New MacBook Owners - How do you feel about the glossy screen?

Ga1way

I'm seriously considering updating my current MacBook Pro.

If it wasn't for the glossy screen I'd almost certainly be using one right now.

I've seen photographs on websites and you can clearly see the reflection of the photographer on the screen!

Plus I've read many, many forum posts bemoaning the glossy screen.
But the truth is almost none of those people had actually used it and neither have I.

So, I'd like to get the opinions of people who have actually used the new glossy screens for an extended period of time.

Love it? Hate it?
Did you get used to it, is a constant annoyance, or was it a non-issue?

I know photographers and designers traditionally hate them because they don't display accurate colours and are hard to calibrate.
However, I'd just like to know if the reflections and glare are an issue while using the laptop.

Talisman

My MacBook Pro has the glossy screen. Before I got it, I debated whether or not to get it because of the glare/reflection issue.

However when I went to an Apple Store and compared the Matte and Glossy finish screens for myself I instantly wanted the Glossy - the colours are much brighter on the glossy screen and after using it for a while you don't notice the reflection.

Red Alert

I have the glossy 17" MBP. The colours are excellent. I use a BenQ 24" monitor at home which is matte, but I don't actually notice any difference using either at this stage.

440Hz

I gave in to the glossiness last week! I just hope I don't end up regretting it :-o

mloc

As I'm going to be using one mostly for photos, I went for the 17" inch instead because its matte. Just no way I could use a glossy screen for serious photo stuff.

bigstar

i have a mb about 2 weeks and i havent noticed the glossy screen at all tbh.

su_dios

My MBP has a glossy screen and I love it. Far better than my previous matte powerbook screen. BTW the glossy screen on the MBP which I assume is the same one used on the new models(macbook and mbp) is different to the original macbook glossy screen.

Reflections are not an issue unless you are looking at the screen sideways. It also gives far more vivid colours. Remember, matte suffers from reflection also it just diffuses the light.

You won't regret the glossy screen.

Passenger

Aye, well don't know many designers or professional mac users with the glossy... wouldn't be big into them.

knm

I got a glossy 15" MBP and was concerned about it as well. However it is not an issue. You won't notice any reflection - unless your sitting with the sun shining on it. Then any screen is gonna suffer. It is a lot more contrasty than a matte so bear that in mind when working with your photos.

knm

I got a big window to my left. From an angle both screen are affected by reflection although the glossy MBP noticeably more so. From the front I don't notice anything unless the MBP screen is black. Thankfully being portable any reflection are easily dealt with.
Hope this has been some help.

Passenger

The Desktop looks slightly more colourful on the matt screen.

Fajitas!

Glossy is generally much more unreliable for working on - colours are more saturated and vivid than they nessicarily should be. Not what you want for reliable output - whether it be for screen or print.


I tried a glossy screen before - I couldn't watch movies on trains, never mind photo editing

Elessar

The photography argument is a load of horse crap. As I said before, any photographer worth his salt would never use a 6 bit laptop screen to colour correct his images for print, glossy or matte.

Given this, I have to say the new screen is very good and personally anyway, reflections never bothered me so I think it is an excellent screen for everything else. In fact I ordered my last-gen MBP with a glossy

mloc

Elessar wrote: »

The photography argument is a load of horse crap. As I said before, any photographer worth his salt would never use a 6 bit laptop screen to colour correct his images for print, glossy or matte.

The photography argument is valid; why would a photographer use a laptop? For on location checks, preliminary adjustments etc (not colour correction etc). On location with a laptop means, most of the time, outdoors or in a brightly lit indoor areas (not a studio, as in most studio situations a desktop would be available, probably shooting tethered). Outdoors/bright indoor + glossy screen = useless. Hence the matte screen. I don't know any pros who use glossy laptops.

who_ru

i have to say i'm not really that happy with the glossy screen at all, it's a pain in the nuts if you are watching a dvd on a macbook as looking at the screen even from a slight angle tends to darken the screen significantly. you really have to be sitting in a very upright position and looking at the screen full on.

overall not a fan of glossy.

J-blk

who_ru wrote: »

as looking at the screen even from a slight angle tends to darken the screen significantly.

That has nothing to do with the glossy screen though - reflections are the problem with the glossy coating.

The MacBook has extremely poor viewing angles though when compared to the new MBP, the old MBP and the Air - see my post here:

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=57819064&postcount=40

Unfortunately, Apple still considers the MacBook the "budget" model in its' range and has equipped it with the worst screen for some uses .