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The Glossy Screen Dilemma
My rev. A MacBook Pro is approaching the point where it will be replaced - or in this case, added to so that my wife has a notebook again. This brings up something of a dilemma - I really love the design of the new MBP model but I'm not quite convinced by the glossy screens.
I'm not one of the 'Give me Matte or give me death' fanatics (please, this is just a caricature - don't take offense!), but even so I'm not a huge fan of glossy displays, and a recent inspection in the local Apple Store didn't assuage my fears. I could see myself, the shop attendant next to me and the posters on the wall all about equally with the image on the screen. Presumably, with more experience, I would learn to focus only on the distance of the screen, but it's worrying, all the same.
My MBP is my primary work machine and I can spend many hours a day using it, albeit with a matte 20" ACD back at base. This makes the slightest risk of visual problems much bigger than it would be if this were just the computer that was used on the move.
Oh dear, what to do...
Ian
I totally agree with you.
I like the case re-design, but the glossy screens
combined with the removal of FW400 port was a huge disappointment.
I think the glossy screens may be nice
for watching a movie or a slideshow,
but are they really a feature for a "PRO" level
machine? i haven't seen one study, article, etc
regarding what glossy screens do to improve
color fidelity or increase your
ability to do any typical "PRO" work.
i have a feeling you will soon see third party
companies selling "matte" covers for the glossy screens.
either way, i think i'm going to wait this one
out and get the previous model (a 2.5 GHZ 15.4")
the actual tech specs are very similar.
Dear Ian, I do see where you are coming from, and hope my experience can help you here. I think people are making too big of a deal of the glossy displays. Unless you are constantly working outside in bright daylight, you'll get used to it much faster than you think, at least I didn't even notice the glossy screen anymore after just 2 days. Our brain is much better focusing on the needed, i.e. just ignoring the reflections, than one would think. Just go for the new MacBook Pro, it'll be fine! :)
Glossy displays are not any good for color accuracy. The gloss acts like a polarizer.
I went with a glossy MBP close to two years ago and have never looked back.
Being a photographer and spending tons of time working images in post, given a choice today, I would choose glossy over matte in a heartbeat...
Brad
Urban photoblog: http://www.citysnaps.net/blog
People don't seem to realize that matte screens are just as reflective as glossy screens, except that the light is scattered and becomes contrast-destroying glare instead of being bounced straight back. For me, this is a far worse problem than glossy since I like to paint from my screen and have to keep very bright lights positioned above my head — matte screens change the overall look of an image, and your eyes can't focus past it. The reason that glossy screens appear more vibrant and contrasty is because they let you see the true image without the glare.
Don't worry about it. The vast majority of people end up preferring glossy screens, and for good reason.
This notion that only matte screens are suited for "professional" work is utter lunacy.
Simply not true.
Can't retouch to a professional standard. Good luck trying to match prints
Ha, get over it. Glossy is just way better on all accounts. And try using a matt screen in the sun outside, no way, you can't see anything on it. Besides the notion that you'll see your own reflection probably only happens in the apple store. I used and worked on my laptop for 2 years now in various offices and never have I had a problem with reflections...
If you are reluctant to buy a glossy one get one from the refurbished store if you can, they are cheap and would get you going for another 2 years. By then we'll have virtual sunglasses wirelessly connected to your MBP
Glossy screens:
- MORE accurate colour
- good contrast and vibrancy
Matte screens
- less accurate colour
- diminished contrast and vibrancy
- no problems with glare
- reduced colour cast problems with ambient light
It's all a tradeoff.
Adrian,
Where do you get your data??? Glossy screens more accurate for color rendition? Nonsense. Totally depends on proper profiling. Now, if you run the contrast and saturation up, like most consumer level laptops sitting in stores, then the color looks more vibrant, but it isn't more accurate. Not by a long shot.
I upgraded to a MacBook Air a few months ago and though I wouldn't have chosen a glossy if I'd had a choice, I absolutely love it. Like you, I wasn't impressed looking at them in the Apple Store, but I've come to realize that's about the worst environment possible, as there's just so much light, glare, and motion going on. At home, and on the road, it hasn't been a problem for me. There's no way I'd go back to a non-glossy screen.
I just got on my high horse about this very Gloss vs. Matte matter. See my latest post:
http://www.bagelturf.com/files/4944f85db94975e90aebb46aecb8cb09-1210.php
There's a reason why paintings are usually varnished with gloss rather than matte varnish, and it's not to make them shiny. It's because a gloss surface reflects light rather than scattering it as does a matte surface. When light scatters on a surface it reduces the contrast and dulls the colors. Gloss varnish restores the original contrast and color vibrancy because it doesn't scatter the light that hits it. It's actually a good thing. However, I can see matte screens being better if you regularly make prints to matte paper. The opposite is true, however, for prints made to glossy paper.
This might be an interesting read...
(wiki, from all places)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matte_Displays
However, in my opinion it must be noted that the image we see on the screen is transmitted light, not reflected. Transmission and reflection coefficients might be different.
As for my personal preference, matte displays all the way. Reflections hurt my eyes.
The thing that this discussion fails to touch on is color gamut and screen-to-print accuracy. Besides the eye-ergonomics that a glare might inhibit, we should also consider the color gamut, grey-to-grey, and white to black ratios.
The last generation of MBPs and the Powerbooks didn't have an accurate enough screen. If you're truly worried about print accuracy, final work should be done on a professional, colorimeter-corrected, color focused display.
I have yet to see any specs on the MBP screen, but I can tell you that I'd much prefer the matte screen on my NEC MultiSync to anything glossy that I've tried. It makes you wonder if any professionals will shoot for the new ACDs. Goodness knows the previous ones were usually rated as iffy when it came to color gamut.
Dex, we agree that colour profiling is essential, and that comparing unprofiled screens is useless.
The glare, eyestrain and headaches associated with glossy screens doesn't outweigh the ever so slight improvement in sharpness and contrast they offer.
When it comes down to it, you need to be able to use the computer comfortably all day or risk some sort of injury.
My eyes are going bad, muscle fatigue, because I used glossy CRT monitors without a anti-glare screen for years.
The way glare screws with your eyes is the ever so slight difference between the true image and the slightly out of focus reflections. Your eyes work overtime trying to auto-focus between the two.
Matte needing people can't use glossy screens, we don't say toss glossy in favor of matte only, just give us a choice.
http://macmatte.wordpress.com/