised thousands of press checks and taught thousands of personnel in everything from Newspapers to video Post-houses as a consultant and trainer, I love the glossy screens for the color saturation, rich blacks and fine detail rendition.
That said, the many years of glossy Sony, Barco and Mitsu/Lacie CRT screens have taught me to use hoods and proper lighting; this goes for matte LCD screens as well, where ANY pro color-critical work should be done with a hood, such as the Hoodman or Think Tank products. That said, I have no problem in airports, outdoors, etc. using any of my glossy screen MPS, I find a properly calibrated glossy screen on these to be, at least with the latest iteration of the glossy screens available on the Unibody MBPs, eminently usable for pro color work.
The point is, at least for me, that anyplace I'd need to worry about glare and reflections on a glossy screen MBP, I also have to worry about the same on the matte screen. For example, my wife now uses my previous generation MBP matte-screen 15" LED backlit model. This is the case when I use hers when out and about. Pro work CAN and IS done by many pros who PREFER the glossy screen MBPs to their matte screen counterparts, and manage to get pro quality work done more easily on them, as it suits their taste, and somehow manages to produce results avery bit as professional as pro users on matte-screen MBPs. I know I'm in the minority here, with regard to pros who prefer glossy screen MBPs to matte-screen ones.
Since I am, after all, in the pro minority, I agree that Apple NEVER should have removed the matte option, and I'd be happy to have, and think it's the ethical thing to do, Apple not only offer matte screens on all laptop products from now on, but that they RETURN to making glossy displays on MacBook Pros (and MacBooks, for that matter) an EXTRA-COST OPTION, and make matte screen displays the standard. That's the fair and logical thing for Apple to do, and I wouldn't mind at all paying for being in the Pro minority by paying an extra $50.00 USD, or even $100.00 over a standard matte-screen display in any and al of the Apple laptop line.
The matte screen's no longer what I use on my laptops for pro work, and i prefer it that way. But I know, too, that if Apple suddenly yanked the glossy displays with NO Option AT ALL of buying a MBP with a glossy display, I'd be freakin' livid. So I empathize with those pros, and anyone else, who prefers matte screens but who've been unfairly 'locked out' by Apple from paying the same as glossy screen laptops on the 15" and the 17" UMBPs and having NO glossy option on the 13" UMBP. Makes no sense at all, to quote Husker Du. ;^) BUT- pros who prefer the glossy display MBPs (I've owned all 3 unibody MBPs, with and without the superior quality latest-generation displays- the 13" MBP, the 15" MBP and the 17"), should, IMO, have at least the option to purchase the glossy display, at least as an extra-cost option. THAT would make the most sense, since the majority of pros who use UMBPs prefer the matte screen, and that vast majority should not only have the matte-screen option, but the matte-screen discount as well!

Glossy Screen Low Down on MacBook Pro!!

I am reading threads that have people that have the glossy screen option on the MacBook Pros. To those that have them can you please give a really detailed description of this screen with comparisons to the antiglare coating screens and the MB glossy screen. Can you also if possible post as many pictures as possible of it in as many different lightings as possible, and if possible the same exact shot with an antiglare coated screen (maybe an apple external display) for comparision. And can someone comment on the ability to read text off of this screen does it hurt your eyes after an hour of looking at it.
Thanks (I am deciding between gloss or no gloss 17 inch MBP)

Pictures probably won't help you make a decision. It is difficult to see the differences between the two with pictures. Why not just check out a few PC notebooks with the glossy screens? I used to own a dell xps gen 2 with a 1920x1200 glossy screen and it was glorious, but the glare was a bit annoying. In reality, I didn't really notice much of a difference playing games; it was only in the windows applications that things looked alot better.
Generally, you'll like glossy if you: Like super bright and contrasty colors, don't use your computer for hours on end and use your computer in a controlled lighting environment. Please realize that you will see glare at some point. There are lots of website that have reviewed the MB glossy screen, why not search for them on google? Arstechnica.com was particularly annoyed with the screen.
Go matte if you plan on luggin the sucker around everywhere and if you plan on doing photo work. I didn't calibrate my MBP screen and my print results are very simliar to what I see on screen! The colors will not be a bright and punchy, but you will have a very nice looking screen!
I prefer the matte now, easier on the eyes and more versatile. Besides, I can always get a big glossy screen and throw it on a desk.
I'd say if you don't know, just for for the matte
good luck

How MUCH does the glossy screen reflect?

