Matte or Glossy - opinions

I have a dilemma ---------- matte of glossy 15" screen.
Currently at work I have a glossy 15" CRT connected to my desktop. It's nice and clear and based on my position I have no glare. I have a notebook (non-mac) which will be replaced - which has a 13" matte.
I will use my MBP 75% of the time at home in a non-glare environment, and inside. The other 25% of the time I will bring the MBP to work daily to take online classes 1 hour per day during lunch in my car (where i't nice and quite) connected to the net wireless.
I will not use the MBP for any designing/art purposes. Just to connect to the net, email, print, download pictures off my digital camera, itunes.
So just wondering if anyone has the glossy how they like it ? It would be nice to compare both in an Apple store --- but there would most likely be trouble with the lights....
All opinions are greatly appreciated.
Bob

Hi Bob Primiano;
I was having all of the same questions myself about what screen to get on my MBP. After spending quite a bit of time at my local Apple store I think I have finally found the answer. Since what I was looking for was a portable to show clients my pictures and allow them to make selections, I felt that the glossy screen presented my pictures the best. As far as lighting in the store goes, I found that by using all of the laptops in the store in various positions I was able to see the various screens in all kinds of lighting to test for reflections. Once the staff in the store was on to what I was doing they even allowed me to use a MBP from the Genus bar which I was able to move around to change lighting. They were most helpful and told me to be sure to come back when I got my tax return. As soon as my tax return comes in I will be going back to get my MBP with a glossy screen.
Allan

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Matte or Glossy????

Going to upgrade from a powerbook g4 to an original MBP. (2.2 or 2.4 ish for the LED). Just want something quicker for my day to day usage and the N networking would be nice too. Cant justify the 1700 for the unibody so Im sticking with a year or two old aluminum.
Question is. Do I go Matte or Glossy screen? Have a matte in my PB. Looks OK, but another reason for the upgrade is I want a prettier screen. Im wondering if the Glossy is that much better. Can you see it in sunlight? does it show glare from every window and light bulb, etc? I have a sunny house and live on a golf course so from time to time I'm out on my deck playing on the computer (the deck is covered so not like sun is beaming right onto the screen).
Please, weigh in people, with what you have, what you like about it, if you wish you had the other screen, etc. Would love to hear any and all opinions.
Thanks.
Message was edited by: Tmilless

I have a Late MBP 13" and, at the time I wish they made it matte. Did no wish to go bigger because I am travelling a lot and wanted a small machine. I was really scared about the glossy. Turns out that I love it! I find the colors way more crispier than my old laptop (was an acer with LCD not LED). I the odd time I see glare in the screen i just move it a tiny bit and its gone.
In the house, I never see the glare, only when the screen is really dark (i.e. when watching a movie) but nothing to make me hate it.
This is my experience, hope you will have more opinions to have a better idea.

RE:Matte or Glossy Screen

I am purchasing a Mac Book Pro .. and wanted to get opinions on which screen to choose...
can you help me out ..Matte or Glossy Screens..

Honestly ..it's a personal preference thing. Go to an apple store and look at both for a bit to see which you like. If you don't have an apple store nearby ..go to Best Buy or any other store that sells laptops ... the matte/glossy conundrum happens across all makes/models.

Matte vs Glossy on LED backlight

Im about to buy one of these new MBP's, but Im torn on the screen.
Im used to matte and am very wary of the reflectiveness of the glossy screens. Would the matte screens visual performance in sunlit conditions also be increased by the LED backlight?
I would like to hear about peoples experiences and recommendations.

I went back and forth on matte or glossy a great deal before purchasing my new Santa Rosa 15" MBP. I hope my experience can help with your decision.
I use both laptop and desktop systems. I do a great deal of color work photographing product and producing catalogs and websites. I rely heavily on Aperture, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and InDesign. Attached to my G5 tower is a 23" Cinema Display. I do the majority of my photo editing and layout work on that display and it's wonderful, so long as I calibrate it regularly (this is a must).
I've owned virtually every laptop that Apple has produced in one generation or another since the Blackbird models. I upgraded to the Santa Rosa 2.4 from a first generation MacBook Pro (matte). No laptop I've used has a display that is acceptable for critical color work. Not one, not even close. I'm not knocking Apple's laptop displays specifically, as they've produced some good ones, but rather laptop displays in general. They are simply inadequate for mission critical color work.
I travel with my laptop and shoot products digitally direct to my laptop. The colors I see in the shoots, even with a color calibrated laptop, aren't close to what I get when I get back to my office and begin editing the photos. So, those of you who maintain that matte is the only way to go because it's much more accurate for color editing should really be espousing the use of an external display for those purposes. A laptop display won't cut it if color accuracy is paramount.
So, what do I use the laptop for besides spot work when I'm not at my desktop? I use it for mail, word processing, iPhoto for family stuff using my point and shoot, web browsing, watching dvds while I travel, watching downloaded movies and shows, showing off photos to friends and family, and the occasional bit of gaming, and just a touch of iMovie & iDVD editing. Having just bought my first, I can now say the glossy display blows the doors off the matte display for these purposes.
I took a leap of faith, bought the glossy, and I can tell you it's absolutely gorgeous. For the activities I listed, it's a much more impressive display to look at than the matte. Photos look much richer, colors are much more vivid, and even text is sharper and easier to read. And, despite using it in mixed environments (office with fluorescent lights, studio with hot lamps, home with lots of windows, airports & planes) glare has really not been the issue I had feared. I do not use my laptop outside, so I can't speak to that specifically.
So from now on it's glossy laptop displays for me. Will I do color critical work on it? Heck no, but then again I wouldn't do that on the matte version either. That remains the domain of my Cinema display. But for most everything else, the glossy display, to my surprise, looks much better.
I hope that helps.

Differences, and is the display matte or glossy?

What is the difference between Toshiba Portege Z935-ST4N01 and Toshiba Portege Z935-ST4N02?
Is it Windows 8 Pro or just plan Windows 8 that is installed on them?
And do any or both of them have matte or glossy display?
Thank you!
/Ulrich
Logiqit.com

Forestman sez:
Is it my perception or is the new iMac really glossy and has a lot of glare
I sez:
Well, since you ask, I'd have to say that you may have a perceptual problem. My new Intel iMac is not "really" glossy and it does not have a "lot" of glare.
The ONLY time I've seen any noticeably offensive glare off the screen occurred when I was using a flash camera to take a series of photos of the iMac over the right shoulder of a girl who was playing The Sims 2 on a 24-inch 2.8 GHz iMac, in order to get pictures for an article I was writing about The Sims. The reflected flash from behind and to her right at an oblique angle lit up her face from the side and front and it showed in several pictures as a reflection of her face in the glass in front of the game image.
I'm using the computer every day and as far as I can tell the whole hoopla about the glare off the screen is a bunch of mindless niggling. A tempest in a teacup. The computer industry being what it is I'm sure that some entrepreneur in California has already designed a translucent matte screen for the iMac and is in negotiations to have it made in China for 17 or 19 cents each, to be sold here for $29.95.
I wish it were me.
Speaking of which, I saw something on American TV a few months ago that was highly amusing. People on the street were quoted the phrase "a tempest in a teacup" and asked to explain their understanding of what a "tempest" was. Some people thought it was a small animal of some sort and most others simply did not know what the word meant at all. Not a clue.
M

Select Matte or Glossy Display?

I'm planning to order a MBP as a replacement for my PB. I won't be doing any graphic,video or specialized photograhy tasks with it. I understand a glossy display is not recommended for tasks like that. I primarily will be using it at home. I have seen the Macbooks in the stores and tried a side by side comparison to the pros and it did seem as if the MB's display was brighter and the colors seemed to be more distinct than the pros.
The glare and the reflections were noticeable if I looked for them especially if viewed from the side but I don't think that's the way most of us use laptops. I know that I would be happy with either but would appreciate any advice in choosing.
John

I wish they had the glossy option before. I would've gone with it. Just because I've been using matte LCD forever. Just for a change. Plus they looked really nice in the Apple Store.
I guess if you mainly use it indoors, then go for the glossy. It's all personal opinions.

NTSC wide gamut matte vs. glossy

Getting a new laptop. I have a choice for the 17.3" monitor:
1. 72% NTSC color gamut matte
2. 90% NTSC color gamut glossy
I really like mattes, but I don't know if there is a big difference between the two percentiles. Has anyone used both? Which would you get? How big is the difference bewteen 72% and 90%? Should I downsize the screen to a 15.6" and get 95% matte instead?