When working on a MBP with glossy screen, can you see your own reflection, like a shadow of your face or something? If I wave on the front of the computer when the desktop is showing, do I see my hand waving on the screen? I know that when the computer is not on, it's a complete mirror. I certainly don't like it to be a mirror, but the depth of colors made the glossy screen interesting. If the glossy makes that much glare, I have to go for the matte, thanksfor the info.

The Dells and HP's are horrible and have a constant
reflection. The MBP, on the other hand, is deep and
rich in color. It does not reflect when you are
sitting in front of it; at an angle you do get some
reflection, but I really don't notice it because the
screen is that good. I have a number of Powerbooks
with the matte finish and I really prefer the glossy
screen. I must say the new matte screens are much
brighter and nicer than the old ones. Best thing to
do is to go by an Apple store and compare the screens
side by side.
Agreed... I'm using a new MBP C2D glossy right now. I work with HP's, Compaq's, Toshiba's, and Sony's all day - Apple's glossy screens are noticeably less reflective than all of them... usually HP's are the worst (almost like a mirror!)

Non-Glossy Screens

Dear Apple,
Please steer away from the glossy screens.
Because let's be practical about this: nobody uses their computers in complete darkness; wether it's in the office at home, or actually in the office at work, there's always a light source from above, or a window behind the user, which results in unnecessary glaring on the screen. And retina or not, beautiful crystal clear and brilliant colors or not, the glare will distract from all those nice features that the product promises the user to be able to appreciate.
Or at least bring the Matte Option back for the Apple LED Display, and the iMacs too. And please introduce the same option for the beautiful MacBook Pro Retina. Thank you.
Sincerely,
A disgruntled long-time Apple user

Indeed!
And some of us need 17" for video editing and weaker/older eysight.
Robert

Regular Screen Vs. Glossy Screen

I wanted to know what people thought about the display options. I heard pros and cons about both and I wanted to get other opinions on the subject. Gonna be using the MBP for editing photos, movies, and things of that nature. Thanks

I just bought a MacBook Pro and went matt screen. My decision was based on a single question. Where do I intend to use it. While I do a lot of Photoshop work and color work, that's done on my Mac Pro 30" monitor yadda yadda. The MacBook will be for accessing the web and mail when traveling, downloading images from digital cameras for eventual sorting and processing later and being able to go to beautiful natural spots and write (I love doing that!). OK so most of my work would not be in a controlled environment, most outdoors. Reflections and glare would be an issue.
Then I went to an Apple Store to check out the screens. All they had out were glossy. I couldn't believe it. The glare from all the lighting systems made trying to use the display laptops and iMacs intolerable from my point of view and I immediately decided against the glossy screen even though I really liked the 'pop' of the colors on a friend's new iMac in a stable environment where there are no noticeable reflections.

Can any graphics pros tell me how to calibrate the glossy screen?

just curious.

There are a million different tools out there for monitor/printer/scanner calibration, but the one that's getting a lotta notice lately is the Color Munki from X-Rite...
http://www.colormunki.com
It's basically the latest bundled colorimeter & software product from X-Rite aimed at mid to high-level users that is crazy-simple to use and it takes all of 5 minutes for calibration. You can spend 2 grand or more for color calibration, but unless you're working in a graphics house, it's not really necessary. However, as good as the Colormunki is, it still ain't gonna calibrate a glossy screen to the point where you get a WYSIWYG output...it's just not possible with the heightened brightness of the glossy screens vs. matte screens. I spoke with my X-Rite rep last week to see if they have any idea if their current line of calibration devices will EVER be able to overcome the brightness differences between glossy and matte monitors and he told me they don't consider glossy monitors professional tools and therefore, don't focus on them seriously. He did say (which I have said all along) that color calibration is generally as good as with matte monitors, but the way a colorimeter 'reads' a monitor is not as simple as you might think...the way a backlit LCD monitor kicks out it's image fools colorimeters and there is no good way to make a calibration device that works on a glossy screen. I use Monaco EZColor with a Monaco OptixXR colorimeter and after trying about ten different variations I still can't get my iMac glossy display to come close to my Studio HD monitors. Color-wise, they're right on, but the iMac still spits out a file that is about 2/3's of a stop darker than it should be. My only work-around is to manually adjust the brightness control after the colorimeter has done it's work so that the final brightness output is darker than the software says it should be. Then I do a series of test prints to match the visual effect on the monitor with the output from my printer. This is HARDLY any way to run a professional-level output workflow, but what'cha gonna do?!!
BT in NYC

Photo editing with glossy screen- As bad as "they" say ???