You don't need a professional high end external monitor, you just need a properly calibrated TV and a way to get the signal off the computer and onto that TV (like hardware from Blackmagic and AJA, or at least a Blu-ray player for exported video).
You can't do color corrections and grading using your Laptop screen for quality control. For starters, PP is not designed to show you the signal accurately on the monitors. But you also have the OS and the graphics driver which affect the signal. And finally, most computer screens simply don't calibrate correctly.
So again, it won't matter which screen you get because you can't use it for CC/grading work, the first step of which is to make sure you're seeing the signal accurately. That's just not something you can do with a Laptop screen.

IPhoto book cover.. matt or glossy

I have just received 4 iPhoto books.
I am very pleased with the results but 2 of them have glossy covers (under the dust jacket) & 2 have matt covers.
Can anyone explain why?
I like the glossy better..

good discussion for me thanks on book covers. I am waiting on books to arrive as part of a set and will be angry if they are different to the others with silver embossing on the cover. This is what sets apple product apart from other books, is the silver cove. Does the matt cover look cheap? I would like your oppinion thanks.
Silver embossing is not available with iPhoto '09 - it is available only with iPhoto '08 and Aperture. Your iPhoto '09 book will have a laminated photo cover (I love it myself)
LN
LN

Does it have matte or glossy screen?

For the E amd L series its specified when they have a matte screen, but what about the new t450? Its not specified, does that mean all lenovos from the T series have matte displays? Or are they glossy?
Does the T450 have a matte or a glossy screen?

Dear Erchz
Welcome in lenovo community
Here is all information regarding the LCD of your model .
Also kindly be informed that the T series is not installed with glossy LCD
Thanks
Alaa
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Matte or glossy screen?

For editing video purposes on the new MBP,
which is the better choice, the matte screen or the glossy?
I'll be working in a room with plenty of natural light,
but not so much that you'll want to wear your sunglasses.
thanks!

I know they have those that you can order. I would send it back (especially since you had to pay extra for the matte screen) just because I think if it was something you apply yourself, it would be something that would always make me wonder if it's on straight or whether or not it's peeling. This product I think is made for people that ordered the glossy initially and later down the line realized that they preferred the matte screen, but it was too late. Unless you have projects that require you to have the equipment before it's physically possible to get another one. The day after I ordered my machine the new Mac Pros with the Nahalem chips were released but rather than go back and get that, I had something I had to work on and I couldn't afford to lose that time. Whatever your schedule can afford.
If you do choose to keep it though, check out your reciept to see if they charged you the extra $50 for the matte screen you didn't get. You should get that money back.

The Matte Versus Glossy Issue: Feedback Please

As I count down the remaining 3 weeks before I get my new MBP and my iBook goes into retirement I have been considering options for configuration. Everything is fairly easy to decide except what I originally thought is the smallest issue: Glossy or Matte.
So I am looking for feedback on peoples experiences with using glossy vs matte for painting and for use in a wide range of situations including oudoors both night and day.
It is easy for people to say look at them side by side in the store. Unfortunately it appears Apple and resellers seem to have a policy of only putting Matte MBP displays on display.
Someone said "The MacBook is glossy, have a look at one beside a MBP." So I walz in to the shop all excited and the salesman said for security reasons he could not move the MacBooks around next to the MBP's, but then he pulled out his personal 18 month old MacBook and set it up but also told me it is not a fair test because the MacBook screens are so inferior to the MBP. Also, even though he would allow this comparison test there was no way we would be able to look at any of the computers in the sun (security).
His usage of his laptop is completely different to mine so he couldn't talk about graphics programs, or working outdoors both of which are habits of mine as an artist. I live in Photoshop and Painter, and do web design.
I have to admit to loving bright rich color, love contrast, hate pastel tones and soft colors. I have always disliked the matte surfaces of non reflective glass for framing pictures, and love the look of my glass flat screen CRT that faces some big windows, and gets occasional direct sun in mid winter.

Okay, so I have some feedback of my own now for others.
Today I managed to get the manager of the Apple store to take a MBP and a MB into full sun. We looked at the two side by side, same angle etc in several paces from strong light to an angle where the full sun was reflecting off both screens and the result is surprising:
(1) The glossy as expected shows strong reflections, shop lights, the sun and clouds all clearly visible in the screen.
(2) The matte screen as expected turns light sources such as shop lights into diffused soft areas of reflection, but the sun makes a massive difused area of reflected light across a large part of the screen.
(3) The MacBook with its glossy screen was substantially easier to read text and see images on in direct sunlight than the matte MBP screen. Even though clouds and other reflected things including the sun were visible, it did not stop the screen being readable and useable. The details on the matte screen however with the sun reflecting off it was nearly invisible. Turning the matte screen a little improved the view substantially, but it did with the glossy screen too. There was no where in the strong light that the glossy screen could not be turned so that reflections were almost non-existent, however the matte screen tended to have a noticeable lightening of colors at all angles in the bright light. I was expecting there to be a small difference. I was surprized that the difference was so marked and that the glossy screen was noticeably better at all angles to sunlight.
(4) Indoors both screens are good, however the glossy picked up lights easily and needed to be moved so that the reflection is no longer visible. There is always a position where no reflection is visible. The matte is easy to look at indoors no matter which way it faces.
(5)I went immediately to a store selling PC's. Although they weren't side by side my impression was that the PC screens all gave noticeably stronger reflections than the MB glossy screen which confirms some comments made here.

Ordering a Macbookpro - Glossy or Matte screen?

I am going to order a new macbookpro - But I want to know should I order the glossy or matte screen? The biggest disadvantage I can see with a glossy screen is that it is so reflective.
So I would like the opinions of aperture users.

The best advice :
Go to an apple store and compare both screen (open aperture on both MBP).
I did this and I chose the matte screen because of the reflexion, the calibration issue (lots of threats on the net about calibration on matte Vs glossy).
With Glossy you really have to be in front on the screen because the colors are changing a lot if you moving your head.
And last but not least, I never see a pro glossy LCD. Should be for a reason
But it's a personnal taste

Can't decided on glossy or matte for new/refurb MBP

I'm going to be getting either a previous generation new or refurb MBP. I can't decide on the matte or glossy screen though. I've got a white iMac(matte screen) that I really like and a PB G4 15" with a matte screen also that is getting dim.
I will mainly use the MBP for stuff like web surfing, email, photo editing, ect. Nothing high end.
I've never seen a MBP matte that is LED backlite. How does that compare to the white iMac screen?
thx
lenn

I will mainly use the MBP for stuff like web surfing, email, photo editing, ect. Nothing high end.
Indoors or outdoors? Reflections can be tolerated indoors. Outdoors, they will overwhelm the screen and tire your eyes. The glossy screen has a lot brighter colors, which can throw off your color perception, so many people dislike the glossies. However, Steve Jobs seems to think they're the wave of the future; let's wait till he's older and with failing eyesight and ask him then...
I've never seen a MBP matte that is LED backlite. How does that compare to the white iMac screen?
Brighter + instant illumination, no warmup period.

MacBook and Air have Glossy Screens. Will Apple cancel Matte with the Pro?

When the new MacBook Pro comes out, you think Apple will only release it in Glossy Screen, or still provide it's users with the choice to go Matte?
How many people here who have the current MacBook Pro have either the Matte or Glossy MacBook Pro?
I along with all my other colleges are anti-glossy screen, we work in bright environments and it is extremely hard to almost impossible to work with glare.
Saeid.

Because the MacBook Pro is one of Apple's 'professional' products I think the matte screen will always be an option as Glossy screens can make it hard for those in creative fields to match correct colours etc..

Glossy or Matte??

I'm looking to get a macbook pro right now, but I can't decide between matte and glossy. The glossy seems nice because I will probaby watch a lot of videos on the MBP. But what scares me is the glare. So I have a couple questions about how it might look.
Is it like the PSP screen? that thing is awfully reflective
I have an iMac G5 with the power pc processor (few years old), does this have a matte screen? if so i really like it how this one is.
Are matte screens still clear and sharp? color representation is not a HUGE deal for me, I can tell a difference but it does not bother me. Thanks a lot.

Hey,
This isn't an expert opinion, but I have a matte with my MBP. I'm pretty happy with my matte, but it has some smudges that just won't go away and it doesn't bother me much because you can really only see it when the screen is either white or a light gray. I think glossy screens are way easier to take care of because they aren't as sensitive to some cleaning substances (ammonium or alcohol will damage matte screens over time i believe), but they are highly reflective like your PSP. I think matte screens have more accurate color depictions, but aren't as vibrant as glossy screens. you can try searching for more matte vs. glossy forum topics. I think I've read some.
Good luck with your decision

Matte or Glossy - opinions

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