Here I am all set to replace my 20" G5 iMac with one of the sweet 24" models that just came out today. Only hesitation is that I use it for photo editing-color and density corrections with lab prints (Fuji Frontier) as my final product. Other that the reflection issue are the glossy screens really all that bad for my needs ? Can they be calibrated for accurate color rendition ? If not what was Apple thinking ? Are they trying to force serious photographers into buying the Mac Pro ? Or could I buy the new 20" iMac and just add a quality outboard monitor for my Photoshop and Lightroom work ?

It remains to be seen how useable the new imac screen is. Certainly, on the whole, glossy screens are not at all desirable for any work where color accuracy is important. Most glossy screens have increased saturation and contrast, which makes movies look terrific, but is really **** for getting a decent calibration or doing fine adjustments to images.
It's possible that Apple has figured out a way around this, but I do wonder why it was not mentioned during the presentation if so.
I was all set to get one, but not now.
EDIT, but yes, an external monitor would be a good workaround

Glossy Screen

This might be a stupid question, but I am thinking about buying a MacBook, as my iBookG4 seems to be having hard drive failure...my question is is the glossy screen very different, and can there be a way to make it non-glossy?

*I believe that some 2.0 Ghz Macbooks had a matte screen. My assertion comes from the one description on eBay that specified this.*
P.S. I have a white Macbook refurb on the way to me. I really hope the screen is not too glossy – I am very glare-sensitive. Yes, I looked at them at Fry's, and it was "glary" but that's not a real-world situation for me. I will just have to see in person ....

Glossy Screen bad for eyes?

Well, I am planning to get a macbook pro very soon. And I know a friend who can get a small discount off it and I asked him for a macbook pro with glossy screen and he just emailed me saying that glossy screen is bad for your eyes in the long run due to the glare from it. He knows this because his wife works at a LCD company or something. Are they correct? Because I know glossy screen makes the color and images sharper.

Well, I'm no expert in the field of LCD screens. I prefer the matte screen for one reason alone: antiglare. I never know where I will be using the laptop, so I prefer a screen that will help block glare. The glossy screens artificially enhance the image, so any graphics work may be slightly off. I've noticed that this matte screen is a bit different from matte screens of the past. It seems to be more of a luster (cross between glossy and matte).
But, it truly is a matter of personal preference. Stop by an Apple Store and look at both. Some college campuses have their own versions of Apple Stores, if there is one near you, go to the bookstore and see if they have both on display.
Good Luck!
-josh

Glossy vs non glossy screen

Have a powerbook, finally getting a new macbook pro. I'd like opinions on whether or not to get the glossy screen. Thanks.

I think your best bet would be to go to an Apple Store, or any other retailer that sells Macs, and to look at the screens in person, because whatever the people say here, still can't replace you seeing what's best yourself.
However I do have this to say; unless you're planning on working outside, or anything else along those lines, the glossy display is absolutely perfect; its very bright and the colors are crisp; however when working outside with it, its like a mirror, so for that the matte one is much better.
I personally have a matte one on my MBP, and I'm quite happy with it.

Glossy Screen isnt all that bad!

To everyone - I visited an Apple Store and checked out the MacBooks scared to see the glossy screen and have to say, it isnt all that bad. The only problem I have with it is how much fingerprints show, but if you are careful this wont be a problem. The glossy screen isnt at all bad looking straight on and for typical use, but from a HUGE angle it is bad, but from a HUGE angle. The glossy screen also I think looks a lot better watching movies which I plan on doing. Some people are really annoyed, some aren't so dont be scared to order it, id recomend it. Some can disagree, but for me, I enjoy it.

I bought the basic white MacBook 2 days ago. I also was a bit reluctant becasue of the glossy screen. I must say, however, that it is just beautiful. The picture is very sharp and the colors are bright. I also have an iBook and to me the glossy screen on the MacBook looks much sharper and clearer. I'll tolerate what little reflection there is for a picture this crisp and bright. In addition, the computer works like a dream. Even when Rosetta kicks in, Office, Photoshop, and my other PowerPC apps work just fine. I just love it. I wish I had an excuse to also get the black one.
G4 and Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Is glossy screen's color as sensitive to viewing angle as antiglare?

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